I've been waiting quite a while to finish this one, Classic Airframes' 1/48 Boulton Paul Defiant (newtool version). It has been almost done for a couple months, but my bottle of RAF Dark Green paint went bad. I kept forgetting to reorder it. All I needed to do was paint the pitot tube, and add the gear & turret.

The build is OOB, with the exception of Eduard PE belts (the Nightfighter Mk. II kit has them, but this Mk. I dayfighter does not). The camo is Model Master enamels, sprayed freehand. I had to trim the bottom of the turret glass and modify the ring to get the turret to sit lower on the fuselage. If you don't do this, the turret sits way too high compared to photos. The resin gun barrels are beautifully cast. All in all, a pretty nice kit (although I wish they hadn't replaced the vac canopies with thick injection molded ones).










From the cockpit forward, this aircraft resembles a Hurricane a bit.

Here's a link to the in-progress pics: http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v280/Pixilater/defiant/?start=all

A very nice and clean build you have there Bill.
Its not often you see the Bolton Paul Defiant modeled, probably because its not as glamorous as the Hurri and the Spit.
Well done and keep up the good work.
Andy

Another beauty Bill.
I have to say I do like the way you finish your models without weathering.
I see where your coming from with that method.Not everyone prefers a weathered aircraft after all.
Another one for the "museum" .
Whats next for us to follow and enjoy?
All the best,
Nige

First of all,.... fantastic looking Defiant! Nice clean build....It's not every day someone takes up the challenge of building this plane. It's strange that CA would give the P.E. in one of the versions but not the other?!? As far as the vac canopy,... I'm of the other mind set.... as CA's injection canopies are usually very thick.

nicely done,
Frank

Thank you Tuomas, Andy, Nigel, and Frank !

Tuomas - I prefer my builds to be clean. I have plans for building a 1/48 museum setting as my display case. Something that's beat up and dirty would look out-of-place in that setting. I will weather a build for a customer, though.

Andy - the Defiant is one of those concepts that looked better on paper than it was in actual operation. It adds a little interest to a shelf of "standard" fighters.

Nigel - I have one of four "Soccer War" aircraft that's almost completed (maybe later today). I'm also building a 1/48 Hasegawa RF-4C for another customer (I have five commission builds going right now). For myself, Hasegawa's 1/48 P-38 with Eduard PE is at the painting stage. My commission works are on deadlines, so they must be finished first.

Frank - the PE included in the nightfighter also includes the antennas. If CA included it, you'd be able to build either version OOB (except decals). Not a bad idea for the builder, but CA gets twice as much display space for trhe Defiant if they're boxed separately. Just a little marketing savvy.

Thanks again !

Oh, thanks for explansion.

Tuomas

Looks like Buttah! I've got a fevah and the only prescription is more models!

Hi Bill

It's great to see your Defiant finished! The modification to the turret is definitely worth the effort and I quite agree with you about CA's move to injected canopies... not a patch on the lovely Falcon vacuforms they included at one point.

The only suggestions I'd make are to highlight the folding section of the canopy a little to match the panel lines on the rest of the model and to add the stub for the rear aerial mast. Although this was retractable, period photos of Defiants on the ground show a stub still extending under the fuselage. The tip of both masts seems to have been dark, but I don't know if that was an insulator or warning paint.

You've inspired me to take another look at my CA Defiant nightfighter - I WILL build it one day! LOL! I'm surprised to see that CA included fishtail exhausts in the Mk 1 - all my refs show the earlier plain-style on dayfighters.

All the best

Rowan

Very nice !!!

I, too, prefer minimal to no weathering -- mainly because I have no artistic talent but also as a matter of preference ...

I have the NF.II in the stash, clamoring for space on the bench ...

John

Does the turret rotate on this aircraft or does it only fire directly backwards? I can't remember.

I remember reading about these planes as a child. Apparently they would bimble along in a straight line hoping to be taken for a Hurricane on a training flight. The ME 109 would swing onto the Defiant's tail... And then get one hell of a shock (generally terminal).

Unfortunately the Luftwaffe got wise to this and started attacking from the front and underneath....

Appaerently they made good night fighters though.

Murdo:

Turret rotates -- Bill's model is built with the fairing in the up (aerodynamic) position & so guns do not appear capable of rotating ...

John

Thank you Ian, Rowan, John, and murdo !

Rowan - I niticed that I missed the wash in those areas after I dullcoted and removed the masks. Oh well. I'm not going to remask, glosscoat, wash, and dullcote again just for that. I'll leave it as is.

murdo - John is correct about the fairings. This aircraft was slow, and couldn't manuver very well. The fairings helped with lateral stability.

Thanks again !

Oh, I seeeeeeee!

I had the Airfix 1/72 model (used pitch as glue in those days) many many many years ago. I remember the turret being able to turn... Probably why I was so baffled by this one.

Nice job anyway.