Boulton Paul Osprey MK II, FAA, HMS Edinburgh, Arctic Convoys, 1942

[Doug K]

OK, so last Defiant variant this time and I'm biting off more than I can chew!
Airfix Defiant, Brengun Spitfire floats, folded wings and a Hercules Engine from a fleabay Matchbox Beaufighter.
If this gets done by the deadline,I'll be amazed, but cutting has begun!

Backstory is simple, in a bid to beef up indigenous fighter support as well as retaining the spotter role, Seafoxes and one Walrus (on the Town-class) are replaced in His Majesty's Light and Heavy cruisers by the turret-fighter floatplane known as the BP Osprey (see my earlier BPF carrier-borne version). This example is an early 1942 version operating on the Arctic Convoys to Murmansk from Scotland. Some success was attributed to the Ospreys as there was minimal fighter support for the JU88 and He111 bombers operating at extreme range from Norway. These Ospreys delivered exactly what the proponents of turret-fighters wanted in among surprised bombers attempting to line up torpedo runs.

IMG_1445 by doug_alba, on Flickr

[NARSES2]

Looking forward to this 

As I've said elsewhere it'll make a good floatplane Roc replacement 

As an afterthought I'm wondering what Airfix's marketing department are musing on when looking at the sales distribution map for Defiant's 

[Doug K]

Looking forward to this 

As I've said elsewhere it'll make a good floatplane Roc replacement 

As an afterthought I'm wondering what Airfix's marketing department are musing on when looking at the sales distribution map for Defiant's 

🤣🤣

[Doug K]

OK some PSR and lots of cutting and it's almost ready for paint.
Floats just placed precariously for the photo.
It looks almost Japanese

IMG_1446 by doug_alba, on Flickr

[PR19_Kit]

Looking VERY promising. 

[ericr]

reminiscent of a Roc?

[Doug K]

reminiscent of a Roc?

The premise is that there never was a Roc 

[63cpe]

That looks promising! Keep going!

[NARSES2]

That looks promising! Keep going!

Very much so 

For a brief moment it looked a bit like an Ar 196, but that's purely because I had an Airfix one out last night.

[Old Wombat]

Looks a touch Japanese.

[Doug K]

OK, she's done. Note to self, forget folding wings in future!!!!

The Boulton Paul Osprey was a development if the RAF's Defiant into a turret-fighter concept for the Royal Navy. As described in my previous (later Mk V) http://www.whatifmodellers.com/index.php/topic,45544.0.html

The early Mk 1s & Mk 2s were always envisaged to have a float-plane version for operation from the Navy's light cruisers.
In this case the model is of one of the two Ospreys aboard HMS Edinburgh during her escort task on the Russian Arctic convoys.

Model as in first post, model is combination of Matchbox Beaufighter Hercules, Brengun Spitfire floats and fin extension and of course the Airfix Defiant. I omitted the exhausts therefore the collector ring is gone too. I felt it would tangle with the catapult and all the trials are telescopic for the same reason (I've been researching enough catapults for my 1/144th RC ships to know they simply wouldn't survive!).

I do kinda like the idea of the German torpedo bombers seeing what looks a little like an Arado 196 coming along-side.......

No more from me now, fly to Singapore in 5 hours....

IMG_1450 by doug_alba, on Flickr

IMG_1452 by doug_alba, on Flickr

IMG_1453 by doug_alba, on Flickr

IMG_1455 by doug_alba, on Flickr

[AXU]

That's just great !!! 

[ericr]

 

[zenrat]

Very good.
Enough similarities with the Roc to confuse people but enough differences for those who look properly to work it out.

[PR19_Kit]

A really TERRIFIC job there, I'm most impressed. 

The wing fold looks really good, especially the wing braces holding them in position.