Thanks Pedro ! This is a very nice kit. I have several of the 1/48 scale "new tool" Airfix kits and they are much better than the previous offerings. I say go for it and build as many as you can. They go together quite well. I don't know if everything is in the box to build the Night Fighter version of the BP Defiant, but I do have some extra bits left over. These are primarily antennae's. I have included a photo of exactly what I'm talking about.

It "may" be possible to build a NF version out of the initial release, providing you grab an after market set of decals, but I'm not 100 percent sure. Please look at the picture and decide for yourself.

Hello Ferry ! Good to hear from you...

This is indeed a worthy kit to have included in your wish list. Mine has recently grown to add the new Sea Fury and Stuka, both in 1/48 scale. When they release the new Blenheim it will get added as well...

Well done Louis. Sorry I arrived late again. I believe the landing gear were all silver, the black coming from a museum aircraft. Your fit issues were the same as mine, very tight but easily fixed. I found some of the parts fit so tight during test fit that I left them. I test fit my turret into the fuselage sans clear part and couldn't get it back out. Thankfully the fit was perfect. The clear part can be fitted after without problem. Don't fret about antenna wires. There was a radio upgrade and both decal options were without wires. Regarding the comments about the option of the pilot firing the turret in the forward position. It was looked at but never acted upon. Had this had actually happened, the guns could only fire forward at an upward angle of 19° or more to avoid the propeller arc. The camo masks were a mixed blessing. I go on more about them when I post shots of my kite. The clear masks but Eduard were definitely worth it

Aftermarket decals (Xtradecal did a sheet) are all you need. Everything is in the kit to do a NF.I

Thanks gents for the kind replies.

George, I wasn't sure about the black on the undercarriage. Thanks for clearing that up. I may go back and re spray them in overall aluminum color. I'd really like to see some pictures of your build. If you have the time, and don't mind, you can post them up here if you want. I wouldn't mind that one bit... 🙂
As far as firing the prop straight ahead, that makes sense. Sort of reminds me of a Nieuport 17 or an early SE5A...

Masking the canopies is what held my build up. I wasn't sure if I wanted to have the retractable "turtle deck" raised or lowered too...

Plus I was kind of "holding out" as I have been thinking about adding a new tool 1/48 Spit or Hurricane and was going to be spraying the same colors... (you know how the "Iron Werks" is)

Good to know about the antennae wires... Thanks for the heads up !

Hello Rob,
Yes this is a very nice kit. I am very happy with the "new" Airfix. It seems that all of the new releases are top notch. Boy you sure nailed it with that comment about how far we have come along with new kits and how things used to be... I can remember building some old Aurora kits many moons ago... Flash on parts was the normal, plastic blobs that were supposed to be pilots, and the wildest colors were used for the plastic. Yellow, red, green, silver and black ! Just to name a few... and there was no second guessing where the decals went... they "conveniently" had raised outline markings for most of the "stickers"...

Thanks Tom, but I'll try to go with the kit decals for now. I really wanted to build mine as the plane shown in the kit instructions as flying from Martlesham Heath, where my late P-47 pilot buddy flew from... If things don't work as planned, I'll go with "Plan B".
Thanks again.

Hey there Jeff, my fellow DAT brother !

I found this photo, and since you mentioned the crews...

I'll try to get this one finished soon... Please stay tuned for future updates !

as usual,
Comments are encouraged.

Thanks Paul.

Sorry for the late reply, but I just noticed yours. Yes I'm planning on painting several planes at the same time. Your Stork is a work of art. I especially liked the diorama you masterfully built for it. It brought home the realities of War. I also ordered a new set of early Hurricane decals... just in case there's enough time to add a Hurricane or two into the mix... and like you said, they share a lot of the same colors, so why not ?

In preparation for this, I ordered a set of new resin wheels for the BPD. The ones supplied in the kit didn't look quite detailed enough to match the quality of the rest of the kit. Hopefully this wasn't money wasted on an unnecessary upgrade.

Here's a photo of the parts that was supplied by the seller. I'll post up a few pictures once they arrive.

Anyhow, I hope to get cranking the "Iron Werks" assembly line back up in a few more days...

Hi Louis, I am reconnected! Those wheels look like a significant improvement on the originals - especially the tailwheel! The kit detail deserves these aftermarket wheels - great choice!