Trumpeter Boulton Paul Defiant F1 1:48

[Shar2]

Boulton Paul Defiant

Trumpeter 1:48

 

History

The Boulton Paul Defiant was designed in response to Air Ministry Specification F9/35 of 26 June 1935 calling for a two-seat fighter with all its armament concentrated in a turret. It was believed at the time that, in avoiding an enemy aircraft’s slipstream, fire from a powered turret would be more accurate than that provided by fixed forward firing guns. Five companies responded to the specification but, for various reasons, four withdrew leaving Boulton Paul the sole contender.

 

Designed by John Dudley North, the P82 prototype (minus turret) first flew on 11 Dec 1937 at which point it was named the Defiant. A second prototype was fitted with a Type A four-gun turret based on a French design already licensed for use on Boulton Paul’s Overstrand bomber, and this version with but minor changes became the production Defiant Mk1. The turret was electro-hydraulically operated with a mechanical backup and carried 4 x .303 Browning machine guns, electrically fired with cut-off points in the turret ring preventing activation when pointing at the propeller disc or tailplane. Whilst the gunner could lock the turret forward and transfer firing control to the pilot, this was rarely practised given forward elevation restrictions and the lack of pilot gunsight.

 

The Defiant entered RAF service with No 264 Squadron in December 1939 and saw combat for the first time in May 1940 during the evacuation of Dunkirk. It was initially successful with Luftwaffe fighters sustaining losses, but a change of enemy tactics with attacks from below or head on soon saw Defiants forfeit the initiative. Following the loss by 264 Squadron of 7 aircraft with 9 crewmen dead over the three days 26th to 28th August 1940, the Defiant was withdrawn from the day fighter role. Four squadrons were equipped with the aircraft for night fighter duties, however, and it is apposite that during the “Blitz” of 1940-41 the Defiant destroyed more enemy bombers than any other type. It was finally retired from the front line in 1942 and thereafter used for training, target-towing, ECM and air sea rescue – many aircraft having had their turrets removed. The “Daffy”, as the Defiant was affectionately known, also saw service with the Royal Navy and the air forces of Australia, Canada and Poland.

 

The Model

We hadn’t had a Defiant in 1:48 at all, then within a year we have two. Unfortunately Trumpeter seem to have snatched defeat from the jaws of victory again with some sloppy research. This is particularly noticeable on the fuselage. The nose appears to be the wrong shape, being too deep and not long enough. The shape of the rear fuselage is no better, being too deep and also missing the kink on the lower fuselage between just aft of the turret and the tail.  I'm not really sure of the right nomenclature, should it be F1, or Mk.1. The detail is nicely restrained, but many of the panel lines are spurious at best, many being moulded complete with two lines of rivets where the real aircraft only has a single line of rivets and no panel line. Having said all that, the moulding is very nice and, apparently, according to some build reviews it is easy to build and look nice, if wrong, on the shelf.  Not having the Airfix kit, means I cannot do a direct comparison, but I get the feeling that the Airfix one is more accurate, if a little lacking in surface detail.

 

 

 So, on with the build, beginning with the cockpit, naturally; this is built up from the floor, seat, rudder bar, joystick, the two sidewalls and instrument panel with decal instruments. The cockpit assembly is then glued into one half of the fuselage while a small switchbox is fitted to the starboard side. The fuselage is then closed up, with the two piece tailwheel sandwiched between.  The clear parts of the section between the cockpit and turret and then added from the outside.  The wing is comprised of a single piece lower section complete with wheel wells and two upper sections, once assembled this is glued to the fuselage. Each main undercarriage assembly is made up from the single piece wheel, undercarriage leg and outer bay door. Once glued in place the retraction actuator is then attached along with the inner bay door. The individual exhaust stubs are then attached; three per side, as well as the landing light covers, navigation light covers and separate ailerons.

 

 

 

The propeller is a single piece item, with separate spinner and backplate whilst the radiator bath is a two piece affair whilst the oil cooler is a single piece item. The lower outer bay doors are then glued into position along with the optionally posed flaps, as is the separate rudder, main and rear mounted aerial masts. The turret is very well detailed, made up of seventeen plastic and two brass parts. The four gun barrels are hollowed out at the muzzle, giving them a nice appearance. With the turret assembled it can be inserted into its aperture. Unfortunately, the turtle deck, aft of the turret is fixed, and there si no option to have it retracted, without further surgery. The build is finished off with the fitting of the windscreen and canopy, which cannot be posed open without some surgery, the two horizontal tailplanes and finally the pitot probe.

 

 

 

Decals

The decal sheet provided markings for two aircraft and are designed and printed by Trumpeter themselves.  The decals are sharp, in good register, nicely opaque and with minimal carrier film, except around the letters of the main identification letters. The aircraft markings are for the following:-

 

• Defiant F1 L7009 TW-H in a day fighter scheme of dark green, dark brown over light aircraft grey.
• Defiant F1 N3328 DZ-Z in a night fighter scheme of overall black.

 

Conclusion

This looks to be quite a nice to build and will no doubt look stunning in an experts hands if they can get over the kits inaccuracies. It would certainly be a good kit for a novice modeller too as it’s not too taxing, although they may need a little help with the turret. Just a shame that Trumpeter failed to get the shape right as it could have been a great kit.

 

 

Review sample courtesy of

UK Distributors for

[corsaircorp]

Hello Shar,

thank for the review, as I look at the sprue, I agree about the shape.

I already have an Airfix, and the option for an opened turret is in the box.

One more point for the old red lady.

May be bought a trumpy one and play at correcting it, just for the beauty of the gesture

Hava a nice modelling day.

Sincerely.

Corsaircorp

[stever219]

The rear fuselage is definitely wrong above the line of the upper longeron being too deep immediately aft of the turret aperture which leaves the retractable decking appearing too short and shallow.  The colour scheme instructions for L7009 are wrong if they show Light Aircraft Grey as the undersurface colour as this was not introduced for that purpose until the mid-1960s.  For L7009 the unit and aircraft letters should be Medium Sea Grey (they appear white in the photo) and the red of the code letters and serials for N3328, and the national markings for both aircraft, appears too bright.

[Shar2]

@stever219

 

It was my interpretation, as the instructions call for gull grey. The lightness of the colours is just from my photography.

[stever219]

Shar2 thanks for the prompt reply.  

 

Sadly it looks like Trumpeter have still banjaxed it as the correct colour was Sky for a Battle of Britain era Defiant.  I don't think many Defiants wore the spring 1940 Night/White undersides and even fewer the pre-War aluminium, the colour which Light Aircraft Grey was supposed to emulate.

[Jon Kunac-Tabinor]

Well this represents just about everything that is good and bad from Trumpeter. It's obviously well moulded and the tooling looks lovely. There that's the good bit done.

The rest is just rubbish - sloppy lazy research giving inaccurate parts - made up detail and just plain wrong. 

Decals that are the wrong colour and colour callouts that are generic to the point of daft ( SHAR1 its not your photos- the decals are wrong full stop - red way too bright, yellow far too acidic). RAF colours are not exactly difficult to name check for a manufacturer either.

 

In the hands of an expert modeller this kit will look just the same as it should in the hands of a novice: It should look like it's either been left on the shelf and the Airfix one bought instead, or it should look like its been thrown into the bin - which is I'm afraid where it belongs. With the lid shut to boot.

 

Sorry to be so plain - but once again Trumpeter demonstrate a disdain for their customers with a sub standard product. You can dress it up however you want to, but this is a bad kit.

 

Jonners- appreciative of the review and in no way criticising the reviewer- just the woeful object he was given to try and say something good about.

[Plasto]

If I was 10 and got one would I be unhappy?

[Max Headroom]

5 minutes ago, Plasto said:

If I was 10 and got one would I be unhappy?

Yes, because you would want this...

 

 

Trevor

[Plasto]

Ha the fidget spinner. Top marks for currency. 

 

I'll rephrase the question.

 

If I was 10 and liked building models and got this would I be unhappy?

[Troy Smith]

12 minutes ago, Plasto said:

Ha the fidget spinner. Top marks for currency. 

 

I'll rephrase the question.

 

If I was 10 and liked building models and got this would I be unhappy?

if I was smart enough to google it up, yes.....

 

Given this cost more than  the Airfix kit here,  it's unlikely that a 10 yr old is going to end up with one anyway.

[Max Headroom]

Two words

 

'attention' and 'span'

 

Trevor

[Plasto]

I agree Trevor... Generally Kids don't make models like they used to...

 

When I've observed kids doing models which is mainly my own having a go a building stuff or the kids that come through the Airfix Make and take sessions we run as a club sticking a Spitfire or Yellow Gnat together generally they tend to ask which kit is easiest  to do and decide what to do based on that and how 'awesome' the finished thing looks on the packet or box... Some parts I personally might regards as essential such as the cockpit interior or tail planes are regarded as superfluous and a Spitfire with black and green camo and yellow undersides is perfectly ok...

 

Most kids ( but not all) I think have a different 'value system' to adults when it come to model kits...

 

As an adult with some knowledge on model building and its accoutrements I agree the Airfix Defiant is the best proposition in 1/48...

[Troy Smith]

On 19/07/2017 at 22:09, Shar2 said:

I'm not really sure of the right nomenclature, should it be F1, or Mk.1.

 

neither, it should be Mk. I   (Roman not Arabic numeral, with a full stop.  this goes for any WW2 RAF designation) 

but Mk.1 is closer,  F1 is hilarious.

the upperwing roundels are the wrong proportions...

 

Trumpeter do get things right, but in the case of British subjects this was a few years ago...  pity they didn't get Classic Aiframes Mk.II and copy that,   as that's  OOP

 

 

4 hours ago, Plasto said:

When I've observed kids doing models which is mainly my own having a go a building stuff or the kids that come through the Airfix Make and take sessions we run as a club sticking a Spitfire or Yellow Gnat together generally they tend to ask which kit is easiest  to do and decide what to do based on that and how 'awesome' the finished thing looks on the packet or box... Some parts I personally might regards as essential such as the cockpit interior or tail planes are regarded as superfluous and a Spitfire with black and green camo and yellow undersides is perfectly ok...

 

Most kids ( but not all) I think have a different 'value system' to adults when it come to model kits...

 

interesting observations.... got  the summer holidays inbound and the daughter is now just about old enough (nearly 7) to get to  grips  with things on her own,   she  wants  to do one unaided,  and pointed out to me this evening how she  was able to follow Lego type instructions, so i'll find her something I really don't care about to do this on.

Should be interesting.

As for 'value system'  once I got used to reading the instructions i used to do Airfix kits as instructed, by 10 I was doing the 1/24th Superkits quite happily.

 

None were very well done, but I didn't have any guidance or  input as to how to do them better, and mine were better than any other contemporaries,  and kept them and didn't blow them up (I still have load of slightly broken ones in the shed..)

 

I have wondered about being stifling with  her, but I've been trying to instil basic techniques.

Going to be interesting next few weeks I think!

 

For children the Hobby Boss easy Build are really good if they want  to get to painting fast.

 

 

 

 

 

[Plasto]

An observation from my experience with youngsters building models would be every time I let the 'Adult modeller' who 'knows about seam filling and correct sized roundels' out of the bag the kids turn off... For them the journey is as much fun as the destination.. Which is as it should be.

 

It's easy to get too caught up in all of the 'detail' kids just are not interested in that in the main IMHO.

 

Getting them building stuff they are interested in is the key. Skills and correct technique and being able to deliver a dissertation on 'RAF Dark Green 1940 -43' can come later.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Corsairfoxfouruncle]

Great review ... guess im looking for an airfix 

[Laurent]

Thanks for the review.

Could someone demonstrate the inaccuracies ? Since the painting & decaling sheets seems to be based on the CAD model for TrumpyBossHawk kits (see the Super-Etendard, Su-17s and MiG-23s), I've overlayed the standard views of the sheet with some drawings found in airwar.ru. The top rear fuselage <> fin leading edge curvature diverges from the scale drawings so does the fuselage width in the turret area yet the rest matches pretty well. Of course I don't know if the MMP scale drawings are accurate and I doubt Trumpeter used the fuselage cross-sections. Are the MMP drawings accurate or not ?