**** DONE: GB-37 1:48 BP DEFIANT - Helicopters / Military a/c of BoB 1940

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Doing some research so not to be caught short I read this.."Too allow the turret a clear field of fire, two rather large radio masts were located on the underside of the fuselage. These masts retracted when the undercarriage was extended". All most every photo I've seen of a Defiant on the ground still has the masts extended. I have found one photo with the rear mast retracted...


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and now that I look at it, the tip of the forward mast is a different color. This is what Airfix shows so maybe I have to lop of 6mm. Speaking of antennae, I also found this...


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...antennae running from the horizontal stab to the fuselage. The photo of my aircraft is too grainy to show this and Airfix makes no mention of it. Anyhoo...back to modelin'. Airfix gets the "You Tried" award for the instrument panel...


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...to be covered by this...


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Painted and awaiting the decal.


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If anyone has thoughts about the antennae I'd appreciate hearing them, lots of time before I get to that stage
 
Hi Geo, the forward aerial was fixed, it couldn't retract, whereas the aft one retracted into the fuselage and extended once in flight for better reception (standing wave ratios and aw tha'), so only the tip protruded below the fuse on the ground, as in the line drawing. The Defiant I Pilot's Notes (AP1592A) state the following: "The aerial is fitted between two masts on the underside of the fuselage, the rear mast being retracted when the undercarriage is down." There's nothing else mentioned, which leads me to suspect its operation is linked to the u/c, probably by cable.
 
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Much appreciated Grant: thy will be done. For some reason my pic for "This is what Airfix shows so maybe I have to lop of 6mm" didn't get included in Post #21 so here it is and it show what Grant is talking about...


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With regards to the compass under the IP, Interior green or grey. This is the only photo I could find.

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Nice pic of the RAF Museum's N1671. You can see that the forward aerial is fixed, also the wee triangular air diverter in front of it, that's been added since its been restored - didn't have it for years. Very interesting.
 
Compasses were usually a shade of grey in almost all British aircraft - it was often a really light blue/grey as in the picture. You can't really go wrong in painting it that colour, Geo. I would suspect they were not painted on installation, so Interior Green would be incorrect.

Here's the cockpit of an Anson I. Note the compass and its grey colour. I've seen them a lighter grey than this.

K6183 63
 
Applied the decal to the IP, didn't quite get it lined up as it stuck like the proverbial limpet using Mr. Mark setter. I'll use Microscale setter for the main ones methinks. Even so, it looks like to get most to fit into their respective bezels would have put others slightly out and the white rectangle would have been just outside the panel. Close enough for a closed canopy.


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Some trimming required when dry. I read in another build that the IP interfered slightly when closing up the fuselage and was filed down
 
Geo, the other aerial form the horizontal stab to the fuselage would have been present early in the war. It was for the IFF system and the wires were on both sides. At some point the IFF system was updated and the wires replaced with a spike antenna under the main wing. I'm sure Terry can provide a date when this occurred.

In your pic (not sure when it was taken) it's possible that what I have circled here is the spike antenna. If that's what it is the wires would not be present.

 
Ok...been through my books and on the web. It seems every line drawing and profile including Mk.IIs show the IFF system. Every photo that I could enlarge and have it remain clear showed no IFF. Case in point, a profile and photo of the same aircraft during the same time period, August.




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Now.....having said that, I could find no line drawing, profile or photo of an aircraft that had the spike antenna. Imma leavin' the IFF and spike antenna off
 
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