Calling all Fletcher-class (DD-445) fans

[les]

Megadeth9mm said:

must sacrifice realism here and there i guess.

It's your model. Build it any way you like it!

[Felix B.]

Just in case you didn't already see the August monthly specials on the Iron Shipwrights site, Jon Warneke has just released two new kits - a Fletcher DDE and a Fletcher FRAM.

I was able to purchase these two kits a little earlier since I knew about them and Jon was kind enough to cast them as waterline hulls. They are excellent kits with complete detailed instructions, two decal sheets, one with hull & deck markings and another with anti-skid walkways and full photoetch.

Casting is much improved with this and the newer kits that I have in my possession - there are a couple of spots needing filling and clean-up but nothing that modelers couldn't handle.

So if you want to add a pair of 1/350 scale post-WW2 Fletchers to your fleet, now you can.

Felix

[MEGADETH9mm]

Finally finished the midship deckhouse section. still missing a photoetch door, but waiting to see if i have a spare when model completed fully. many-a-touch-up to be made, but she's lookin okay.

build forward smokestack tub by scratch using paper and Eduard PE scraps. Used sprue chunks as "signal lights" i guess. didnt know what else to put there.

saw a pipe that sticks out next to the forward torpedo launcher in every fletcher photo i've seen, so i bent some sprue and stuck it on there. let me know if that "needs to be removed asap". lol.

stretched sprue for rigging.

when 40mm's arrive from l'arsenal, i will add them to the front of the bridge tubs and above the clipping rooms. so, disregard the 20mm's up front, those will be relocated anyway.

5.5 hrs put in tonight. she's starting to look like a destroyer....the more i work on it, the more "wear and tear" builds on the model, making it look weathered and worn(at least it does to me).

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v65/s ... idcom1.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v65/s ... idcom2.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v65/s ... idcom3.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v65/s ... idcom4.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v65/s ... idcom5.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v65/s ... idcom7.jpg

[MEGADETH9mm]

Tonight's progress:
L'Arsenal Bofors 40mm guns assembled and mounted on ship.
20mm guns relocated to forward smoke stack tub(for own personal liking)
piece of sprue removed(recco Tony)
Other minor paint adjustments(touch-ups) done.
pretty tight up front with the bofors. Going to leave it that way.
dull coat will be added at completion of ship.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v65/s ... fdown1.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v65/s ... fdown2.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v65/s ... fdown3.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v65/s ... fdown4.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v65/s ... fdown5.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v65/s ... fdown6.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v65/s ... fdown7.jpg

[Timmy C]

Hmm, I get the feeling that you put the gun portion of the Bofors upside-down - there should be some bumps on top rather than just flatness. I see that the instructions show this area as flat, so that might be where the confusion stems from.

[MEGADETH9mm]

Hmm, I get the feeling that you put the gun portion of the Bofors upside-down - there should be some bumps on top rather than just flatness. I see that the instructions show this area as flat, so that might be where the confusion stems from.

yikes, thanks for pointing that out. that's a major thing that i'll have to adjust tomorrow.

[MEGADETH9mm]

Hmm, I get the feeling that you put the gun portion of the Bofors upside-down - there should be some bumps on top rather than just flatness. I see that the instructions show this area as flat, so that might be where the confusion stems from.

yikes, thanks for pointing that out. that's a major thing that i'll have to adjust tomorrow.

flipped 'em with minimal damage. they look great. thanks again for the tip. i have a feeling i might complete the rest of this ship tonight or tomorrow. it's that last stretch, where you're like "ok, i'm close now, might as well just hammer out the rest." more pics to come of course.

[MEGADETH9mm]

almost done. 7hrs yesterday to complete aft "deckhouse" area.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v65/s ... aftdh1.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v65/s ... aftdh2.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v65/s ... aftdh3.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v65/s ... aftdh4.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v65/s ... aftdh5.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v65/s ... aftdh6.jpg

[Secondo]

Sorry to jump in, but I need your help Sirs!
I'm looking for photoetched parts to further detail my 1/144 Revell Fletcher in the late-war config. I need at least the radars and the depht charge racks. There were two sets from Tom's modelworks, the 144/12 and 144/7, that suited me perfectly, but when I tried to purchase them from Floating Drydock, they had already been discontinued.
I know about the Nautilus models' PE set, but it's far too expensive for me and is made for the early config.
Anybody knows of any other PE set that includes those details? Is there hope to find the discontinued Tom's sets anywhere else, or to have something similar produced by someone else soon?
T.I.A.

[les]

Go to Eduard's site. They have three sets for the 144th Fletcher.

[Secondo]

Go to Eduard's site. They have three sets for the 144th Fletcher.

Thanks for the info!
I've just bought two of the sets. While some very important details such as the SC radar and K guns' DC racks will still be missing, I will spare a lot of work on other sensitive areas

[MEGADETH9mm]

Sorry to jump in, but I need your help Sirs!
I'm looking for photoetched parts to further detail my 1/144 Revell Fletcher in the late-war config. I need at least the radars and the depht charge racks. There were two sets from Tom's modelworks, the 144/12 and 144/7, that suited me perfectly, but when I tried to purchase them from Floating Drydock, they had already been discontinued.
I know about the Nautilus models' PE set, but it's far too expensive for me and is made for the early config.
Anybody knows of any other PE set that includes those details? Is there hope to find the discontinued Tom's sets anywhere else, or to have something similar produced by someone else soon?
T.I.A.

post pics of this badboy!

[MEGADETH9mm]

here's 3 quick camo comparison pics. i came pretty darn close. there's a few adjustments to be made though, specifically starboard bridge deck, the black needs to be scaled back a bit to even up with pattern. also port side aft, grey part on hull, needs to be extended a bit further to stern. otherwise, the 3rd pic shows the actual ship and the differences from the official 13m specs. just noticed, the aft 40mm tub had black all the way up it. must adjust....

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v65/s ... /camo1.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v65/s ... /camo2.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v65/s ... ompare.jpg

[Secondo]

post pics of this badboy!

Will do, as soon as I will have enough things to show, I'll open a topic in "work in progress"
So far, there's not a lot to see, just the standard Revell kit stripped of some of its parts

[Mike Pajewski]

Actually, the Nautilus set has the late war Mk 12 radar with the MK 22, the later depth charge racks and the SC-4 radar. It is much closer to the late war configuration than the set from Eduard, which has the early war MK-4 radar for the Fire Control director and the SC.

[Rick E Davis]

Just as a note. Not all FLETCHERS were updated with Mk 12/22 radars on their Mk 37 directors during the war. Some ships (notably NICHOLAS and O'BANNON never did have Mk12/22 radars before conversion to DDE's and then got a newer radar) went into mothballs still equipped with the earlier Mk 4 radar. However, all of the anti-kamikaze updated FLETCHERS had the Mk 12/22 radars.

[MEGADETH9mm]

post pics of this badboy!

Will do, as soon as I will have enough things to show, I'll open a topic in "work in progress"
So far, there's not a lot to see, just the standard Revell kit stripped of some of its parts

sweet i'll check it out, yea the only reason i posted my pics in here, is cause it's a fletch.

[MEGADETH9mm]

Long night. about 8 hrs to complete Eduard sailors. should i add a couple more? i dont have any more "walkers" though.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v65/s ... ilors1.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v65/s ... ilors2.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v65/s ... ilors3.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v65/s ... ilors4.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v65/s ... ilors5.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v65/s ... ilors6.jpg

[Timmy C]

A few more around the stern weapons would be good

And I see you've applied your flat coat! Looks so much nicer now

[Secondo]

By the way, studying photos of Fletchers built by Puget Sound Navy Yard, I found a detail that puzzles me. It's just a curiosity, but I like to know the purpose of the things I'm going to scratchbuild
There was what seems to be an air intake (red arrow) behind the wheelhouse and above a pair of exaust pipes. The photo is of USS Leutze but Killen too had it. What was it for?