Boulton Paul Defiant PR Mk I. Finished Pics Pg 4.

[zenrat]

Ratties comments regarding the Wellesley he made on Loupies Wannabe thread got me thinking about how many turretless Defiants we have in our stashes.
Which thoughts finally caused a neurone to fire with regard to my own turretless Defiant.

Boulton Paul Defiant by Fred Maillardet, on Flickr

This should be fairly simple.  Fair in the turret hole under a two seater canopy including a rear mounted Vickers K, add a floor and a seat for the back seater, cameras directly below where the turret was, (possibly featuring a rotating dome - if not just drill holes and make PVA lenses), and relocate the radiator as it is in the way.  And then paint all over PRU Blue.

Defiant PR MkI WIP 28-08-2021 by Fred Maillardet, on Flickr

[NARSES2]

This should be fairly simple. 

How many times have all of us said that ? 

I like your thinking on this. I've been musing on the idea of using the Airfix kit to build a FAA dive bomber to replace the Skua and the way you've dealt with the rear cockpit area has rekindled those thoughts 

[zenrat]

I cut along panel lines to remove the turret surround.  I'll use the lowered rear fuselage part.

The thing that has always held me back whiffing this was the wider rear fuselage where the turret had been.  I felt that I needed to explain this in it's new use.  Cameras in a rotating mount provide a reason.

[PR19_Kit]

Sounds like a plan. 

And that widened rear fuselage is what stops that lovely turret being added to all sorts of things. I recall the disaster that my 'Turricane' project was! 

A Spitfire's fuselage must HALF the width of a Defiant!

[NARSES2]

The thing that has always held me back whiffing this was the wider rear fuselage where the turret had been. 

I know what you mean. I'm simply thinking of saying it had a scarf ring mounted for the rear gunner and his "cockpit" was half open to the elements. After all he'd only be a Leading Seaman at best so know real need to consider his comforts 

[buzzbomb]

Full on astrodome arrangement ?
Give the Observer (if fitted) fantastic view. Rotating collar with Binocular/Camera Mount maybe with Periscope slave unit in the ventral position as was originally laid out

[NARSES2]

We seem to be living in the age of Defiant conversions. Not only do we have this build and the floatplane version highlighted in the "Wiffs found on Facebook" thread, but the October edition of SAM will have an article entitled " The Best Fighter The Navy Never Had. The Bolton Paul SeaFiant Mk IV and VII" by Henk de Jong.

The preview pic in the Sept edition looks very nice. Interested to see how he deals with the rear cockpit as it's not a turret fighter.

[PR19_Kit]

The preview pic in the Sept edition looks very nice. Interested to see how he deals with the rear cockpit as it's not a turret fighter.

A Barracuda canopy?

[Dizzyfugu]

I converted a Defiant into a light bomber a (long) while ago and replaced the whole cockpit and the turret section with a vacu greenhouse from a Japanese floatplane, IIRC - but I do not remember the type right now. Worked surprisingly well.

[Doug K]

I converted a Defiant into a light bomber a (long) while ago and replaced the whole cockpit and the turret section with a vacu greenhouse from a Japanese floatplane, IIRC - but I do not remember the type right now. Worked surprisingly well.

Put it on floats and you have a British Seiran.... 🙂

[NARSES2]

The preview pic in the Sept edition looks very nice. Interested to see how he deals with the rear cockpit as it's not a turret fighter.

A Barracuda canopy?

Nope. It's got separate front and rear canopies. I assume from the headline though that the article consists of two builds. The one in the photo looks to be the early one so maybe the latter is different ?

[zenrat]

Some progress. 
Canopy is the rear section from my box of clear parts combined with the kit windscreen.  There is a side hinged opening section.  I have no idea what the rear section is from.  It has a slot for a gun.
A rotating camera mount will sit directly below where the turret was.  To facilitate this I have moved the radiator.
Defiant WIP 12-09-2021 01 by Fred Maillardet, on Flickr
Defiant WIP 12-09-2021 02 by Fred Maillardet, on Flickr

[Steel Penguin]

that is looking mighty fine 

[NARSES2]

Looking good and remarkably clean 

[Old Wombat]

Apart from the slightly hunched back, just forward of the tail, she's looking slick, Fred!

Like what you've done with the radiator.