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Posted by Rick E Davis on August 10, 2026, 17:25:42, in reply to "1/700 3D printed Fletcher"
With the amount of design history of the FLETCHER class, it shouldn't take much effort for a 3-D printed designer to come up with such a 1/700 scale kit. That is IF the kit designers actually took the effort to find the material to do a decent design. Trumpeter certainly didn't do that with their THE SULLIVANS kits. iLove with their new FLETCHER class kits are a big improvement. Currently only early Round Bridge versions have been released. There are still problems, but can easily be corrected except for light AA armament and wrong radar on the FLETCHER kit that needs replaced. Whether they will continue with Square Bridge kits is unknown at this point. I'm certain iLove is a part of the Trumpeter Corp., since Trumpeter is making 1/200 scale versions and iLove is making 1/350 scale versions of the same subjects. Trumpeter has announced a 1/200 scale kit of USS THE SULLIVANS, but for which timeframe? Some sources show the late-WWII Anti-Kamikaze mod while other sources show the 1950-60's 4-Gun version. 
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I recall many years back complaints of accurate 1/700 Fletcher. Skywave’s Callaghan was poop. Tamiya was ok but wanting especially DD 445. Samek did the anti-kamikaze fit but I can’t recall if they saw action before war’s end . I don’t recall Trumpeter’s reviews of its kit.
On evil site there is a 1/700 Fletcher done in black resin. It is impressing the hell out of me. Whoever printed it was a Fletcher class fan. The wafers contain square bridge, round bridge, 2 types of masts, 2 sets of funnels and 7 turrets, ammo boxes, detailed rafts, open lattice MK-37/MK4 radar. Decent 20mm and 40mm twins. I am not expert enough but deck was printed with square pad trails (anti-skid ?). All fine railings printed on. I purchased waterline but there are propellers on the wafer so I am guessing it also offered in full hull.
My only complaint the Chinese use a double stick tape to hold the hull and wafers in place for shipping. It’s a very strong adhesive and one must take time and patience to free all. Lot of time.
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