Boulton Paul Defiant ideas

Radish · February 20, 2015, 10:24:43 AM

How about...

Straight-forward change of camouflage for RAF Middle East, SEAC??

A Royal Navy example?

A Finnish example with skis?

Pre-war 2 seat fighter minus turret (but with a rear gunner) in RAF, Latvian, Portuguese, USAAC markings?

Go on....add more "involved" developments!!

Dizzyfugu · February 20, 2015, 10:36:35 AM

Quote from: Radish on February 20, 2015, 10:24:43 AM
Pre-war 2 seat fighter minus turret (but with a rear gunner) in RAF, Latvian, Portuguese, USAAC markings?

That sounds interesting - how about Poland, Belgium or the Netherlands (too)?

Have a Pavla Defiant sans turret (and plan) somewhere...

Steel Penguin · February 20, 2015, 11:03:13 AM

a small remote turret with a Gatling in it
or remove the turret and use the space to put a passle of downward firing stuff and make a strafer.
my traditional "prop and rocket" fast mover suggestion ( its from one of the lensman books)
bomber stream breaker, replace the turret with a rapid cycle rocket launcher system, get near, and the wooosh, bang, woosh, woosh woosh.
equip it with a early AI and have a bizarre defiant cylon mix...

jcf · February 20, 2015, 11:42:25 AM

2-seat fighter with the 'lobster-back' turret of the 'Turret Demon'.

NARSES2 · February 21, 2015, 05:41:32 AM

Right I have a Middle East example planned and I have the kit

The Royal Navy version is also planned and the kit was to be ordered today. However I was given a "nudge and a wink" that it may not be necessary so maybe I'll see one on St David's Day.......my birthday

As for overseas users ?

Mossie was telling me at Huddersfield that Belgium had enquired and wanted to order some but the Air Ministry told B.P. that it was an RAF priority project and therefore no export orders to be considered until the RAF contract was fulfilled.

Mossie · February 21, 2015, 02:05:30 PM

Beat me to it Chris.

I think another we mentioned was Soviet, like above with the rear gunner and a couple of wing mounted cannon pods like a mini sturmovik.

One thing that's whiff worthy is that the 1st production Defiant was fitted with light bomb racks. Every Defiant was fitted with hard points as a result of the trials but they were never used operationally for bombs (only being used for the dinghy racks in the ASR role).

Mossie · February 21, 2015, 02:11:38 PM

Thoughts on the P.94 single seat Defiant. I've had an idea for an alternative timeline of the P.94 for a quite a while (which is why I've been itching for Airfix to release a new Defiant). I've tried to keep to real proposals

Mk.I - P.94 as per drawings (no flat on spine), 8 or 12 .303's, otherwise as per Defiant Mk.I
Mk.Ia - Cannon armed Mk.I (real world proposal)
Mk.II - Conversions of Mk.I Defiants, flat to spine as per K8310 to P.94 prototype, 8 or 12 .303's
Mk.IIa - Cannon armed Mk.II
Mk.III - Merlin XX and other changes as per Defiant Mk.II, cannon armed
Mk.IV - Sabre engined development as per P.96A
Mk.V - Centaurus engined prototype as per P.96D
Mk.VI - Merlin 24 as per proposed Defiant TT.II, cannon armed.

All versions were capable of ground attack due to Defiants hard points and the P.94's guns could be depressed by 17⁰ for strafing. The TT.II and III flew with Vokes filters so trop versions likely.

The Rat · February 21, 2015, 03:56:30 PM

I started one a few years ago, but now that Airfix has released a new one it will be restarted. It will have the turret removed, two 40mm cannon from the Airfix Hurricane IID under the wings, in RAAF service as a tank-buster.

Weaver · February 21, 2015, 07:56:15 PM

I have a part-started one based on the old kit which is intended to be a Finnish ground attack job with an Anson turret, some combination of guns/bombs/rockets, and fixed ski undercarriage from a Fokker D.XXI.

How about a turretless night fighter with a fixed, upwards firing schrage-musik style gun installation in place of the turret?

Captain Canada · February 21, 2015, 09:10:00 PM

Some great ideas. I love the USAAC one. Green and yellow.....maybe open cockpits as well. Naval works for me. All the roles of the Stringbag, Firefly and Avenger. Maybe a smaller radome and three seats ?

jcf · February 21, 2015, 09:45:45 PM

Quote from: Weaver on February 21, 2015, 07:56:15 PM

How about a turretless night fighter with a fixed, upwards firing schrage-musik style gun installation in place of the turret?

Surely you mean an oblique C.O.W. gun style installation?

zenrat · February 21, 2015, 11:41:36 PM

Hurricane wings giving it the fixed forward firing guns it should have had all along if it was to be a "modern" Bristol Fighter.
Griffon engined Mk VII with 4x20mm cannon in the wings and 2 in the turret.

zenrat · February 22, 2015, 01:58:21 AM

FW-200C had a single 20mm cannon in the front upper turret and another in the front of the bathtub.
B-29 had a one in the tail turret.

The Wooksta! · February 22, 2015, 05:20:16 AM

Quote from: The Rat on February 21, 2015, 03:56:30 PM
I started one a few years ago, but now that Airfix has released a new one it will be restarted. It will have the turret removed, two 40mm cannon from the Airfix Hurricane IID under the wings, in RAAF service as a tank-buster.

I've a Pegasus TT converted to a single seater which is getting that treatment. Already assembled with canopy attached and I picked up a set of 3D "S" guns for it last week. It's already got the tropical filter and the longer engine cowling of the later aircraft.

Quote from: Weaver on February 21, 2015, 07:56:15 PM
How about a turretless night fighter with a fixed, upwards firing schrage-musik style gun installation in place of the turret?

Best using the old Pegasus TT as the fuselage lines are modified and slimmer sans turret. I just found one I picked up at Telford for £2 that I was going to do as a nightfighter.

One Defiant was trialled with a single 20mm Hispano in the turret.

Captain Canada · February 22, 2015, 06:29:33 PM

Look forward to seeing some of these Lee.