Defiant and Battle Conversions
for the Airfix kits
Valiant Model Wings,
1/72 scale
S u m m a r y : |
Catalogue Numbers, Scales, Descriptions and availability: |
Valiant Model Wings:
No. 2 - Correction set for Airfix Defiant and
No. 3 - Correction set for the Airfix Battle.
Each £4.00 available via email from Valiant Model Wings |
Contents & Media |
A resin nose and spinner for the Defiant and just a nose for the Battle, an A4 sized instruction sheet for both in a handy crush proof box. |
Review Type: |
First Look |
Advantages: |
A simple correction for the worst aspect of both kits. |
Disadvantages: |
|
Conclusion: |
Reasonably simple and cheap with thoughtful instructions. |
Reviewed by Glen Porter
HyperScale is proudly sponsored by
Squadron.com
The Airfix Defiant was one of the very early kits that I built something like fifty years ago. It was so bad that it put me off Defiants for about the next thirty years until I came across some good in-flight photo of the aircraft which restored my interest. I then had to wait several more years until MPM decided to produce a reasonable kit.
Although it has many other faults, the anaemic nose is the worst part which in my opinion destroys the whole shape of the aircraft. Some modellers use a Spitfire nose as a replacement, I'm told, but this resin item is a much better idea, if in fact it is accurate which, not being an expert, I can't be sure of. Exhausts are moulded on as is the air filter under the nose. The appropriate panel detail is in situ (maybe a bit too finely engraves as it's hard to see) and a spinner of corrected shape is also present on the same pour block.
This is an ideal first resin correction set for a modeller with only a couple of models under his or her belt and the thoughtful instructions offer other suggestions as to areas that can be corrected along with colour schemes and references.
The other set, for the Airfix Battle, is very similar except is hasn't the corrected spinner but otherwise the same comments are relevant for it also.
There are many modellers who are not prepared to spend the big bucks that are asked for many of todays newest kits and are very happy to just tinker with some of the older and cheaper kits that have been around for some time and sets like this allow those cheaper and often less accurate kits to be built to a much higher standard providing they are not too expensive which they usually aren't.
Good on you guys. Let’s have some more!
Thanks to Valiant Model Wings for the samples.
Text and Images Copyright © 2010 by Glen Porter
Page Created 12 September, 2010
Last updated
12 September, 2010
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