Beautiful little build (and great lighting, in your photography of it). I don't usually go in much for "What-If"s (I find actual history far more compelling) but in this case, as you note, this fit was actually put into effect, if only briefly and for only a few ships. Recall that one of the very first plastic ship kits ever - the Aurora Halford - was a (mis)take on this same historical episode. Except that Aurora for some reason used a Gearing/Sumner, as the foundation - despite the fact Halford herself was a Fletcher! Perhaps it was because, when the kit came out in the mid-late '50s, many Gearing/Sumners were still active in the USN, and so Aurora thought that would give the kit maximum appeal. Who knows.

What I do know - now, six decades later - is that the Aurora Halford is one of the few classic kits for which I haven't been able to dream up any worthwile conversion/redemption: seeing as how there are now available such incomparably-better, and even full-hulled, Sumner/Gearings available in 350-scale - practically identical to the ancient Aurora's (1:300-ish) scale.

But to return to your SkyWave Fletcher, I do concurr their detail parts, especially the guns, are highly detailed - but I do take issue with the fineness of said details: one of these days I'm going to set you up with a bunch of Matty's Models guns - especially (conversion) Twin-40mms - and I think you'll see their details - even in 1:550 scale - are not only just as fine (if not more so), but often more accurate. Particularly, for example, the (converted) mount for my Twin-40mm, compared to what SkyWave gave you. And of course all Matt Stein Models gun-parts are separate - with elevation gears molded-in, to provide yet more visible detail when raised.

Again, please do label- and keep any spares from these sets - and send 'em to me so I can really continue to plug my products, going forward!

Seriously though, a great little build, and ModelFleet submission - Thank You, buddy!

Cheers,

- Matty