Defender MkIV ??

[Mossie]

Hmm, are there some Whirlwind bits in there too, the tail is disguised but by I think it comes from that kit?

[JayBee]

The fin makes me think of the DeH 88 Comet.

[Old Wombat]

Mossie got it! 2 Defiants & 1 Whirlwind. , that man!

I did a tiny bit yesterday (& put a coat of primer on - bugger, more PSR!) & I'll do a little more when I get off this computer but not much, because I've got to pick my daughter up from Army Cadets.







And thanks for the encouragement, guys!

[Old Wombat]

C-r-a-w-l-i-n-g forward but, hopefully, I should have her finished & photographed by the end of the weekend.


I think she's lookin' good................ but there is the slightest possibility I might be biased.

[Doc Yo]

 Looks like a winner to me!

[Old Wombat]

Thanks, Doc!

Hi, Brian! Aves Apoxy Sculpt Rules!!


OK, had a good run the last 36 hours, so I've finished ahead of schedule.

This is the first time that the photo's haven't shown up flaws that I missed but have, in fact, hidden a few.

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Back story for those who are interested:

Due to the less than outstanding success of the (relatively) contemporary Defiant & Whirlwind, the British aircraft companies Boulton-Paul & Westland partnered up to product the B-P/W Defender Mk I. Combining the best elements of their respective designs they came up with a fast twin-engine turret-fighter powered by RR Merlin III engines, armed with 4 x .303 calibre machine guns in the same turret as used on the Defiant & 6 x .303 calibre machine guns mounted in the nose.

Misguidedly tasked as a day fighter the Defender was not quite up to the job. Although it did perform much better than the German Me. 110 it was too slow to out-run & insufficiently agile to out-turn single seat fighters such as the Me. 109 with subsequently high losses. These losses led to the Air Ministry almost cancelling orders for the aircraft but a need for night-fighters caused a stay of execution as the Defender squadrons were re-tasked to this role.

This is where the Defender 1st made its mark, with the Mk I proving to be considerably better & more versatile than the contemporary single-seat fighters & converted bombers. The aircraft of Defender squadrons all bore the legend "Comrades in Arms", as a memorial to those who died early in the war flying in Defiant & Battle squadrons from which most of the original crews came.

The short-lived Mk II trialled replacing the .303 mg's with American .50 cal mg's (4 in the nose & 2 in the turret).

The Mk III which replaced it returned to .303 mg's, with the usual 4 in the turret but only 4 in the nose. This was because the Mk III was fitted with an additional 4 x 20 mm Hispano cannon in a belly pack below the cockpit.

The Mk IV lost the nose .303's & the turret. These were replaced by an airborne RDF unit & its operator. Although now limited to only the 4 x 20 mm Hispano cannon, the Mk IV was an extremely effective night-time aerial interceptor.

Later Marks were mainly improvements in RDF/radar & engines, although the Defender did spawn the highly successful "Aggressor" fighter-bomber.

The Aggressor was, basically, a single-seat late-Mark Defender armed with 6 forward firing 20 mm Hispano cannon (2 x nose, 4 x belly pack) plus up to 2,000 lb's of bombs & 8 rockets.

***************************************************

Anyway, here she is in all her glory; the Boulton-Paul/Westland NF.2 Defender Mk IV....

























Hope you like them!

Let me know what you think.

[arkon]

love it. the paint rocks to!

[buzzbomb]

Womby...that is really nice. 

[oliv30330]

very good work!!! excellent    

[PR19_Kit]

OUTSTANDING! 

That looks exactly like an aircraft designed by a mix of Boulton Paul and Westland would have turned out at that time too. Everywhere you look there's pointers to one or other of them. The engine nacelles, as twins, look MILES better than they ever did as singles on the nose of the Defiant.

Execllent work, both in plastic and thought. 

[Mossie]

Top Job! 
I agree with Kit, it looks the part, those slim nacelles could be a forerunner of the Hornets slimline Merlins.

[rickshaw]

Very nice.  Quite plausible looking.   

[Cobra]

Awesome Job why do i picture some Controller saying into a Mic,"Intruder Aircraft Detected,SCRAMBLE,SCRAMBLE!" with a Scramble Klaxon Going off and Brave RAF crews running to their Planes? Great Work,Top Notch Paint & Decals,All Around AWESOME!  Dan

[Stargazer]

To use the adequate saying, this really "looks the part"!!! 

[Weaver]

Great looker! 

I have something similar planned, but an earlier concept.