1/144 Revell Fletcher Class Destroyer Build (Early)

[Rotorhead]

Hey Rick...........I wrote several replys.......and tossed them all. Had to respond to this one.

First......I thank you for the closeup photos of the tubs. Right now I'm thinking that I won't tear it apart to put a few drain holes in. The only "problem" with that is........I know it. I can live with it. If it requires a removal to do some other work........then I will do it right. I have some photos depicting just a set of the outboard drains............but your O'Bannon photo shoots holes in my "generic" build. I will put the rounded lip on the tubs.

Before i cut any plastic, do you have any semi-closeup photos of the early Y-gun setups and mount points on the deck? These deck attach points in the photo just do not look right. They may have to go.



As you can see, I'm slowly working my way from Keel up. And I am going to be adding the lived in junk later. But that search is for later.

Regards
Steve

[Rick E Davis]

Steve,

Here is an image of the "typical" early arbor post style storage used on Fletchers seen on the Taylor (DD-468). This is about the best view I have found "without" the depth charges in place and I actually went ahead and made a high-res scan of just this area while I was at NARA. As an aside, the USN used a different layout on Benson-Gleaves destroyers that was more "compact". The short sections of "pipe" you see on the deck along the bulkhead, at two different heights, are for storing spare arbors. I have not looked at the kit to know how accurate Revell made these parts. As another aside, note the non-skid walkways used on Taylor appear to be a solid mat or "painted like tar" on and not individual "pads" seen on many other Fletchers.

The second image is from another angle this time on Bache (DD-470) ... different builder ... but the K-gun was "Government Furnished". The chains would loop over the depth charges to keep them in place. Note the anal adherence to the camo paint specs ... deck blue on top of the K-Guns.

[Rotorhead]

Rick,

Those have been saved for future use. It appears that i wont have to scrape off the deck right away. I might find I will need work on the K-guns themselves. But weapons will be far down the line. My next adventure are going to be all the cabin bulkheads....opening all the hatches and getting rid of all the molded on details. I might even use styrene to make my own bulkheads, might be easier.

I THANK YOU for your help in providing photos. Those from Navsource are great but very low res.

Regards
Steve

[Rotorhead]

The photos above as well as others have shown an item of interest to me.............those deck re-enforcing doublers. They are so pronounced that I may have to incorporate them.

Since I have progressed to the "Deck Level" those doublers interest me. I was originally going to sand off the raised "deck walkways" but have come to the conclusion thatthey are not THAT raised afterall and they will get masked and painted anyway.

So right now I'm back to "thinking" about the decks. Also "thinking" about the main deck superstructure.

This build is about learning as much as i can about the Fletcher, research at every turn. It's FUN!

BTW Les..........yes I'm going to do that lip on the gun tubs. Thanks for noticing. Need all the eyes i can get.

Regards
Steve

[Rotorhead]

Un-Exciting update: Waiting on the Nautilus PE set to arrive. I'm also looking closely at the different decklevel bulkheads for molded on detail...........whether to scrape off or deal with. I'm also in the final training push for an upcoming bicycle trip. The build might get a bit interrupted for a couple of weeks.

Regards
Steve

[Rotorhead]

Fletcher Update.........exciting in that I finally got my copy of the Nautilus Models Fletcher PE set.



This set is going to delay the build in that I have some thinking to do. I "THINK" I'm going to open up several deck hatches. A few of them are large enough where you will be able to see some "stuff" inside. The PE set hs the hatches and i have a few references as to what they look like "opened".

So far I'm just on the Main Deck.......no farther up that that.

Regards
Steve

[carr]

..

[Rotorhead]

Hello Bob,

I've been a little scarce here because I was on a bicycle trip recently and just got really beat. Also cogitating on my escape trunks (tubes) and other deck hatches.

Sources for Condenser Intake locations, the fletcher plans set here: http://www.destroyerhistory.org/destroyers/store.html

The Floating drydock has a set of plans for the Drydock survey, which "Should" give exact locations, but don't know if they show what they look like. I do not have this set.

The only good source for what they look like is the USS Kidd museum propulsion trainer which I have posted photos of above somewhere.

I'm gonna be back to work on this shortly now that i have a quasai plan for my deck hatches.

Regards
Steve

[Secondo]

Really admirable work, Steve!
As I'm trying to build the USS Killen DD 593 from the same Revell kit, the photos that you've posted were a truly useful reference for me
Concerning the sonar dome question, I think that the one seen in the photo is perhaps a more recent device that was fitted during the DE upgrade: the dome of the new sonar was almost the double in size compared to the wartime one.

Always following your work with much interest

[Rotorhead]

Secondo,

I think you are absolutely correct about the larger sonar dome for the DE postwar. The original is slightly offset from centerline to starboard and I "Think" it's retractable.

Thank you for the complements............now I need to get back to work on it. Got sidetracked and it's waiting for me. I was contemplating opening up some or all of the escape trunks.............too hard because they are oval. The larger deck hatches i will cut into. I also have to cut into some or all of the superstructure hatches......then I'll be back on track.

More later.

Regards
Steve

[Rick E Davis]

We were in Boston and while onboard the Cassin Young, I found this drawing of her as she appears today posted on a bulkhead. Note the location of the sonar dome.

[Rotorhead]

Rick

Isnt the CY supposed to go into drydock real soon? It's a long drive for me but i want to do that tour also.

BTW........those same drawing can be found on their website in high rez.

Regards
Steve

[Sleepwalker]

As designed Fletchers were planned to have two sonars. One at the position shown by you, and second one just before 1st 5" mount. Due to sonar shortages as war emerged they were finished with only one sonar at the position just before 1st 5" mount. What you shown on these drawings is post-war modification of Fletchers. Unfortunately I have no photos or drawings showing early arrangement of the sonar dome - one drawing is in N. Friedmann book on US Destroyers.

[Edward Pinniger]

I don't know why I haven't posted in this thread earlier, but your Fletcher is certainly looking seriously impressive! Certainly The hull "oil canning" is the most realistic representation of this effect I've seen on a model.

I've just started my (much less ambitious) build of this kit and will post some photos soon.

[Rotorhead]

Thank you Ed,

I just need to get off the dime and get back to work on it. Been sidetracked on some puter work.

Regards
Steve

[jep1210]

WOW! nice work I'm tagging along to keep up with your progress. I wasn't going to get one of these but now....I just may have to.

J.P.

[Rotorhead]

Hey JP,

I have been a little tardy in posting here. It's SUMMER!! I will kick myself in the pants and get moving again. I am also awaiting the Eduards PE sets.

RoG did a good job on the kit IMHO. A little "plain"..........but easily spruced up. It's bigger than a 1/350 battlewagon, so be prepared.

Regards
Steve

[Lucky]

Hi
Fantastic job

I follow your WIP
I recently purchased the Nautilus set and BMK Barrels for Revell Kit!
Regard
Luciano

[ir3]

I just received my Fletcher kit. My first task was to collect the paints until I found out the Revell can not be imported into the US and the equivalence charts don't help much. Does anyone have a list of paints for the Fletcher that are available in the US. Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks,

IR3

[Rotorhead]

White Ensign has all the correct colors and they send quickly and painlessly to the US. Thats what I'm using.

Regards
Steve