1/144 U.S.S. Fletcher

[robtmelvin]

Hi, guys. I thought I'd share some pictures of my just off the ways Revell 1/144 U.S.S. Fletcher. The kit was built with Eduard's BigEd PE set, Nautilus resin 5/38 turrets and ship's boats, G-Factor 5/38 barrels, props and 40mm anti-aircraft gun mount. I also used the Nautilus decal sets for the non-skid and ships numbers.

 

This is a great kit with few fit issues. I found the hardest part to be working with the large scale PE railing. You would think it would be easier in the larger scale, but it is actually more difficult to deal with those large runs of railing. The ship was rigged with stretched sprue. Hope you guys like:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks for looking and your comments are most welcome.

 

Bob

[Shawn M]

good looking ship Bob!

[robtmelvin]

Thanks for all the kind comments, guys. They are very much appreciated. Nothing makes me feel any better about my efforts than having them appreciated by my fellow modelers.

 

Bob

[Bill Cross]

A beauty, though cleaner than I'd do it, LOL. Makes me think about finishing my Revell 1/72nd Snowberry.

[robtmelvin]

Bill, thanks for your nice comments. I actually thought she could have been a lot cleaner, but then I'm my own work's harshest critic (as I suspect most of us are). I'm very interested in that Snowberry kit. I have to admit to a weakness for those old Revell 1/72 kits, having recently finished their old P.T. 109 kit.

 

Bob

[Cunumdrum61]

Hy Bob, great work on the Fletcher kit. I really like it and thanks for posting it. Ships are my priimary interest before aircraft and you did a really outstanding job on her. Yep I can relate to what you said about the railing etc.

I hope to see more of your work.

Cheers,

[robtmelvin]

Conundrum, thanks for your kind comments. I was mostly pleased with the way she came out. Of course, having built her, I know where all the warts are that I'd like to have done better. Large scales are definitely a mixed blessing. In a lot of ways they are easier to work with than even 1/350, but also less forgiving of mistakes since your boo boos are also in larger scale. Getting the railing right and having it look neat and clean was probably the hardest part of the build, for the reasons stated above. I'd love to see some more ships in this scale, though as a practical matter they would probably have to be restricted to DDs, DEs and smaller. I'd love to see a Benson/Gleaves class DD in 1/144, or a Butler or Evarts class DE.

 

Thanks again for taking time to look and comment, and for your kind words about the build.

 

Bob

[Cunumdrum61]

Hi Bob, yes I'd like see some more larger scale ships such as the Adams class or even the Forest Sherman class DD's in 1/144 scale. Trumpeter have a nice 1/200 scale Bismarck coming later this year that is from what I have heard from the inside a really outstanding kit. It will be about 4' in length. Now if only they would do the Missouri in 1/200 scale I can die a happy man.

[robtmelvin]

I doubt I'll buy the 1/200 Bismark (not sure though) since I'm mostly interested in IJN and USN subjects from '42 through '43. But, I have to say that a 1/200 U.S.S. Missouri (or any Iowa class for that matter) in World War II fit would send me over the moon! I'd even be happy to see some DDs and DEs in 1/200. Much easier for these middle aged eyes and gorilla fingers to work with than 1/350!

 

Bob

[LSP_K2]

I thought I had already comment on this, but apparently had not. First off, nice looking Fletch you've got there; I have the same kit (under construction), and would really like to finish here one of these days. (I'd also like the square bridge version, if they ever do one.) My neigbors dad served on a Gleaves class DD during the A-Bomb tests, and it would be great if a larger scale kit were available of that class as well. As to larger ship models, i've been waiting for the opportunity (when the price is ever right), to pounce on one of the Nichimo 1:200 Yamato kits;... they're huge!

[robtmelvin]

Glad you like my Fletch. Great kit, isn't it? If you want to do a square bridge version, Nautilus has a resin conversion set for this kit. I'm told it's quite nice.

 

I have high hopes that this kit, along with the 1/200 Arizona and the upcoming 1/200 Bismark are the tip of the iceberg of an emerging trend toward more and more large scale kits. From what I can gather, both Fletcher and Arizona have been commercial successes, showing that there is enough of a market for these big girls to justify the cost of design and tooling. I haven't broken over and purchased the Arizona yet, and since it is really outside my areas of interest probably won't. I'm primarily interested in USN and IJN ships, particularly from the '42 - '43 period. But, I've been fascinated by Bismark ever since seeing "Sink the Bismark" as a kid (I still pop it in the DVD from time to time) and might just have to pounce on a 1/200 version of her.

 

As stated above, I'd love to see some more DDs and even DEs come out in 1/144 or even 1/200. Some Benson/Gleaves DDs would be my heart's desire, as I think they are beautiful ships but the only versions available right now are the over engineered Dragon kits which even in 1/350 challenge my "average modeler" abilities. A Laffey, etc., in large scale would be a great companion for the Fletch, don't you think?

 

The manufacturers are going to respond to what they perceive the market wants, so if Bismark sells well I think we have a greater hope of seeing more and more of these large scale ships, though it will take time for them to hit the shelves. Lets hope!

 

Bob

 

P.S.

 

Hope you'll post some shots of your Fletch when you get her done.

[Cunumdrum61]

Glad you like my Fletch. Great kit, isn't it? If you want to do a square bridge version, Nautilus has a resin conversion set for this kit. I'm told it's quite nice.

 

Bob

 

 

The Nautilus square bridge conversion is really bad. I had two of them and both went into th bin. Nothing was square with the bridge pieces and it was full of pin holes and resin so thin that the sides would just break away. I was sent a replacement set as the first set was not useable and the second was just as bad. The kt is now waiting for a scratchbuilt bridge. I would not waste my money on this set.

 

I do not know what it is with some aftermarket ship resin. The quality is really bad and nowhere as good as aircraft or armor aftermarket resin. I had the same issue with resin sets I bought for the Revell Gato in 72 scale.

[TimW]

Outstanding work! I have the same kit and will get around to it at some point...the PE looks like it was fun.

 

Tim W.

[robtmelvin]

Thanks for looking, and for your kind works. Over all, the PE was not too bad. It was the Eduard set, the only complaint with which I have is their tendency to pre-etch the bend points, thereby weakening the PE. Given the thickness of the PE for this kit that was not that much of an issue, but it did rear its head a time or two. I will tell you that the hardest part is the railings. At that scale they don't cut and paste as can do with them in 1/350. The cuts are simply too visible and hard to make line up so they don't show. I found that for the most part I was forced to work with the railings at their full length, which was not always easy. The best thing to do is to get out the calipers and try to measure from bend to bend, then estimate the degree of bend, which you can then correct once you begin to attach. I also found that the best way to approach it was to secure the beginning point with CA, then run the railing from there, gluing as you go.

 

I think you'll really enjoy this kit. It was a pleasure for me to build, regardless of the difficulties with the railings, which primarily required just a good bit of patience.

 

Bob

[TimW]

Thanks for looking, and for your kind works. Over all, the PE was not too bad. It was the Eduard set, the only complaint with which I have is their tendency to pre-etch the bend points, thereby weakening the PE. Given the thickness of the PE for this kit that was not that much of an issue, but it did rear its head a time or two. I will tell you that the hardest part is the railings. At that scale they don't cut and paste as can do with them in 1/350. The cuts are simply too visible and hard to make line up so they don't show. I found that for the most part I was forced to work with the railings at their full length, which was not always easy. The best thing to do is to get out the calipers and try to measure from bend to bend, then estimate the degree of bend, which you can then correct once you begin to attach. I also found that the best way to approach it was to secure the beginning point with CA, then run the railing from there, gluing as you go.

 

I think you'll really enjoy this kit. It was a pleasure for me to build, regardless of the difficulties with the railings, which primarily required just a good bit of patience.

 

Bob

 

Bob--

 

Your AAR is more helpful than you know--I, too, have this kit and the Eduard PE (plus some Nautilus extras, like the missing 40mm tub on the fantail!).

 

Your comments will help when I finally get back to working on it. Thus far, I've only done the forward funnel--handling the PE was a challenge, to say the least (though it does really enhance the kit).

 

I'll be doing USS Radford, probably also in MS-22 just like yours (c. 1943).

 

Again, great job!

 

Tim W.