Βoulton Paul Defiant – A Technical Guide by Richard A. Franks, Airframe Detail No.5 (Valiant Wings, 2018)

The Βoulton Paul Defiant – A Technical Guide by Richard A. Franks, is the newest, fifth title in the well-known “Airframe Detail” series from Valiant Wings Publishing. This series of books offers everything that modern modellers want when they are tackling a specific subject and include: Period diagrams, data from flight manuals, data from spare parts catalogues, plus full-colour profiles and concise camouflage and marking notes.

Airframe Detail No. 5 - The Boulton-Paul Defiant - A Detailed Guide, by Richard A. Franks

The fifth title in the Airframe Detail series is an essential companion for anyone tackling the Airfix, Trumpeter and Classic Airframes kits in 1/48th, or the Airfix, MPM and even Pavla examples in 1/72nd scale.

Contents include all the elements listed plus:

Introduction - Brief History: 22 pages describing the development of the Defiant from the 30s to full production and operational missions through the War, with more than 50 b/w action photographs and two pages with technical data/specifications.

Technical description: 38 pages with many color & b/w images of practically every detail of the aircraft, inside and out: cutaway drawings, diagrams from official manuals, cockpit interior, instrument panel, canopy, mid & rear fuselage, undercarriage, wheels, wings structure, flaps, rudder, elevator, engine, cowlings, propeller, fuel/hydraulic systems, armament, bomb racks, etc. This section includes a wealth of historical photographs and detail images of the world’s only complete preserved Defiant plus period detail images during production and service use.

Camouflage & Markings: 24 pages describing the colours and markings from prototype to late production types. Many action photos, combined with 45 colour profiles, and 1/72 & 1/48 three-view scale plans (6 pages of plans - the best we have seen of the Defiant so far - with informative captions) by Richard J. Caruana. The 1/48 scale plans are invaluable for adding rivets and other fine surface detail to the model.

A kit build of the new-tooled 1/48th Defiant from Airfix by Steve Evans: Four pages with step by step photos of the build and valuable advice and techniques.

In the end, we get complete lists of all Defiant kits, accessories and decals produced in all scales plus full bibliography. We didn’t know there are (or were) so many kits and accessories in the market for this subject – some even in 1/32 scale (albeit out of production!)

All in all 100 pages packed with vital modelling and historical information. Highly recommended!

Airframe Detail No 5 - The Boulton-Paul Defiant - A Detailed Guide, by Richard A. Franks retails at £13.95 per copy + postage and packing.

The book is also available from all good hobby stores and specialist bookshops.

ISBN is 978-0-9957773-6-1

Orders can be made via the Valiant Wings website, www.valiant-wings.co.uk, by ‘phone on 01234 273434 (+44 1234 273434 if calling from outside the UK) or by writing to Valiant Wings Publishing, 8 West Grove, Bedford, MK40 4BT, UK