Boulton Paul Balliol

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Balliol

Sea Balliol
Type Two-seat Trainer
Manufacturer Boulton Paul Aircraft
Designed by John Dudley North
Maiden flight 30 May 1947
Introduced 1950
Status Retired
Primary users Royal Air Force
Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm
Royal Ceylon Air Force
Number built 229

The Boulton Paul Balliol and the related Sea Balliol were monoplane military advanced trainer aircraft built for the United Kingdom's Royal Air Force (RAF) and the Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm (FAA) by Boulton Paul Aircraft. The Balliol was designed to replace the North American Harvard trainer and used the Rolls-Royce Merlin engine, with the Sea Balliol a naval version with folding wings and arrestor hook for training in deck landing.


Contents

[edit] Design and development

The Balliol was developed to meet Air Ministry specification T.7/45 for a three-seat advanced trainer powered by a turboprop engine, competing against the Avro Athena. The first prototype first flew on 30 May 1947, being temporarily powered by an 820 hp Bristol Mercury 30 radial engine. The second prototype, powered by the intended Armstrong Siddeley Mamba turboprop, first flew on 17 May 1948, the world's first single-engined turboprop aircraft to fly. [1] The Air Ministry had second thoughts about its training requirements, and issued a new specification, T.14/47, requiring a two seat trainer, powered by a Rolls-Royce Merlin piston engine.

The Merlin powered Balliol, designated Balliol T.2, first flew on 10 July 1948[1], and after extensive evaluation, it was chosen over the Athena, with large orders being placed to replace Harvards in RAF service.[2]

By 1951, however, the Air Ministry changed its mind about its training requirements yet again, and decided to introduce a jet-powered advanced trainer.


[edit] Operational history

Pre-production Balliols were delivered to the RAF's Central Flying School in 1950, but with the change in air-training policy, the Balliol was only delivered to one Flying Training School, - No. 7 at RAF Cottesmore, later serving at the RAF College, Cranwell. The Balliol served with the RAF until replaced by the de Havilland Vampire T.Mk.11 in 1956. [2]

The Balliol saw limited squadron service with 288 Squadron from 1953 based at RAF Middle Wallop. Operations continued until the squadron was disbanded in September 1957. [3]

[edit] Production

  • P.108 Balliol T.Mk 1 : Prototypes. 3 built. Powered by Armstrong Siddeley Mamba
  • Balliol T.Mk 2 : Two-seat advanced training aircraft for the RAF; 196 built, (166 built by Boulton Paul, and 30 built by Blackburn Aircraft).
  • Sea Balliol T.Mk 21 : Two-seat advanced training aircraft for FAA. A total of 30 built by Boulton Paul.


[edit] Operators

A Boulton Paul Sea Balliol T.21 belonging to Cosford RAF Air Museum
A Boulton Paul Sea Balliol T.21 belonging to Cosford RAF Air Museum
Flag of the United Kingdom United Kingdom
Flag of Sri Lanka Sri Lanka

[edit] Specifications (T.2)

Data from Aircraft of the Royal Air Force[1]

General characteristics

  • Crew: 2
  • Length: 35 ft 1½ in (10.71 m)
  • Wingspan: 39 ft 4 in (11.99 m)
  • Height: 12 ft 6 in (3.81 m)
  • Wing area: 250 ft² (24.2 m²)
  • Empty weight: 6,730 lb (3,059 kg)
  • Loaded weight: 8,410 lb (3823 kg)
  • Powerplant: 1× Rolls-Royce Merlin 35 V-12 piston, 1,245 hp (929 kW)

Performance

Armament

[edit] See also

Comparable aircraft Avro Athena
Related lists List of aircraft of the Royal Air Force

[edit] References

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ a b c Thetford 1957
  2. ^ a b Donald 1997
  3. ^ Jefford, RAF Squadrons

[edit] Bibliography

  • Donald, David, ed. The Encyclopedia of World Aircraft. London: Aerospace Publishing, 1997. ISBN 1-85605-375-X.
  • Thetford, Owen. Aircraft of the Royal Air Force 1918-57. London: Putnam, First Edition 1957.
  • Thetford, Owen. British Naval Aircraft since 1912, Fourth Edition. London: Putnam, 1994. ISBN 0-85177-861-5.
  • Jefford, C.G., RAF Squadrons. Shrewsbury: Airlife Publishing, 2nd edition, 2001. ISBN 1-84037-141-2

[edit] External links

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