I would like to find out if there are any kits available for Gearing class Destroyers. They were built near the end of WWII, too late to see action, but stayed in the fleet into the 1970’s. I’ve not been a ship model builder so I’m not sure how to go about finding such a kit. Any advice on searching for kits or knowledge of one would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.
Jack
USS Gearing by Dragon No. 1029 1:350 scale,
USS Chevalier by Dragon No. 1046 1:350 scale,
USS Frank Knox by Aoishima 1:350 scale.
The only 1/700 scale Gearing-class models that I know of were made be JAG Collective, but as far as I know they haven’t been available for years. They were FRAM I models, if I remember correctly; so not WWII.
Jim
many years ago Albatross made a 1700 Gearing if I remember correctly
Takom, has a Gearing Class Destroyer USS DD Southerland, kit model number SP-7057, and the Charlestown Navy Yard Dry 1 Dock, and the USS DD 742 Destroyer coming as a kit too! The kit number is SP-7058! The nModels are all 1/700, featured in the Modeling News from October 6th!
Yes, I see both of those kits listed on their Facebook page, but Takom’s Website appears to be down. Wonder when (if) they’ll be available.
Jim
All of these examples are models of ships as they existed when launched in the 1940’s. My brother served on the USS Joseph P. Kennedy DD 850 during Vietnam. His ship had gone thru FRAM I and FRAM II, He mentions on two single mount 5" guns, one fore and one aft and an ASROC system, so these kits would look so much different from his ship. I looked at after market upgrades and photo etch, but don’t see single mount 5" turrets. I know I do not have the skills to kitbash the FRAM II version. Just wish someone made an upgrade kit to change these older versions to the newer type. Thank you all for the info and replies. I will have to keep them in mind and keep looking for retrofit kits.
Jack
Iron Shipwrights make some 1/350 resin versions. Not sure any of these are of the type of conversion you want to model, but scroll down:
Looks like the USS Joseph P. Kennedy Jr. received here FRAM IB upgrade in 1961. Best part is, she is currently a museum ship in Battleship Cove in Fall River, MA; if you happen to be near Fall River, MA.
USS Joseph P. Kennedy Jr. - Wikipedia
Jim
And seems to still have twin mounts, so
that memory of singles might be fuzzy. I’ve never heard of changing the mounts for FRAM, Some Fletchers DID get FRAMed, so it might have been one of them he recalled.
Danie,
I just found some pictures and noted the two double mounts and the Ironshipwrights kit of a sister ship has the 1968 overhaul and modernization that looks like it might just work. I have to get some of the pictures to my brother and see if this looks good to him. Thank you all, as it looks like I may have found what I was looking for.
Jack