Was the Boulton Paul Defiant any good?
In combat, the Defiant was found to be reasonably effective at destroying bombers but was vulnerable to the Luftwaffe’s more manoeuvrable, single-seat Messerschmitt Bf 109 fighters.
What was the Boulton Paul Defiant used for?
Designed as a bomber destroyer expected to engage unescorted aircraft, the Defiant was pressed into service as a day fighter and saw action over the beaches of Dunkirk and during the Battle of Britain.
Are there any Boulton Paul Defiants left?
Only one Boulton Paul Defiant has survived, which is on display at RAF Cosford. An official in the Air Ministry ordered the aircraft to be dismantled and put into storage ahead of the creation a museum. It was kept in a crate until it went on display at RAF St Athan, near Cardiff, Wales, in 1960.
How many aircraft did the Defiant shoot down?
The sheer fire power of the Defiant took the Luftwaffe by surprise and by May 1940, the Defiant had shot down 65 German planes. However, the Luftwaffe soon learned that a Defiant attacked head on was an easy target and by August 1940 they were withdrawn from military daylight operations.
What was the role of the Boulton Paul Defiant?
The Boulton Paul Defiant is a British interceptor aircraft that served with the Royal Air Force (RAF) during World War II. The Defiant was designed and built by Boulton Paul Aircraft as a “turret fighter”, without any forward-firing guns, also found in the Blackburn Roc of the Royal Navy . In combat,…
What kind of engine did Boulton Paul use?
The P.85 was Boulton Paul’s tender to Specification O.30/35 for the naval turret fighter. A version of the Defiant for Fleet Air Arm (FAA), it had leading edge slats and a deeper fuselage, for the lower landing speeds required of carrier aircraft. The engine would be either a Bristol Hercules radial or the Merlin.
What was the squadron code for the Defiant?
No. 409 (Nighthawk) Squadron used the Defiant on night fighter operations between July 1941 and October 1941, using the squadron code letters ‘KP’. No. 410 (Cougar) Squadron used the Defiant as a nightfighter between June 1941 and June 1942, using the squadron code letters ‘RA’.
When did the Boulton Paul P 82 go into production?
On 28 April 1937, an initial production order for 87 aircraft was received by Boulton Paul for the P.82; as this was prior to the first flight of the prototype, the aircraft had effectively been ordered ‘off the drawing board’. The order for the rival Hotspur was cancelled in 1938.