1/48 Boulton-Paul Defiant

[Bunkerbarge]

Dave, this is real modelling from a by gone era. Not a shake the box and a model falls out type but a struggle from start to finish that is going to produce a one of a kind model you will be very rightly proud of. I think sometimes when we look at the standard of modern kits it can be easy to forget the very basics of modelling that we grew up with where filling and filing were standard requirements. You are doing a fantastic job on this and reminding me of my similar experiences as a youth when kits were all like this.

That was at a time when my father used to criticise plastic modelling as "Not proper modelling" because it wasn't carved out of a block of wood and it was all done for you!!

 

[Dave W]

Dave, this is real modelling from a by gone era. Not a shake the box and a model falls out type but a struggle from start to finish that is going to produce a one of a kind model you will be very rightly proud of. I think sometimes when we look at the standard of modern kits it can be easy to forget the very basics of modelling that we grew up with where filling and filing were standard requirements. You are doing a fantastic job on this and reminding me of my similar experiences as a youth when kits were all like this.That was at a time when my father used to criticise plastic modelling as "Not proper modelling" because it wasn't carved out of a block of wood and it was all done for you!!

I think it must be the challenge of making something presentable out of a kit like this that appeals to me.In my stash there are 7 or 8 Tamiya and Hasegawa kits that Ive had for a few years.Whilst I marvel at the level of detail and superb fit,they don't give me as much satisfaction as building something like this.

 

[Dave W]

Wing glued on and first round of filling and sanding done.I took my time sanding the upper wing to fuselages edges to get as good a fit as possible.So these joins only need a bit of Mr Surfacer 500.Ive gone over all the other joins with Mr Surfacer as well.The Squadron green filler works really well.But you occasionally get tiny holes that only show up when you paint over it.This is the third Classic Airframes kit Ive made and they all have very fine engraved panel lines.The control surfaces are engraved the same and barely show under a coat of paint.So I've taken my Tamiya scriber to them and made them more prominent.Ive also cleaned up the tailplanes and glued them on.The green line is filler where I slipped with the scriber!.

 

[yak face]

Filler fest! I love it!

 

[flyjoe180]

Me too!

 

[monica]

great job so far Dave, well i had to have a look at how it was coming along, i think you have

done yourself proud ,

oh that Tamiya scriber looks scairly :oops: like it could do some real damage to your fingers, but would be a handy tool to have

 

[Polux]

I'm learning a lot Dave!! I like it!

Keep the good work

Polux

 

[Ian M]

Looking good Dave.

Ian M

 

[Dave W]

Done some more filling and sanded.Still a bit to do.building the radiator as well.There are a couple of pieces of etched mesh provided which is a nice touch.Once the radiators on and the sandings finished I will finish the cockpit and fit the canopy.

 

[yak face]

I love these high precision 'shake and bake ' kits , they just take no effort at all do they! Its looking good Dave , I never realised how big the turret on these aircraft was , the hole for it is huge! No wonder the performance suffered it must have weighed a ton! tony

 

[flyjoe180]

Doing a great job Dave

 

[monica]

great job Dave, coming together very nicely

 

[Dave W]

I've put the radiator together and glued it to the model.There are no locating pins or any indications as to where it fits.So just had to place as per a pic in the instructions.It doesn't fit properly so I've got some more filler to sand.Ive also started the laborious task of masking the vacuform canopy.I'm doing this before cutting the canopy out of the clear sheet as it's more rigid and easier to work on this way.

 

[Vaughan]

Looking good Dave your hard work is paying off.

 

[Dave W]

That's the canopy masked.Its taken about an hour and a quarter.Just the turret to mask and then carefully cut them both out.Best get on with decorating the house now.

 

[BarryW]

This is coming along really well Steve. I shudder at the thought of that vacformed canopy though and trying to get it accurately cut.......

 

[Dave W]

This is coming along really well Steve. I shudder at the thought of that vacformed canopy though and trying to get it accurately cut.......

Cutting it out is a case of patiently and repeatedly scoring around it untill it comes away from the sheet.I find a sharp pair of nail scissors give you a lot more control when cutting out vacuformed parts.by the way,I'm Dave.

 

[Alan 45]

I've been watching this from the sidelines because as a kid I was fascinated by this aircraft simply because it had a turret

It's coming along nicely Dave

 

[stona]

I never realised how big the turret on these aircraft was , the hole for it is huge! No wonder the performance suffered it must have weighed a ton! tony

590lbs with guns, ammunition and oxygen equipment for the gunner, not a ton but heavy enough

The Defiant was intended to attack unescorted bomber formations and may well have been quite good at that. Nobody was expecting France to fall and for the Luftwaffe to acquire bases just across the Channel which it could use to escort its bombers with single engine fighters. That spelt disaster for the Defiant as a day fighter but it soldiered on and made the best of a very bad job as a night fighter and in some other roles.

A rather optimistic and factually inaccurate view of the type, and some nice film here.....

Cheers

Steve

 

[flyjoe180]

Excellent work Dave. That vacforned canopy looks very sharp indeed.