I seemed to have missed the last few replies on this thread!
Regarding 280 motors, make sure you get the ones with proper carbon brushes. On a 5 cell 6V sub C battery pack, running three blade 25mm props, the ship will plane - I kid you not!
Scrap the kit rudders - only the last four (5?) Fletchers ran twin rudders, and making your own single rudder out of brass is easy - trust me!
So I built my commissioned Fletcher as USS DD795 Preston and improved upon my Fletcher in numerous areas - 5port hole bridge, wiper boxes above bridge windows, ALL(27!) gun barrels drilled and opened up, cinder guards fitted to the top of the stacks, Direction Finding antenna fitted between X and Y turret, additional director fitted between X and Y turret, and fitted late type sonar dome on base of hull ahead of A turret - and many others.
Guess which dimwit forgot to take pics before handover?
The new owner is V happy so that's all that matters really.
I'll see if I can persuade him to bring it out for a photo op on Saturday
-Rob