Boulton Paul P.75 Overstrand

Boulton Paul Aircraft · United Kingdom · first flew 1933 · bomber

The Boulton Paul Overstrand was a twin-engine biplane medium bomber notable for being the first RAF aircraft fitted with a power-operated gun turret. It served with No. 101 Squadron RAF in the mid-1930s.

Recognition (WEFT)

W — Wings	High-mounted, straight
E — Engines	2 × piston, wing-mounted
F — Fuselage	Large slab-sided fuselage with prominent nose turret
T — Tail	Conventional

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Spot it by:

First RAF bomber with powered nose turret
Twin-engine biplane with enclosed cockpit
Large slab-sided fuselage with prominent nose turret

Identified by its high-mounted biplane wings, twin Bristol Pegasus radials in large nacelles, and the distinctive enclosed spherical nose turret — unlike any other biplane bomber of its era.

Specifications

The Boulton Paul P.75 Overstrand has a length of 14.02 m (46 ft).
It has a wingspan of 21.92 m (72 ft).
Its maximum speed is 249 km/h (155 mph).
Typical crew: 5.

Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.

History

Developed from the Sidestrand, the Overstrand introduced an enclosed, heated cockpit and a hydraulically powered nose turret — revolutionary features for the time. It entered service with No. 101 Squadron in 1935, giving the RAF its first taste of powered defensive armament. The type was soon rendered obsolete by monoplane bombers and retired by 1938.

Variants

The Overstrand was a direct development of the Sidestrand Mk III, the primary change being the enclosed powered turret and refined airframe; no major sub-variants entered production.

Where you'll see it

Served exclusively with No. 101 Squadron, RAF Bicester, from 1935 to 1938, making it a uniquely British interwar aircraft.

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