Post your Boulton Paul P111 images here.

The original wind tunnel model. Acquired by us when Boulton Paul closed down.

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Since it was announced in FlyPast coutesy of the new RAFM boss !

But with the RAFM adding to their prototype/test hangar with the EAP… curlyboy

Whaaaa…? Not heard that one! Since when?

I can only assume it was the result of a dive and run across the airfield.
She also remembers the first flight of Javelins arriving there, in fog, and sounding like.. i quote, ‘a squadron of UFO’s’.

The P.111 was transonic, but I’m guessing there wouldn’t be much to prevent Mr Gunn from over doing it occasionally!
The 707s were two differing shades of red, two silver, and one blue

Surprisingly my dear ole mum remembers this particular aircraft performing at a RAF Duxford open day sometime during the fifties. My parents lived on the end of runway 24 next to what was The Flowerpot pub, and she describes a tiny bright yellow ‘triangular’ shaped aeroplane creating a sonic boom whilst displaying there.
Apart from possibly an Avro 707 i can’ think what else it could of been!

It is a lovely little aeroplane true but she is unique and the elements are never good for an airframe and there is room inside for her but at least MAM have painted her and looked after her more than some collections might have done.

But with the RAFM adding to their prototype/test hangar with the EAP maybe another addition would be welcome especially such a small one.

curlyboy

That’s one aeroplane I’ve never seen before.

God how ugly it is too.

I don’t quite get why it’s outside either, and that isn’t in anyway a disrespectful comment to the fantastic MAM.
I don’t even think it needs to be in a different collection, just simply needs to be moved indoors, it’s a tiny aeroplane, and when you consider that a T-33 and J-29 are both inside, you would think that this could be undercover by now.
Anyway they must do a good job at looking after it as it dosen’t look like it’s rotting away – externally at least.

BTW has anyone here ever looked inside the cockpit or seen photos of it?

Yes.. and made rather more surprising by the fact that a hardly rare or significant to the area MiG-21 appears to be kept snug and dry inside. :confused:

Possibly it’s worth pointing out that when Cranfield was disposing of airframes the RAF museum was very much hunting airframes that had seen RAF service.
Hence many in the fleet there wouldn’t have been vastly interesting. The diversity into trials and research aircraft was something very much carried out by the various base collections that existed . That work did save a number of significant aircraft and I am sure if the P.111 had come up for disposal in the late 1970’s Cosford would have had her. Either way we are now into her thirty seventh year outside as a unique and irreplaceable type .

Without doubt this unique a/c should be with either the Boulton Paul Collection at Pendeford Wolverhampton or failing that at RAFM Cosford.
Planemike

Hardly guaranteed a secure future at Pendeford when the current hosting company is moving out the premises in 12 months, with no declared interest in assisting the collection move:rolleyes:

The RAFM hardly raised a flicker of interest when Cranfield disposed of their fleet (how many ended up with them – just the unfinished P1121)

I agree it should be undercover now, but still has as much relevance to be with the MIDLAND Air Museum as anywhere else….

Ah a good place to dump these taken in May ’10!

A quick history,
Built to Air Ministry Spec. E.27/46 for transonic delta wing research flying, the first P.111, VT935, flew on the 6th October 1950. The second aircraft, VT951 was modified before its first flight by the introduction of a T mounted all moving tailplane, first flying on 6 August 1952 as the BP.120. Unfortunately if crashed on the 29th, thankfully Boulton Pauls’ chief test pilot ‘Ben’ Gunn managed to bale out.
The 111 was later modified with fusalage mounted airbrakes and a nose pitot tube, and was painted in the yellow scheme that we all know now, thus becaming the P.111A. Its useful flying days ended on the 25 April 1959 and passed through the College of Aeronautics before passing to MAM.
Length 26’1″
Span 33’5″
Weight 6,500 Ib tare – 9,600Ib AUW
Powerplant 1 x 5,100 Ib Rolls Royce Nene RN.2

Without doubt this unique a/c should be with either the Boulton Paul Collection at Pendeford Wolverhampton or failing that at RAFM Cosford.

Planemike

Perhaps – but if the original Midland Aircraft Preservation Society hadn’t taken it on when Cranfield got rid of their airframes chances are it wouldn’t be here at all.

I love this little Delta, but an absolute shame that this research aircraft is left outside to the elements.

Without doubt this unique a/c should be with either the Boulton Paul Collection at Pendeford Wolverhampton or failing that at RAFM Cosford.

Planemike

Taken two maybe three years ago and part of a complete walkaround set that I took.

Hello,

is it possible to get the full walkaround set? That would be nice. I think i have seen it on a forum some time ago but i dont find it.

Best Regards
Stefan

This pic from my collection taken at Farnborough 1951.

With the College at Cranfield 1973

Prototype Auster J5/F Aiglet Trainer, G-AMMS, in the middle. Still going strong down in Devon I believe

Nice overalls….

And look at the registration clearly painted on the top of the starboard wing!

http://forum.keypublishing.co.uk/showthread.php?t=88847

a better walkround,

done by myself, thanks to the help of the guys at MAM.

http://www.airwarfareforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=5644

I did a walkaround set of pics of the aircraft. Ive got cockpit shots as well.

Will try and dig them out later.