What's this WW2 fighter?
Discussion
Not now it isn't.
But your post reminded me I wanted to ask you something about aircraft. Sorry to hijack....
I'm reading 'Fighter Boys' at the moment, basically a 'biography' of the Battle of Britain. It mentions a Boulton Paul Defender (might have that slightly wrong because book is at home and I'm at work) - can you pos a pic and give me a bit of history on it please mate? Sounds like a weird type of fighter with a gun turret behind the cockpit. Can't make up my mind if will look like a Spitfire with an appendage or something a bit more Corsair like.
Thanks Rich
But your post reminded me I wanted to ask you something about aircraft. Sorry to hijack....
I'm reading 'Fighter Boys' at the moment, basically a 'biography' of the Battle of Britain. It mentions a Boulton Paul Defender (might have that slightly wrong because book is at home and I'm at work) - can you pos a pic and give me a bit of history on it please mate? Sounds like a weird type of fighter with a gun turret behind the cockpit. Can't make up my mind if will look like a Spitfire with an appendage or something a bit more Corsair like.
Thanks Rich
Tyre Smoke said:
Not now it isn't.
It mentions a Boulton Paul Defender
Thanks Rich
It's the defiant
Text www.battleofbritain.net/0009.html
Cheers
Paul
There were two turret equipped single engined fighters designed in the 1930s, the Merlin powered Boulton Paul Defiant for the RAF, and the Bristol Perseus powered Blackburn Roc for the Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm. Both were fairly inadequate fighting machines, the Roc being particularly poor.
The concept of a rearward facing gun turret on a light fighter was a "modernised" version of the successful World War 1 format as used in the De Havilland DH44 and Bristol F2B Fighter. By the 1930s the concept was really obsolete. The Defiant was totally outclassed as a day fighter and was relegated to night fighter duties where it performed well enough until replaced by Beaufighters and Mosquitoes. Defiants ended up being used as target tugs.
The Roc was even worse. It was 100 mph SLOWER than the Defiant. The Navy glady retired them as soon as more capable aircraft arrived, such as the Fairey Fulmar and Firefly.
The concept of a rearward facing gun turret on a light fighter was a "modernised" version of the successful World War 1 format as used in the De Havilland DH44 and Bristol F2B Fighter. By the 1930s the concept was really obsolete. The Defiant was totally outclassed as a day fighter and was relegated to night fighter duties where it performed well enough until replaced by Beaufighters and Mosquitoes. Defiants ended up being used as target tugs.
The Roc was even worse. It was 100 mph SLOWER than the Defiant. The Navy glady retired them as soon as more capable aircraft arrived, such as the Fairey Fulmar and Firefly.
gopher said:
Text www.battleofbritain.net/0009.html
Cheers
Paul
What a nice site, Paul. Bookmarked!
ErnestM
The BoB site seems to indicate that Defiants were able to hold their own for quite a while until the Germans understood how they worked. My impression is that there was just the one incident where the 109s were taken by surprise by the Defiants rearward firing capability. After that, they were pretty much mauled whenever they got into a dogfight.
Only one Defiant survives and is on display at the RAF Museum, Hendon - painted in all black night fighting colours.
Only one Defiant survives and is on display at the RAF Museum, Hendon - painted in all black night fighting colours.
How does one change a thread title anyway?
Did you know that the biggest selling paperback in Britain during WW2 was Penguin's "Aircraft Recognition" book of silhouettes?
I've had a copy of thsi since I was about 10. Of course the Defiant is shown in this and given a glowing account as well. In fact, the whole book makes quite an amusing read as it higlights the "superiority" of Britiah types over German ones.
Even the awful Saro Lerwick flying boat is praised to the rafters.
Did you know that the biggest selling paperback in Britain during WW2 was Penguin's "Aircraft Recognition" book of silhouettes?
I've had a copy of thsi since I was about 10. Of course the Defiant is shown in this and given a glowing account as well. In fact, the whole book makes quite an amusing read as it higlights the "superiority" of Britiah types over German ones.
Even the awful Saro Lerwick flying boat is praised to the rafters.
Thread title is a mod thing.
It is funny now to read the war time propaganda in books and films. My mother (who was a little girl during the 39-45 conflict) still blindly believes that Nazis are completely abhorrent and all Germans were Nazis. Quite how they suddenly all stopped being Nazis in 1945 she can't quite explain......
It is funny now to read the war time propaganda in books and films. My mother (who was a little girl during the 39-45 conflict) still blindly believes that Nazis are completely abhorrent and all Germans were Nazis. Quite how they suddenly all stopped being Nazis in 1945 she can't quite explain......
Same company.
A lot of timber companies got involved in aircraft construction during World War 1 seeing as how most aircraft at that time were mainly made from wood.
Most reverted to their peacetime businesses after 1919 but Boulton Paul had obviously been bitten by the aviation bug and kept their aircraft manufacturing side going.
In the inter war period, their most famous products were the Sidestrand and Overstrand twin engined bi-plane bombers. The Overdstrand was the first operational RAF aircraft to be fitted with a power operated turret.
The last RAF aircraft they built was the Balliol advanced trainer of the 1950s.
They also built some very interesting jet research aircraft in the 50s.
Your mother wasn't altogether wrong. The reason they stopped believing in the Nazis is because they lost!
I'm reading Max Hastings' "Armageddon" at the moment and the reaction of German civilians to the "invasion" of the Allies was quite interesting.
>> Edited by Eric Mc on Wednesday 13th July 14:46
A lot of timber companies got involved in aircraft construction during World War 1 seeing as how most aircraft at that time were mainly made from wood.
Most reverted to their peacetime businesses after 1919 but Boulton Paul had obviously been bitten by the aviation bug and kept their aircraft manufacturing side going.
In the inter war period, their most famous products were the Sidestrand and Overstrand twin engined bi-plane bombers. The Overdstrand was the first operational RAF aircraft to be fitted with a power operated turret.
The last RAF aircraft they built was the Balliol advanced trainer of the 1950s.
They also built some very interesting jet research aircraft in the 50s.
Your mother wasn't altogether wrong. The reason they stopped believing in the Nazis is because they lost!
I'm reading Max Hastings' "Armageddon" at the moment and the reaction of German civilians to the "invasion" of the Allies was quite interesting.
>> Edited by Eric Mc on Wednesday 13th July 14:46
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