Swordfish Naval Models
1/350 USS Fletcher 1942 Upgrade Set

 
Reviewed September 2025
by Martin J Quinn
Swordfish Naval Models Accessories has sent us one of their recent upgrades sets.  This one is "1/350 Upgrade Kit for USS Fletcher 1942".  The set includes over 100 3D printed parts and a sheet of photo-etch brass, and has just about everything you need to upgrade your Tamiya Fletcher in her as commissioned fit. 
THE PARTS
 
The parts arrive in a small, but sturdy, cardboard box.  Each of the six print rafts is securely attached to a piece of cardboard, which is cut to fit within the box.  In fact, the rafts are so securely attached that I had difficulty removing one for photography, and choose to left the others in place. Use extreme caution when removing these, lest you break any parts.  Thoughtfully included is a long, thin strap of paper, attached to the bottom of the cardboard, to enable you to easily lift the parts and remove them from the box. 

The parts are printed in a glossy gray resin.  Included with this upgrade set are:

  • Five 5in gun turrets - 3 superfiring and 2 "double knuckle" turrets, for Mounts 51 and 55
  • Two torpedo tubes
  • Two 26" whaleboats, boat davits
  • Rafts
  • Depth Charge racks
  • K-Gun Throwers and davits
  • 20mm guns
  • Twin 40mm gun
  • Mk 51 directors
  • Anchors
  • Searchlights
  • Signal Lamps and other bridge equipment
  • Floater net baskets
  • Ready ammo boxes
  • Flag bags
  • Smoke dispensers
  • Cable reels
  • Mk 37 director with Mk4 antenna
  • SC-2 radar 
But wait! There's more! Also included are parts for the mast, a searchlight platform with printed railings, for the aft funnel, the aft superstructure & twin 40mm gun tub, also with railings, a 3D printed pre-formed railing that goes on the pilot house roof, as well as inclined ladders, a platform for the forward funnel, a winch, and more. 

Overall, detail is good.  Some of the parts are incredibly small, and will require much care when removing them from the rafts (make sure you've pre-made a sacrifice to the carpet monster before trying to remove anything from the print rafts). The SC-2 radar and the pre-forms rails for the top of pilot hours (these have the lookout positions included) are especially well done.

On the other hand, there are visible print lines on some parts, especially on the roofs of Mounts 51 and 55.  These will need to be removed - they are heavy enough that paint won't hide them.  The other part that under whelmed me was the Mk4 radar on top of the Mk37 director.  While those radars are a pain to bend into shape in photo-etch, they are a screen and therefore perforated.  The 3D printed version in the kit is solid, and not perforated. 

This set will let you upgrade your Fletcher (or sisters) only "as commissioned", as it's missing the aft guns tub that was quickly added to the ship, to increase AA firepower.  Those tubs either contained three 20mm guns or a different shaped tub, with one twin 40mm mount.  Surprisingly, there are no prop guards included.  Those would have been a great addition as 3D printed parts. 
Close ups of some of the details.
PHOTO-ETCH
The photo etch fret included with the upgrade set consists of railings, vertical ladders, bridge wing supports, funnel grills and more.  The PE is very heavy and sturdy. 

INSTRUCTIONS
The instructions are available on the Swordfish website.  You have to go to the Fletcher upgrade page, save the images, then print them. One page is a parts manifest, another is series of exploded view diagrams show you where the parts go. I think the exploded view diagrams are on the small side, and should be broken out, as bigger images, across multiple pages.  Especially if the modeler is printing them themselves.  There is also an image of the Tamiya kit, where the original parts are gray, and the upgrade parts are a pinkish color. You should print this out as well to help with part placement. 
CONCLUSIONS
Swordfish Models continues to release new 3D printed upgrade sets, including this set for the USS Fletcher.  To date, they've released thirteen full upgrade sets and nine partial sets, for US, German, Italian, French and (mostly) Royal Navy subjects. Prices of the full upgrade sets range from $59 USD to $89 USD, depending on the subject. That makes them less expensive than similar sets from other manufacturers. 

Personally, I am a fan of these types of 3D printed upgrade sets. Tamiya's kit, having been initially released in 1996, is getting a little long in the tooth, and almost everything you need to upgrade your 1/350 Tamiya USS Fletcher is included.  That being said, while the overall details are solid, the print lines on some of the parts, especially the turrets, is disappointing.  Similarly, the solid radar screen on the Mk4 radar are also a bit of a disappointment, especially because the SC-2 radar included is well done.  I also would like to see the instructions enlarged. 

This set is recommended for modelers who want to upgrade their Tamiya Fletcher model, but are on a budget, and don't want to break the bank.  This set is reasonably priced, especially for what is included, and, as mentioned, has pretty much everything you need for an "as-commissioned" Fletcher.

This is Swordfish Naval Models Accessories' item 35005002, 1/350 Upgrade Kit for USS Fletcher 1942. The set retails for approximately $71.00 USD, and is available from the Swordfish Naval Models Accessories website. Thanks to Swordfish Naval Models for the review sample.0


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