USS Fletcher, Tamiya model

This was not easy. I never built a destroyer. I believe I used tweezers for about 3/4 of the build. A flashlight and toothpicks. I cussed a little too. It had arrived from Amazon a week ago and it took me probably 12 hours with painting to complete it. Some mistakes but shaky at 75. No more tiny parts models for me, if ever I do any more it will be aircraft. They give you a bunch of spare parts, could have used another stanchion for the bow as mine broke in half so it is a bit short. I could have easily made one but was a bit tired towards the end. But once again, you just cannot beat Tamiya for quality models. The fit of parts was fantastic. I used some of my own paint scheme but got maroon spray for the hull as I didn’t think that the real ships were a bright red. As far as painting, I have learned that less is better with Navy ships, rather than having it look like a Christmas tree. I know there is a technique for painting the camo pattern on the hull and I thought about cutting Frog tape in a design and spraying it but then changed my mind. The picture on the box and instructions showed railings but none were included. I am basically happy with it.

 

That looks sweet! Clean lines...(no model should be looked at close up)
May I suggest for your next aircraft model, making it a 1/48 scale? Bigger pieces mate...

 

Thank you. And that one piece hull with the deck fitting in perfectly was a pleasure.

 

Nice build. Rich A. in Pa.

 

Thanks. And just one more with an antenna that I forgot.......

 

12 hrs with painting? Great Job.

 

That's why you get paid the big bucks

 

I have painted as a teenager several tanks and planes like a Catalina and I know it takes time to wait the paint to dry and you do not want to be in the same room. Try and tell me what the paint smells like..

 

Well folks, I thought I had followed the instructions to a “T”, but evidently not. A novice would not notice but perhaps some of you did? I was just looking at the model and realized that I have permanently, and I mean permanently, glued those bridge platform sides, or whatever you call them, onto the wrong sides and upside down. But they are there to stay now. I thought I had them on by the part numbers on the sheet but looking the same, I got them reversed. I thought something looked funny as I was looking at my photos in my album. Ya know, like when you see something you made and say, “now something doesn’t look right”. My wife and friends will never notice. I’m leaving it on the mantle along with a couple other models. My wife recently, for some reason, took her things off of it and told me to put four of my models there. Isn’t she great?!

 

Ha Haa...Sh#t happens...bit like my tattoo of an Me262...got home before I realised the tattooist put the engine nacelles above the wing instead of underneath...its a shot from above so only an astute viewer would notice...!

 

Thanks, I appreciate it. Now you made me feel better.

 

I always felt a tattoo of LAH or Grossdeutshland would be cool. I do not want to cover my body with tattoo's.

 

OK so whats LAH or Grossdeutshland? (I feel I should know)
My tat is on my chest across my heart only one...no one cans see it unless I show them. I can tell you the chicks dig it...

 

Little things don't matter. The whole Businez is what models are about. Today kids don't do models so I bought some ten Panthers, Shermans and il-2 Sturmoviks for €20 0nly. I just love the making of a smaller version and paint it with war colours.

 

Half Track, it’s an absolute beautiful assembly.

I would not have noticed the bridge wings unless you told me. I know how you feel when you spot a goof. I do it with my oil paintings allllllll the time. You just have to make up a story for it.

If I did this, I’d say to myself, “ well, the destroyers back then when through some drastic changes during their construction. Some of the bridge roofs were actually made too low and caused hazards with bumping heads in rough seas (true story). This is a case where a design like that was made and later changed. (I know, it’s goofy, but it helps me).

And, if you really get motivated and can’t let it go, a little molders plastic, exacto blades, and a lot of patience you could custom make some parts, or modify it.

I just put together a Titanic wreck model with a bunch of custom parts. It’s challenging but very fulfilling to make them out of scratch.

 

Thanks. I’m not going to try that but I appreciate your reply. But, I did add a higher side from spare parts on the starboard side towards the front and added a machine gun, two barrels (were they twin fifties or maybe those bofors?) and a searchlight from the spare parts. And a gun and searchlight on the port side. Not on the original but I’m happy with it and it looks good.

 

LAH was the Liebstandarte Adolf Hitler, an SS unit, originally the Fuhrer's bodyguard, but eventually expanded into the 1st SS Panzer Division. An excellent fighting unit, also guilty of atrocities like the Malmedy Massacre.

A standarte was an SS unit comparable to a regiment. Liebstandarte means roughly "loyal regiment"; hopefully someone here has better knowledge of German.

Grossdeutschland was an elite army unit, originally a motorized infantry regiment, later expanded to a panzer division and eventually a corps. Troops from GD were sometimes detached for security duties, notably Major Otto Remer's battalion which helped to put down the July 20 plot.