Time Period: Post-WW2
Country of Origin: United Kingdom
Type: Monoplane Aircraft, Trainer Aircraft
Manufacturer: Boulton Paul Aircraft
Boulton Paul Balliol Aircraft Overview
The Boulton Paul Balliol was a British training aircraft developed in the immediate post-World War II period to meet the need for advanced trainer aircraft for the Royal Air Force (RAF). Designed and manufactured by Boulton Paul Aircraft Ltd., the Balliol served as an important transitional trainer, preparing pilots for the complexities of high-performance and jet-powered aircraft.
The Balliol was a low-wing monoplane with a tandem cockpit configuration, allowing for dual instruction between the instructor seated in the rear cockpit and the student pilot in the front. It was constructed primarily of metal, with fabric-covered control surfaces. The aircraft was powered by a single Rolls-Royce Merlin engine, giving it respectable performance characteristics suitable for training purposes.
One of the notable features of the Balliol was its tricycle landing gear configuration, which provided stability and ease of handling during takeoff, landing, and ground operations. This configuration was particularly advantageous for training pilots to operate modern jet aircraft, which typically featured tricycle landing gear arrangements.
The Balliol entered service with the RAF in the early 1950s and served as an advanced trainer for pilots undergoing conversion training from piston-engine aircraft to jet-powered aircraft. It was used primarily for advanced flying training, instrument training, and weapons training, helping pilots develop the skills necessary for combat and operational flying duties.
Despite its advanced design and capabilities, the Balliol had a relatively short service life with the RAF, as it was gradually replaced by more modern jet-powered trainers such as the Jet Provost. However, the Balliol continued to serve with various air forces around the world, including the Royal Rhodesian Air Force and the Royal Malaysian Air Force, until the late 1960s.
Although it did not achieve the same level of recognition or success as some of its contemporaries, the Boulton Paul Balliol played an important role in the training and development of military pilots during the early post-war years. Its robust construction, stable flight characteristics, and adaptability made it a reliable platform for training pilots to operate the next generation of high-performance aircraft, contributing to the ongoing evolution of military aviation.
Boulton Paul Balliol Specifications
- Crew: 2
- Length: 35 ft 1+1⁄2 in (10.71 m)
- Wingspan: 39 ft 4 in (11.99 m)
- Height: 12 ft 6 in (3.81 m)
- Wing area: 250 sq ft (23 m2)
- Airfoil: NACA 65
- Empty weight: 6,730 lb (3,053 kg)
- Gross weight: 8,410 lb (3,815 kg)
- Fuel capacity: 125 imp gal (150 US gal; 570 L)
- Powerplant: 1 × Rolls-Royce Merlin 35 liquid-cooled V12 engine, 1,245 hp (928 kW)
- Propellers: 4-bladed de Havilland constant speed propeller, 11 ft 3 in (3.43 m) diameter.
Boulton Paul Balliol Performance
- Maximum speed: 288 mph (463 km/h, 250 kn) at 9,000 ft (2,700 m)
- Cruise speed: 231 mph (372 km/h, 201 kn) at 5,500 ft (1,700 m) (weak mix)
- Stall speed: 83 mph (134 km/h, 72 kn)
- Endurance: three hours at 220 mph (190 kn; 350 km/h)
- Service ceiling: 32,500 ft (9,900 m)
- Rate of climb: 1,790 ft/min (9.1 m/s)
- Time to altitude: six minutes to 10,000 ft (3,000 m)
- Takeoff distance to 50 ft (15 m): 1,350 ft (410 m)
- Landing distance from 50 ft (15 m): 1,950 ft (590 m)
Boulton Paul Balliol Armament
- Guns: one × 0.303 in (7.7 mm) Browning machine gun in port wing
- Rockets: Provision for four × “60-lb” rockets
