Thinking of ordering this monsterous 1/125 Fletcher class. Does anybody have any experence with it?

Specificly:

How does it build?

Any specific problems?

How can I adapt it for R/C use?

Hi Ryan,
Personally, never built the beast, but know of guys that have, and have successfully made a great model in static, as well as R/C versions...google up the ship kit and you'll find a good amount of experiences from many outlets...as with most plastic kits, you're gonna have a fair amount of work to make it what you want it to be, and since you already have the interest and initiative, you have half the battle won...

Let's see if someone else on the boards can give you more personal insight, and if you decide to go ahead with the project, the best advice that I can give you is to research your subject to the hilt, and get building!

Please keep us posted, mate!!!

Ryan, I started one many moons ago. IIRC it went together fairly well. The surface detail is not too bad and at that scale scratch building the extras isn't too difficult.

Gator

This is an old,old kit. I built one nearly 40 years ago as a wee lad. Kenny is right about the surface detail. Not to bad to pretty good. For RC, it is twin screw and,I believe twin rudder. Original plans called for 8 'D' batteries to power 1 pretty hefty electric motor that not only drove the gearbox for the screwsbut some very exotic linkage for the rudders,gun turrets,and I think the torpedo launchers.Yea,they were supposed to spin and turn as if in battle. The cruising pattern could be a circle,figure 8, and a couple more that I don't remember. Mine became a 'combat loss' when it caught fire and blew up in a tide pool when I was 13 or so.

What! That's both cool and sad at the same time.

Yes I am endevoring to build first a great looking static model, I will leave the option open however to add the RC componants. I have decided to Model the USS Johnston (lost in 1944 during the battle of Samar).

Rick , I am sorry for your loss when you were a kid The way you worded it gave me a good laugh though sorry , Bob

Hi Ryan,

I have one of these, bought it when I found it on sale for under $50 from Model Expo. I have found a number of good references for it online from build articles to finished kits by various modelers of different degrees of proficiency. Like most things in the hobby, how well it comes out depends on what efforts go into the project. There are at least two correction type build up series on it that I have found that give detailed directions on how to make a better Fletcher.

I would reccomend Tom's Model Works PE set for it, Tom Harrison makes a rather nice set that replaces a number of the injection molded parts that you can do without. Jeff Herne has a detailed build article that points out the most worst parts that you have to deal with on the old Steel Navy site. Here is a link to it.

http://www.steelnavy.com/BDFletcher.htm

He starts with the hull and goes from there to the most detailed parts. Don't know how much you want to put into it but it can be made into a real looker. There are some weapons sets available to replace the Bofors and Oerlikons on board as well. As to the RC uses, the original layout can be much improved by using more modern components, there are a few articles out there on the web that can give you all the details that you could ever hope for. As was pointed out earlier, it can be set up box stock to do patterns, oval, figure 8, circles or in a straight line with radars and main guns turning.

I plan on building mine to be a static version not caring to go chasing it down or trying to do the Sea Hunt thing if it should sink after spending the time to build it up. Revell also makes a U Boat, U-99 in the same scale if you would like to have a "Victim" for it to hunt down.

Good luck with yours.

Jay Massey
treadhead1952
Las Vegas, NV

Thanks Jay, I've been trying to find that article.

You're quite welcome Dave.

I know lots of folks have had problems with the kit, mostly due to the number of parts, operational features and other quibles. But as far as Fletcher Class Destroyers in a rather large size, the only other option is to do some serious scratchbuilding.

Just for the sake of interest, it can be done up quite nicely. As an example here are some that were completed as various ships in the class.

George LeFluers' USS Kidd as it appeared on D Day.

http://www.modelshipgallery.com/gallery/dd/dd-661/125-gl/gl-index.html

Mike Goldens' USS Richard P Leary

http://www.modelshipgallery.com/gallery/dd/dd-664/125-mg/mg-index.html

Les Forans' excellent RC conversion to its' original namesake class.

http://www.modelshipgallery.com/gallery/dd/dd-445/125-lf/lf-index.html

And last but not least, Ernie Webbers' drop dead gorgeous build of the kit as the USS Kidd.

http://www.steelnavy.com/LindbergKiddEW.htm

I hope that the powers that be don't mind using other links to different forums but it is hard to find some better examples of just what can be done with a forty year old kit. Bear in mind that most of these guys spent some serious time and effort, not to mention talent, to overhaul the old girl to be as a good a representation of the class as these are.

I am looking to work mine over this winter when it is too cool to be out of doors fooling about. As is my habit, I like to locate as many references in print and on line as I can to assist in doing these things, research being the key Squadron has one of their "In Action" books devoted to the class, as well as a few other books that can be found.

The Nav Source website

http://www.hazegray.org/danfs/destroy/

The Destroyer History Foundation website

http://www.destroyerhistory.org/destroyers/index.html

Destroyers Online web pages devoted to the Fletcher Class

http://www.destroyersonline.com/usndd/classflet.html

And even the Gyrodyne Helicopter site has a few pages listed devoted to the class

http://www.gyrodynehelicopters.com/fletcher_class.htm

Lots of the individual ships also have pages on the web that are devoted to ships and crews which are also a good source of information. You can find just about anything that you may want to know about the ships as well as particular ships and their paint jobs and equipment lists from all these different sources. Of course, when gathering all this information be aware that for a ship class that had as long a history as the Fletcher Class, some ships were still operational into the '60's with various fleets around the world, it can be quite easy to put things on there that were not as they were in the WWII period. So check your references and happy surfin', er research gathering.

Jay Massey
treadhead1952
Las Vegas, NV

Great links! Thanks for posting