AIRFIX DEFIANT 1/72 HOW TO BUILD IT!

[@fizzyridertoo]

I'm making this at the moment and it's the first model I've made in 50 years. I'm blown away by the quality of this kit compared to those models available in the 70's. I had the same issue as you with the instrument panel and I also forgot to add the rudder pedals but, as you can't see them anyway, it makes no difference.

[@jabonorte]

I built the Defiant a couple of years ago and got the impression that it was specifically designed for ease of build. Other kits are a bit more detailed, sometimes at the expense of fit, but this went the other way, and was a bit on the simplistic side. Easy builder though, and there are a couple of interesting Defiant photos that would make good subjects. The nightfighter planes had black painted over the day scheme, so when the black wore off (in large patches) it revealed the camo, so it is a good basis for a project

[@ungurdani8346]

Salut my friend super aero super video subscribe subscribe ...

[@richardbreisch8049]

Nice job but I still would have put the harness in... Just saying. Really do enjoy your channel.

[@csf6614]

Hi Gary ... you mentioned 2 turret fighters ... What was the second one please ... as would like to put it next to the Defiant... live the channel and the Bookface page as well ...

[@garys_stuff]

The other turret fighter was the Blackburn Roc. A fairly dreadful aircraft imposed upon the Fleet Air Arm, derived from the Skua.

[@adandap]

It's a nice kit, isn't it? I liked your build, but I'd offer a couple of obserevations. First, the undercarriage legs and retraction struts were usually black, not silver/aluminium. And, second, the Airfix wheels are a bit small. I don't usually buy aftermarket parts, but replacement wheels make enough of a difference to be worthwhile IMHO.

[@peterlowe4776]

Hi Gary I have the Defiant to build, I'm going to build the night version when I get round to it, any tips on panel lines, I was thinking of using pencil after painting to see if that works.

[@garys_stuff]

With the black it's a good idea to try to catch the highlight of the edge of the panel - there are panel line washes that use a kind of stone grey that works, or a very gentle use of a grey pastel or water-soluble pencil. try it somewhere unobtrusive first though!

[@philb3549]

What was the other "turret fighter"... the Blackburn Roc?

[@garys_stuff]

Indeed it was. A truly terrible aircraft based on faulty intelligence.

[@anfieldroadlayoutintheloft5204]

Nice build thanks Lee

[@PurplEWolFGaminG]

What a cool video always appreciate your work you do and i have this still in its box im yet to build and paint it big like from me gary

[@simonjohn8904]

Ive got a Defiant kit waiting its turn in my stash. Ive found that when using mask sets, its easier for me to lift one corner of the mask sheet and carefully peel it away completely so it just leaves the actual masks on the sheet which I find a lot easier to see all the mask sections. You've done another lovely build with this kit Gary.

[@garys_stuff]

Great tip!

[@leddyzee247]

Tidy work Gary, with a great end result.

[@russelltaylor535]

What’s interesting about the Defiant is how the specification completely ignored the lessons learned with the Bristol F.2B Fighter of WWI. The F.2B succeeded because it had fixed forward firing guns as well as the rear gunner for protection behind the aircraft and it was flown as if it were a single seater with the forward firing guns being the primary weapons. The Defiant could have had a couple of .50 cal MGs or 20mm cannon firing forward and the turret (maybe with 2X.50 cal instead of the .303s) and it would probably have been far more successful in the day fighter role than it was.

[@montyzumazoom1337]

First model kit I ever built. I was 11 years old and there was more gluey fingerprints on it than plastic🤣

[@emmabird9745]

Hi Gary, I don't know what to think. Is the turret really retained only by gravity? Its a bit difficult to implement a rotating turret given the fairngs and so on but for an airbourne diarama (even on its own) it would seem necessary. Just a difficult subject. As a historical aside, the turret was virtually impossible to get out of in an emergency so most (if not all) the gunners in the day fighter carnage were trapped/lost with the aircraft. Like most interwar theories, turret fighters were untried (like the standard Fighter command tactics). When put to the test they were disappointing (to their advocates that is).

[@potrzebieneuman4702]

Interesting that the control column of the model shown attached to the front of the seat is, in the real thing, jammed up against the front of the seat !. How odd..... Nice build, you've convinced me to see if I can pick one up to add to my little collection.

[@brendonhughes4580]

Great build gary i have this kit in the painting stage and choose the night fighter because it had shark teeth, i think your version looks looks better with the colours. Bloody sharks teeth.

[@uingaeoc3905]

Original version I built 60 years ago! I always felt that the Defiant could have been more successful without the gunner and turret and mount guns in the wings. Frankly, that could have been done as a post production modification. The weight saving would have led to a better performance.

[@garys_stuff]

But then they could just have made more Spitfires and Hurricanes instead... just flawed planning at the start really basing the design on the premise that German bombers would not have fighter escorts. Which is why the Defiant was much better in the night fighter role.

[@givenfirstnamefamilyfirstn3935]

@@garys_stuff It was much more sophisticated than the semi wood former and fabric covered metal tube based Hurricane with its primitive thick _modified clark Y_ aerofoil. It could have accommodated larger and heavier engines for further development which the Hurricane was unsuited for. A simple rear fuselage plug could have rebalanced things à la FW 190D.

[@lesthiele4921]

Hi Paul, that was a absolutely outstanding build, you must be congratulated obn doing a grest job, all we need now is a 1/48th scale kit, best regards from a Kiwi living in Australia 👌👍👌👍👌👍

[@garys_stuff]

Thanks Les 👍 I'll look into doing a 1/48th...

[@BobMuir100]

Again Gary a lovely piece of model construction you get better and better mate. I have one in my stash however I cannot say (unlike another viewer) that it is a beautiful plane that I am aching to build! Bob England

[@bradleyhatchen]

I built the two scale there quite good finish off the 1/48 scale

[@simonbourbage4249]

When I back into the hobby in 2020 this was my second kit built and what I remember was very easy to build

[@georgegeyer3431]

I don't feel so bad now. I had a heck of a time getting the control panel and machine guns in place last night. Great build 👏 video.

[@richardbrown7153]

Afternoon Gary You did rather better than me with this one, but I feel slightly less inept having seen you struggle with the instrument panel. What finally defeated me was the guns - first attempt they didn't survive coming off the sprue, barrels just snapped off! Second attempt they just point blank refused to go through the holes - maybe I got rogue kits or the parts didn't quite survive the scaling down process from the 1/48 version. Anyway, well done and a truly beautiful end result.

[@marksixofone4104]

Had same problem with the guns so shaved a little from the slots in the turret to get them through. Instrument panel is as Gary showed dead awkward but a nice little kit overall.

[@Adam.builds.models]

Excellent build Gazza!!

[@lukecooper2088]

Very nice build Gary. What’s the putty that you used to mask the brown for the camouflage?

[@garys_stuff]

It's the Ammo by Mig camouflage putty - I like it a lot.

[@danwilliams1686]

Very nice Gary! This is indeed a neat little kit. Please build the 1/48 scale version as a comparison.

[@garys_stuff]

I will certainly look into doing that...

[@willwoods6466]

Great looking build.

[@jeffholt9437]

SPARE PILOTS!!!!!!!!! (lol😂)

[@markfranks1329]

This is a great kit for the scale......it's even better in 1/48th. Good build, Gary. This camouflage putty, is it reusable or just one-shot?

[@garys_stuff]

It's re-useable, I've had this pot for over a year.

[@markfranks1329]

@@garys_stuff Thank you.

[@randytaylor1258]

Ncely done!

[@barrywalker8790]

Thanks for a great video all pretty straight forward except for the cockpit instrument panel but we knew you would do it 😂you do make a nice job of them at 1/72 of course you make a nice job at any scale 🤭not sure if there are any in flying condition pity really l get the feeling it would look really nice 👍

[@garys_stuff]

Cheers Barry - yes I'd love to see one flying - mind you I'd like to see one of pretty much everything flying (wouldn't a Westland Whirlwind fighter look good on the display circuit?)

[@barrywalker8790]

Absolutely l think l read somewhere that someone was trying to get one back in the air but then again sometime imagine these things 🤣

[@chrisfirth1803]

A lovely little kit, I'm very fond of the Boulton Paul Defiant, it's won me a couple of quizzes in the past. The question being "name an aircraft that took part in the Battle of Britain"

[@garys_stuff]

I think it was on Pointless in the same category - I was screaming things at the TV like "Defiant" and "Gladiator" and "Blenheim" - I think all were pointless answers...

[@chrisfirth1803]

@@garys_stuff yes I saw the same show. Incidentally, my daughter and I got through to the audition for Pointless, but didn't make it onto the show. My answer won me a free pint in the local pub quizzes, so that's not a bad result 😀

[@clifftrimble2616]

One of my first kits during my first tour in the UK, RAF Croughton 1978-80..

[@jaws666]

How are the fit of the parts...currently doing their Lightning F.6 and 1 of the fuselage halves is warrped so it took a lot of glue (even superglue in some parts) a lot of filler and a lot of clamps...i got there in the end but it was a lot more hassle than it should have been.

[@garys_stuff]

The fit is generally pretty good. No major bits of filler required, just a little at the top seam but really nothing major.

[@jaws666]

@@garys_stuff thats good to hear Gary.👍👍

[@iannicholls7476]

Nice job Gary. It’s something different and I’m now wondering about the 1/48 version.

[@coxybrothers4349]

Great job Garry!