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AndyL

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Everything posted by AndyL

  1. Just starting my trip into this GB, but still wondering which Defiant to depict, as I have four 264 Squadron options and three from 141 Squadron. Or the one Defiant that flew with 264 on 29th May 1940 when the squadron claimed 37 enemy aircraft and later served in the Battle of Britain with 141. Choices, eh? Base kit will be the 1/48 Airfix offering, to which I may add a Barracuda wheel set to. So, I'm off to clear the bench and build something for the first time in 28 months.
  2. I've gone through my Defiant images for 264, with some taken at Martlesham Heath, Duxford and Hornchurch and they are parked with the turret turned to starboard and open, gunners access footpeg extended, footstep on the port wing down, and the speed fairing behind the turret lowered. The pilots canopy is open. 141 set up the same, photos taken at West Malling, Hawkinge and Grangemouth. Both squadron images in my collection show pilots parachute and air gunners Parasuit on the port tail plane.
  3. L7021 was lost when being flown by Squadron Leader George Garvin and Flight Lieutenant Robert Ash. Garvin had joined 264 to take over from Philip Hunter who had been given a staff officer posting, but his command was somewhat thrust upon him when Hunter was killed on 24th August. Robert Ash was an ex 149 Squadron air gunner who had flown operationally before requesting a posting to Defiants. Their loss came about after 264 were engaged by JG26, and and during the encounter, the master fuse in Ash's turret blew - he had been using it on the high speed setting and if you used it in this mode too much, then the old fuse would pop. ( the guns were fired electrically, but the elevation and rotation of the turret was hydraulic ). Robert was in the process of changing the fuse ( the turret carried spares ) when they were hit, L7021 was set alight, and Ash wounded. Garvin gave the order to bale out, with both getting clear, but Ash was found dead in his parachute near Faversham. Ash's family were insistent that he had been machine gunned while descending, and were still trying to ascertain the facts in 1944. They claimed Garvin said he was fired upon, but nothing in his surviving letters and log book support this. The 264 medical officer told the aircrews that when found he had suffered a broken neck, having hit the tail when he baled out. The last thing he must have done was pull his ripcord and when the parachute opened, he descended dead. As to air gunners getting out of Defiants, the pilots notes give two routes; one over the side of the turret, or if not possible, drop into the fuselage kick out the panel in the floor, as long as the pilot lowered the undercarriage to retract the aerials. I think a lot has been made regarding the apparent difficulty for an air gunner to get out in an emergency. In a tumbling, out of control aircraft, nobody really has much of a chance when those g forces kick in, but in a Defiant turret, the air gunner sat much higher in the turret than people think. The doors were spring loaded and could be popped open by unlocking the ratchets, and the fairing immediately behind the turret could be lowered with the flick of a lever ( as long as the Co2 system was working, of course. At the time, Defiant air gunners wore the GQ Parasuit, however there always was room for a clip on parachute to be carried in the turret, but while the air gunners were wearing the Parasuit this wasn't carried as it required them to wear the observer type harness, which some squadrons changed to later in the war. As an aside, L7021 was damaged on 24th August when being flown by David 'Bull' Whitley and Robert 'Sam' Turner with the latter having a bullet pass through the turret and his oxygen mask, taking the tip of his nose off as it departed. Whitley and Turner were killed the same day as Garvin and Ash were brought down.
  4. @gingerbob Here's Michael Young and Les Russell in front of N3377. Note Michael Young had a line of kill markings under his cockpit. Young survived the way, but Les Russell was later killed in action serving with 78 Squadron. The photo came to me via the Russell family.
  5. Grey codes. Unsure of exact finish of the undersides though.
  6. He 111P-4, 2976 of 1/KG55, shot down by Sergeant E Dye of 219 Squadron.
  7. If you fancy doing a specific Defiant, then you could do N3377 of 264 Squadron, and coded PS-J. Flown by Flying Officer Michael Young with Sergeant Les Russell as air gunner. They claimed a Me 110 over Merville on 9th May 1941. This Defiant was fitted with the Bluenote exhaust system - the six ejector set up as opposed to the kidney exhaust style.
  8. Here's one a bit later: Squadron Leader Ted Wolfe, with Pilot Officer Pearmain as air gunner in Defiant N1725 as recorded in the formers log book, dated 7th April 1941. " Operational intruder to Lille. Two chases. Did M attack on Dover Balloon!!. Saw Beau shoot Hun down at Worthing."
  9. 141 and 264 flew intruder sorties with the former flying their first in November 1940.
  10. Well, I'm in. Needless to say my entry will be a Defiant
  11. Front view of X4382 , LO-G showing the non standard leading edge paint scheme.
  12. I've rather enjoyed this build, with some nice work on display. If you're thinking of modifying a figure to show the Parasuit, here's a couple of reference images for you.
  13. I see the Defiant has re-appeared, but so far showing only the PS-H L7021 option. Anyone know what the second decal option is?
  14. Well, with all the Defiant goodness about lately, I thought I'd start 2020 with a double Defiant build, finishing the pair in day and night schemes. For the day schemes, I may pick from two 141 Squadron machines ( one of them being the personal Defiant flown by Squadron Leader William 'Dickie' Richardson, OC 141 during the Battle of Britain ) and two 264 examples, one seeing action over Dunkirk, the other being lost off Manston in August 1940. The night fighter scheme might be a 255 Squadron machine; one with a little nose art and fitted with Bluenote exhausts, or a 264 Squadron machine with a large Griffon emblem on the engine cowling. Choices, choices... One of the turrets will have a little extra detail added using my turret manual as reference, and I will utilising a few little extras from Quickboost spare decal sheets. Onwards and upwards eh? Thanks for looking...
  15. Mate, go for black wheel wells. My night fighter images show them that way, including the undercarriage legs and doors.
  16. Just thought I'd post this - it comes from the AIR81 file relating to the loss of Pilot Officer Richard Hulse of 501 Squadron on 8th June 1940. Later in the war the Air Ministry received this photo ( and a piece of fabric ) via French sources, claiming it was the remains of his Hurricane. Of note is the apparent red/white/blue spinner.
  17. I can narrow the date of the group photo down to between 21st September and 27th September as second from the right is Giles Homer DFC, who joined 242 on the former date and was killed in action on the latter.
  18. Nice work. I'm tempted to break out one of my Defiants and start one for the New Year.
  19. Sadly not. But I did find a press photo with Goodall and Young sat in a Defiant. No markings visible either.
  20. There may be a possibility that a second sheet will contain ASR and Moonshine Defiants, along with the prototype and ejection seat test beds. I am certainly giving this lots of thought.
  21. While I've been on a bit of a Defiant roll, it has occurred to me that whilst working on my Defiant history, I have unearthed quite a few unpublished photographs. I am tempted to use the pick of the bunch to produce a decal set in both 1/72 and 1/48 covering ten Defiants flying at Dunkirk, the Battle of Britain, plus night fighter operations with radar and non radar fitted airframes. The sad part is that I contacted Airfix quite a while ago in relation to the coming 80th Anniversary of the Battle of Britain, offering them some Defiants should they wish to include them in an anniversary boxing, and they didn't respond. Ah well. So, just testing the water - anyone interested? Regards Andy
  22. Mate, go for it. You're doing an excellent job! However it indeed should be L7005. 264 Squadron operational records book record it as such. But L7006 did serve with 264 as well.
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