Boulton Paul aircraft you can see
| Type | First flew | Built | UK museums |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boulton Paul OverstrandOverstrand | 1933 | 28 | 1 |
| Boulton Paul Defiant | 1937 | 1,064 | 1 |
| Boulton Paul P.111 & Short SB.5 | 1951 | 2 | 2 |
Boulton Paul in brief
In 1934 the department was separated as Boulton Paul Aircraft Ltd and based in Wolverhampton. It is credited with the first enclosed, power-operated gun turret, fitted to the Overstrand bomber. Electro-hydraulic turrets became a large part of its output. Its best-known aircraft was the Defiant, a fighter whose only guns were in a turret behind the pilot. After the war it built 229 Balliol trainers and the P.111 and P.120 delta research aircraft.
Most of its work was building and modifying other firms’ aircraft under contract. The Dowty Group bought the company in 1961, and it moved away from complete aircraft.
Museums holding Boulton Paul aircraft
| Museum | Boulton Paul types | Adult entry | Airframes | Headline exhibit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Midland Air MuseumCoventry, Warwickshire | 1 | £11 | 66 | Vulcan XL360 with cockpit access and volunteer-led tours (ask for the instrumentation talk), plus the Whittle jet heritage collection a… |
| Norfolk and Suffolk Aviation MuseumBungay, Suffolk | 1 | £10 | 65 | Depends who you ask — the joy is the oddities. Come for the Bloodhound missiles and decoy rarities; stay for volunteer flight-simulator… |
| Royal Air Force Museum MidlandsShifnal, Shropshire | 1 | Free | 78 | TSR-2 XR220, one of two survivors of the most gifted aircraft Britain ever cancelled, sharing floor space with the stainless-steel… |
| Ulster Aviation Society (Maze Long Kesh)Lisburn, County Antrim | 1 | By appointment | 63 | The Shorts family — SC.1 vertical take-off research aircraft included — plus a Buccaneer, Phantom, Wildcat, and a newly arrived AV-8… |
Frequently asked
What was the Boulton Paul Defiant?
A turret fighter: its guns were in a powered turret behind the pilot. It was the firm’s best-known design.
Where was Boulton Paul based?
It began in Norwich, as part of Boulton & Paul. The aircraft company moved to Wolverhampton after it was separated in 1934.
What happened to Boulton Paul?
The Dowty Group acquired it in 1961.