Boulton Paul Defiant

Warpaint No. 42
By Alan W. Hall
Warpaint Books, ©2003
Softbound, 24 Pages
Available from Sandle Hobbies

Reviewed by Chris Banyai-Riepl

The Boulton Paul Defiant was an unmistakable aircraft, what with its large turret atop the fuselage. Designed from the beginning as a fighter, the Defiant was one of three British fighter types that faced the Luftwaffe during the Battle of Britain (the other two, of course, being the Hurricane and Spitfire). Continuing the belief of a two-person fighter, the Defiant proved itself well in the skies over Britain, at least until the Germans learned different tactics to counter the heavy firepower in the Defiant's turret. Relegated to the night fighter role, the Defiant succeeded there, as well as its ultimate destination, that of target tug.

This new title from Warpaint Books takes a nostalgic look at the Boulton Paul Defiant. Always in the shadows of the two more famous fighters of the RAF, the Hurricane and Spitfire, the Defiant nonetheless deserves a place in history. In covering the development, operations, and final disposition of the Defiant force, this book provides that history.

Like other titles in the Warpaint series, the text is broken down into clear sections, starting with the development and initial testing, followed by initial service deployment. The operational record follows this, and the diversity of the Defiant squadrons definitely shows up here. The rest of the text after this details the lesser roles utilized by Defiants, such as target tugs. Throughout this text are plenty of good photos showing the Defiant to good effect, including several walkaround photos. Along with these photos are dozens of nice color profile illustrations covering the entire life of the Defiant, as well as a nice set of 1/72 scale drawings in a center section.

This latest title from Warpaint Books is a great synopsis on the Defiant and should provide the modeler with plenty of options for the several recent 1/72 kit releases.