Post by 1961redlegs on Mar 27, 2017 21:22:48 GMT -5
I finished tonight my first airplane model in many years, a 1/72 scale Bolton Paul Defiant Mk.I by Airfix.
In the mid-1930s, the Royal Air Force conducted fighter competitions for a two seat turret fighter. The RAF used this platform in the guise of the Bristol F2 fighter to devastating effect in the Great War and expected that in any future war, they'd need a turreted fighter to combat air attacks via massed waves of unescorted bombers.
The Defiant proved initially successful in action during the early days of the Second World War, but the Luftwaffe pilots soon found it's critical vulnerabilities, namely it's lack of forward firing machine guns. Defiant pilots adjusted their strategies and tactics as best they could, but after continued losses, RAF Fighter Command relegated it to a night fighter role early in 1940.
When France fell in June 1940, Fighter Command, desperate for combat planes returned the Defiant to daytime operations. It soldiered on during the Battle of Britain, suffering heavy losses. As the tide turned and the RAF attained the upper hand in the skies over Britain, they returned the Defiant to a night fighter role. The Defiant held this job until the Mosquito and Bristol Beaufighter supplanted it in combat.
Afterwards the RAF used the Defiant as a high speed gunnery trainer and as a search and rescue plane.
The Defiant isn't heralded like its contemporaries, the Spitfire or Hurricane, but it's crews bravely flew into the breach against the Luftwaffe in the darkest hours of the Second World War and we should never forget their valor and sacrifice. These men fought with the tools they had, which is an example of extraordinary bravery.
The Defiant I built is from No. 264 Squadron as it appeared in June, 1940. This outfit saw hard fighting in the summer of 1940 in the skies of France and Britain, suffering heavy losses. The Squadron gave as good as they got, however, with the crew of Flight Sergeants E.R. Thorn and F.J. Barker leading the way by amassing 13 victories.
I built the kit box stock, to include the Humbrol colors. The Airfix kit really impressed me as it's beautifully detailed, went together with no problems, and cost around $10.00. I heard good things about the improvements Airfix made to their product line and the Defiant certainly lives up to that billing. I really enjoyed this build as it was a good change of pace, thank you for looking!
In the mid-1930s, the Royal Air Force conducted fighter competitions for a two seat turret fighter. The RAF used this platform in the guise of the Bristol F2 fighter to devastating effect in the Great War and expected that in any future war, they'd need a turreted fighter to combat air attacks via massed waves of unescorted bombers.
The Defiant proved initially successful in action during the early days of the Second World War, but the Luftwaffe pilots soon found it's critical vulnerabilities, namely it's lack of forward firing machine guns. Defiant pilots adjusted their strategies and tactics as best they could, but after continued losses, RAF Fighter Command relegated it to a night fighter role early in 1940.
When France fell in June 1940, Fighter Command, desperate for combat planes returned the Defiant to daytime operations. It soldiered on during the Battle of Britain, suffering heavy losses. As the tide turned and the RAF attained the upper hand in the skies over Britain, they returned the Defiant to a night fighter role. The Defiant held this job until the Mosquito and Bristol Beaufighter supplanted it in combat.
Afterwards the RAF used the Defiant as a high speed gunnery trainer and as a search and rescue plane.
The Defiant isn't heralded like its contemporaries, the Spitfire or Hurricane, but it's crews bravely flew into the breach against the Luftwaffe in the darkest hours of the Second World War and we should never forget their valor and sacrifice. These men fought with the tools they had, which is an example of extraordinary bravery.
The Defiant I built is from No. 264 Squadron as it appeared in June, 1940. This outfit saw hard fighting in the summer of 1940 in the skies of France and Britain, suffering heavy losses. The Squadron gave as good as they got, however, with the crew of Flight Sergeants E.R. Thorn and F.J. Barker leading the way by amassing 13 victories.
I built the kit box stock, to include the Humbrol colors. The Airfix kit really impressed me as it's beautifully detailed, went together with no problems, and cost around $10.00. I heard good things about the improvements Airfix made to their product line and the Defiant certainly lives up to that billing. I really enjoyed this build as it was a good change of pace, thank you for looking!
