I now remember that the top turret on the B-25Js coud also be fired forward, what with the package guns on both sides of the nose, and whatever number of forward firing guns in the nose itself, you could really talk to a crowd. Not for long , one suspects. Regular mowing machine. Pappy Gunn! Appropriate name, that.

Tonight was very productive at the "Iron Werks". I got a lot more done than I ever imagined possible.

This has to be a direct result of how well this kit is engineered. The fit has been spot on in all places except for two... and I'll get to that part in a moment.

I began the day by giving a light wash using just a splash of lamp black artists oil mixed in with some turpentine. Then I brushed this mixture on all of the cockpit parts...
Here's a sidewall afterwards.

Then I glued the cockpit assembly first, check the fuselage fit by holding the right side in place against the left side... So far the fit was great.

Then I did the same thing with the rear turtle deck to the left fuselage half. Here again the fit was spot on...

The next step was fitting the instrument panel.

Which caused some fit problems with the forward section of the fuselage. The area ahead of the cockpit had a fairly large gap.

So I knew it had to be caused by the instrument panel. Out if came, and I began the process of sanding down the outer edges of the panel.

Sand , test fit and repeat... Then I decided to open up the elongated slots that run from side to side on the IP. I finally got the instrument panel to fit properly inside the fuselage.

Here in this photo you can see how tight the gap is now... I'm pointing at the area with a wooden tooth pick.

However I was not out of the woods just yet. There was still a small gap under the nose below the engine right where the oil cooler would go.

I am pointing at the problem area with a wooden tooth pick in the next photo shown below.

So I started once again with the sanding on the front lower edges of the kit supplied fire wall, test fitting and repeat until I was happy with how the fuselage halves fit together.

Finally it fit and the gap was gone. One last test fit, and it was time for some glue...

Now I had the fuselage almost completed. I wanted to see how the pilot's office looked, so I took a few pictures.

The next steps involved building the wings and installing them. I varied from the kit instructions here because I wanted to get a perfect fit without having to use filler. However, in hindsight, I probably could have followed the instructions, and built the wing as an assembly and then installed them as a one piece set.

I started off by gluing the rectangular dihedral supports to the lower wing center section. Once these parts were dry, I glued the lower wing center section to the fuselage. The fit was spot on...

Next I glued on the top side of the wings. Here again the fit was right on the money. I held everything in place using clothes pins while it dried.

Following this I added the lower outer wings, and again clamped them in place using clothes pins.
Here's a picture I took after the pins were removed.

Next up was the tail control surfaces... I posed mine with the elevators positioned in the up position, and the rudder was kicked off to the right to give the plane a little character.

I installed the ailerons in a neutral pose...

Now it's really starting to look like a BP Defiant ! Here I added the top engine cover on the forward fuselage section. In the other photos the part was simply held in pace by friction. The fit is that good !

The next to last thing I did tonight was to paint and build the engine oil cooler and radiator. I painted the coolers using gun metal and then gave them a light dry brushing to bring out the cooling fins using a dull aluminum color. While these coolers were drying, I painted on some Sky Type S color under the areas where the coolers were going to be installed. This will make things a little easier when it comes to painting time.

Once these parts had dried sufficiently, I installed them on the plane.

This one is almost ready for the spray booth ! So far this kit has been a real pleasure to build.

In fact I like this one so much, I may break out a few of the other recent 1/48 scale "new" Airfix kits I have in the stash... Namely the Hurricane and Spitfires, for the 100 Years of the RAF Group Build. 🙂

I'm stoked at today's progress...

As usual, comments are encouraged.

The interior on this is really good. No aftermarket needed, IMHO. Excellent paintwork! Great to have a state-of-the-art Defiant, an obscure aircraft to most.

Thanks fellows for the compliments and encouraging words. This kit has been a relatively smooth build so far... and I hope it continues to do so.

Last night I made some more progress on Daffy...

The next steps on the build, (if you are following the instructions) is the landing gear. My personal preference is to glue parts together before painting. It makes a stronger glue bond at the joints. There are times when you can't do this however and the parts must be painted first...

The main wheels are cleaned up and ready for some paint. I'll paint these at the same time as the ones from the Kasserine Pass Group Build projects, the Fw-190's and the Curtiss P-36's.

Then I started on the main landing gear. They are supposed to be mainly black in color according to the instructions. I simply inserted the locating pins into the wheel wells. Then I made sure the alignment was proper and glued the landing gear parts together where they all meet on the main strut. I did not glue the struts to the wheel well, so they can be removed.

I did have to fix one small part that is extremely delicate. Mine snapped in half while I was removing the mold seam on them. Here in this picture I'm pointing where mine were broken.

I also prepped the main gear doors for painting. Once that was done and the glue had dried, I removed the main landing gear.
Here are the gear doors and main gear sets.

Next step was the lower color... This kit did not need any filler anywhere. I'm very impressed. All I had to do was make a few swipes along the glue seams and that was it !
Here's the color I'm using on Daffy. Model Master ANA 610 "Sky Type S"

The nest step was to spray some paint...

I sprayed the outer portion of the gear doors while I was at it.

Then I started work on the turret after I cleaned up the air brush.

This build has been fantastic so far, other than the little problems in the beginning with the instrument panel and forward firewall bulkhead.

Thanks for reading so far, and as always,
"Comments are Encouraged"...

Thanks David ! I agree, these new Airfix kits are hard to beat, especially when you consider their prices. I have some more Spitfires and Hurricanes that are the "New Airfix" releases. Now after working with Daffy, I am seriously thinking about building them up rather soon as part of the 100 Years of the RAF group build.

I hope these rambling posts of mine do indeed help someone out there who is building one like this one, over even just doing some kit research before they decide to buy one.

I'm really liking these new Airfix kits.

Thanks again my friend.

This is one of the most detailed WIP threads I have seen Louis - you are making this a real trademark on iModeler! It just helps so many people at different stages of their development in the hobby.

Firstly, I can't thank you enough for adding this to the RAF100 GB! And of course secondly, congratulations on progress so far - you are making light work of what looks to be a really well-detailed kit - even though it has needed some patient fitting - and will turn out another beauty no doubt. I really enjoyed the cockpit build - it looks so impressive.

As for the wheel hubs - Chuck, my heart falls when the hubs are not separately provided! It makes such a difference not having to use masks - or in my case not having to have 3 or 4 goes at using capillary action! When kits, both modern and 'classic', make the modeller's job more straightforward and provide greater detail, it balances those hours spent having to fight with the plastic! It seems that the new Airfix kits achieve that 'straightforwardness' to some extent!

This might make it possible for you to add more to this group Louis, and of course it will be fantastic if you do, but you are doing so much already, I am eternally grateful whatever your future contributions!

Here's last night's progress.

I gave the plane a close inspection and I noticed there was a very tiny line visible along the center of the fuselage running along the underside.

This may have been due to my building and not the kit. It wasn't noticeable until I sprayed the color on it. Had I given the plane a coat of primer it would probably have shown up.

To fix this I added a very thin coat of Tamiya putty on the places where it was needed. After a few minutes of wet sanding the filler it was ready for paint.

Here's how it looks now under the engine just ahead of the wings.

The top of the cowling received the same treatment.

As did the rear underside of the fuselage.

Here's how it looks now.

Then I turned my attention to the turret.

And finished it up too.

The MG's were the last part I added.

I wanted to make sure that I didn't glue the assembly together too fast.

If you take your time and glue it together using the minimal amount you will end up with the turret that has MG's you can pose in any position from 0 degrees to almost 90 degrees elevated.

The turret is a model in itself. The construction sequence is a little more than a page by itself.

Lastly I merely placed the turret on top of the fuselage just to see how it looks now. It is not in a permanent position since I still need to paint it and add the clear parts.

I'm hoping to spend more time with this one later today.

As usual comments are encouraged.

Thanks for reading along so far. Stay tuned for updates !

This gets better with every post Louis. The turret is indeed a mini-kit. Looking forward to the next steps!