An update; I saw photos of the new Trumpeter 1/200 scale USS STEVENS kit and can see that the layout of parts are identical to the iLove 1/350 scale kit. So comments here apply to Trumpeter's kit.
First a little background on this ship and the very unique configuration for a FLETCHER. Ignore much of what iLove has written on the box about this ship (and the lack of mentioning her sisters), When the first 24 FLETCHERS were ordered, Six of these Fletchers (DD-477 through 480) were to be built to this "Aircraft-Handling" configuration. Much politics were involved with this concept. The USN really wasn't interested in putting aircraft on destroyers after years of research showing they would be only of limited utility. But, there was a high-level backer, who was a former Navy Secretary, FDR.
The directions for designing and building these destroyers was that they were to be as common to the Fleet destroyer FLETCHERS as possible and could be converted to Fleet destroyers if that decision was made. Hence they were assigned to be built at three USN yards, Boston, Charleston, and Puget Sound. The first unit completed was USS PRINGLE (DD-477), commissioned on 15 September 1942 at ChNY. She completed and started evaluation exercises in November 1942. The initial design for these destroyers had a catapult on the centerline in place of the 53 mount and aft torpedo tubes. The catapult was an upgraded catapult the type installed on OMAHA cruisers and was selected as much lighter than the other catapults used in the USN at the time. This catapult was a turntable Mk IV "compressed air" launch system. This type of catapult was limited in aircraft weight and was replaced with gunpowder type launching catapults on other USN ships in mid-1930's. A pole mast boom crane on the centerline behind the second stack was installed to handle and recover the Kingfisher aircraft. Once the aircraft launching and recovery exercises started, it was nearly a disaster with a largely green crew operating the equipment, and damaging the Kingfisher aircraft. The crane handling was a difficult task requiring a large deck crew. PRINGLE's CO ordered a stop to any further testing of the aircraft-handling after one day. It was decided by command to seek another crane system/method to handle aircraft. PRINGLE went on to training in basic destroyer requirements. Her Kingfisher was repaired and returned to the ship, but NEVER operated again. She carried the seaplane on an emergency operation called during training in the NORTH ATLANTIC to reinforce the escorts of a battered convoy. After escorting the Convoy to Halifax, she was almost brought under fire by harbor defenses when they noted that Destroyers DON'T carry aircraft!!!
While designing a new crane scheme, the three most advanced Aircraft-Handling FLETCHERS; USS HUTCHINS, PRINGLE, and STANLY (she had a catapult installed for one week before it was removed) were ordered in December 1942, to be modified to Fleet Destroyers. BUT to keep the ability to be modified to an Aircraft-Handling again if the new crane design was a success. USS STEVENS and HALFORD were modified with a new crane design being installed on the starboard side on the main deck. The sixth unit, USS LEUTZE (DD-480), in this group had its construction delayed and eventually never completed to this design. This crane design had some limitations (especially in training the crane) made to speed the project. STEVENS went on to do over 50 launch and recovery operations in Chesapeake Bay as the evaluation of the concept prior to being deployed to the Pacific. In the Pacific she operated with USS HALFORD as part of an Aircraft Carrier Task Force. It is this configuration that the iLove kit represents.
I got my kit a couple of months ago and I started to build the kit. As someone interested in FLETCHER class destroyers, I was excited to see an "out-of-box" FLETCHER not based on the as built USS FLETCHER (DD-445) ... with what over six versions made by kit manufacturers in various scales. Trumpeter has the only 1/350 scale plastic kit of the Square Bridge version and they got the shape of the navigation bridge wrong. First impressions were good. The parts are molded with little to no flash, although I did note that some parts still had sprue attachments leftovers that needed to be trimmed off. I had never heard of iLove prior to a series of recent kits. I soon realized that this firm is "likely" part of Trumpeter. The model display stand is the same as used on Trumpeter kits with a different name plate.
The kit, I didn't take photos of the kit sprues before I started to build. So I have scanned some images of the instructions. The kit comes as a Full Hull only, which I wasn't happy with. No scribed line for the waterline was added to aid water-lining. As is too common on many ship kits now, the hull detail is overdone. This hull makes it look like the STEVENS has an ARMOR BELT!!! My solution will be discussed in my "Works in Progress".
The parts are a combination of molded plastic and PE parts. The crane and catapult are mostly PE and a few plastic parts. Some of the PE parts are tricky to assemble because no detailed illustration for NOW to fold the more complex parts risks breaking a key part if you make a wrong guess the first time. (Example are the rolling racks for the K-Gun depth charges are quite confusing as to NOW you should fold them) Several of the parts using PE, I feel would be better replaced by 3-D printed parts by the kit manufacturer. Oh, the Kingfisher is molded in clear plastic and the decals are wrong period.
Most of the kit fits together well and is much improved over the previous Trumpeter (aka iLove) THE SULLIVANS kit. I could tell from the parts that some are used for the iLove USS FLETCHER as built kit. It has been stated that a new USS THE SULLIVANS (DD-537) in 1/200 scale is planned. Whether it will be of the same late-WWII configuration as Trumpeter's current 1/350 scale kit (hopefully upgraded) or is of her current Museum configuration with twin 3-in RFG mounts, I don't know. Also, whether iLove will have a 1/350 version as well.
The weapons are typical for Trumpeter and are best replaced by aftermarket 3-D printed parts.
