Definitelyone of the inconspicuous planes of the Battle of Britain and the RAF
in general, the Defiant was designed by Boulton & Paul in the late 1930’s as an
interceptor. Used mainly against unescorted Luftwaffe bombers, it proved to be
rather effective. It’s main disadvantage was that, being heavy due to its own gun
turret, it was vulnerable to the Messerschmitt Bf.109 escort fighters. Thus, the
Defiant was soon switched to the night fighter role, and later, when replaced by
the Bristol Beaufighter and the D.H. Mosquito, it was used mainly in target towing
and gunnery training.
Until recently, the Defiant was a rather neglected kit subject by the mainstream
companies, Classic Airframes being the only choice in 1:48. This changed in
2016, when Airfix and Trumpeter released their brand new kits. My build is based
on the Airfix kit, issued as the Defiant Mk.I. Airfix has done a very good job the
subject, offering a very good amount of detail within a well-shaped kit. The
exterior details are fine and crisp with recessed panel lines. However there are no
rivets, which were prominent almost all over the real aircraft. The build is pretty
straightforward, without any major fit problems. Some details could have been
done better, such as the tailwheel or the wheel well doors, but can be easily
corrected. The decal sheet is a high quality one, printed by Cartograf and a nice
colour instruction leaflet all added to the good impression made by this kit.