Boulton Paul Partridge
Boulton & Paul · United Kingdom · first flew 1928 · fighter
The Boulton & Paul P.33 Partridge was a single-seat, single-engined biplane fighter designed to an Air Ministry specification. One prototype was built for trials in 1928 but it was not put into production.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | Mid-mounted, straight |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 1 × piston, nose-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | 7.04 m fuselage |
| T — Tail | Conventional |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- Single-bay biplane with square-tipped, constant-chord wings and slight stagger
- Interplane struts that lean markedly outwards
- Nine cylinder heads of the Bristol Jupiter protruding from the cowling behind a large spinner
It is a single-bay biplane with only the smaller lower wing having dihedral, armed with two Vickers machine guns firing between the cylinder heads of its 440 hp Bristol Jupiter VII. The fuselage is humped slightly behind the wing at the single cockpit.
Specifications
- The Boulton Paul Partridge has a length of 7.04 m (23 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 10.67 m (35 ft).
- Its maximum speed is 269 km/h (167 mph).
- Typical crew: 1.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
It was one of nine designs given prototype contracts under specification F.9/26, which called for a replacement for the RAF's Siskin and Gamecock fighters. It had an all-metal airframe with many structural components common to the Boulton Paul Sidestrand. It first flew in early 1928 and appeared at the Hendon RAF display that July.
Variants
An enlarged cockpit was fitted during the trials to help a pilot baling out, and this became known as the Mk II. A Mk III with the Bristol Mercury engine was reserved but never built.
Where you'll see it
In trials at Martlesham Heath it had performance similar to the Hawker Hawfinch and the winning Bristol Bulldog, but poor longitudinal stability and control gave heavy stick forces. No further orders were placed.
Related aircraft
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- Boulton Paul Atlantic
- Boulton & Paul P.9
- Boulton & Paul P.3 Bobolink
- Amiot 110
- Blackburn F.2 Lincock
- Boeing F3B
- Boeing P-12/F4B
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