Boulton Paul P.3 Bobolink

Prototype Biplane Fighter [ 1918 ]

The Boulton Paul Bobolink - the first fighter entry for the company - lost to the Sopwith Snipe in a competition designed to succeed the classic Sopwith Camel.

Authored By: Staff Writer | Last Edited: 04/25/2016 | Content ©www.MilitaryFactory.com | The following text is exclusive to this site.

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Boulton Paul's first entry into fighter aircraft design and development came through the P.3 "Bobolink" of 1918. It was intended for British service in World War 1 (1914-1918) and as the successor to the storied Sopwith Camel fighter (detailed elsewhere on this site) but the type never advanced beyond its prototype stage. Nevertheless, the offering put the company on a path to respectability heading into World War 2 (1939-1945). Design of the Bobolink was attributed to J.D. North.

Boulton Paul held origins as far back as the late-1700s with its headquarters being Norwich, UK. By the 1900s, the company had evolved along various names until, in 1905, it became known as Boulton & Paul Ltd - specializing in engineering and manufacturing. By the time of World War 1, Boulton Paul served the war effort by building other company's aircraft produced - including the Sopwith Camel.

Despite the excellence of the Sopwith Camel, the British Air Ministry looked to the future and inevitably sought a successor for their aging biplane. This led Boulton Paul to throw its hat into the ring with a possible contender - a fighting biplane named "Bobolink". A first flight (in prototype form) was had in January of 1918 and tests followed into February. In its earliest form, the aircraft lacked ailerons along its lower wing assembly but these were added prior to official trials.

Boulton Paul engineers relied on proven techniques for their fighter entry: It was a wood-and-fabric single-seater powered by a single engine at the nose. The powerplant of choice became the Bentley BR.2 rotary engine of 230 horsepower output. The biplane wing arrangement featured a two-bay approach and N-shaped struts. Overall dimensions of the product included a length of 6 meters, a wingspan of 8.8 meters and a height of 2.5 meters.

The Boulton Paul design performed largely as intended - it could reach speeds of 125 miles per hour and held a service ceiling of 19,500 feet. Endurance was over three hours which was a prime consideration for fighting aircraft of the period. Armament was rather standard - 2 x 0.303 inch Vickers fixed, forward-firing machine guns with interrupter gear set to allow for firing through the spinning propeller blades. One of the more unique features built into the Bobolink was a jettisonable fuel tank system intended to increase survivability of the pilot. The pilot was also shielded from the fuel stores by a section of armor.

Despite the promising nature of the Bobolink, British authorities selected the competing Sopwith Snipe (which also relied on the Bentley BR.2 rotary engine). Officials cited the Bobolink as lacking in maneuverability during its evaluation phase and the overall product was seen as more complex (and therefore more expensive) to produce in the numbers required. The Sopwith Snipe simply performed better, was easier to produce and would come from the proven designers/builders at Sopwith.

As such, only the single Bobolink prototype was ever completed though the company continued using the aircraft some time later in tests.©MilitaryFactory.com

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Specifications

Service Year

1918

Origin

United Kingdom

Crew

1

Production

1
UNITS

Boulton Paul - UK

(View other Aviaton-Related Manufacturers)

United Kingdom (trialed)

(OPERATORS list includes past, present, and future operators when applicable)

✓ Air-to-Air Combat, Fighter
General ability to actively engage other aircraft of similar form and function, typically through guns, missiles, and/or aerial rockets.

✓ X-Plane (Developmental, Prototype, Technology Demonstrator)
Aircraft developed for the role of prototyping, technology demonstration, or research / data collection.

Length

20.0 ft
(6.10 m)

Width/Span

29.0 ft
(8.85 m)

Height

8.4 ft
(2.55 m)

Empty Wgt

1,235 lb
(560 kg)

MTOW

1,995 lb
(905 kg)

Wgt Diff

+761 lb
(+345 kg)

(Showcased structural values pertain to the base Boulton Paul P.3 Bobolink production variant)

Installed: 1 x Bentley BR.2 rotary engine developing 230 horsepower.

Max Speed

124 mph
(200 kph | 108 kts)

Ceiling

19,685 ft
(6,000 m | 4 mi)

Range

407 mi
(655 km | 1,213 nm)

Rate-of-Climb

1,085 ft/min
(331 m/min)

♦ MACH Regime (Sonic)

Sub

Trans

Super

Hyper

HiHyper

ReEntry

♦

(Showcased performance specifications pertain to the base Boulton Paul P.3 Bobolink production variant. Performance specifications showcased above are subject to environmental factors as well as aircraft configuration. Estimates are made when Real Data not available. Compare this aircraft entry against any other in our database or View aircraft by powerplant type)

STANDARD, FIXED:
2 x 0.303 caliber Vickers machine guns firing through the spinning propeller blades.

Supported Types

Graphical image of an aircraft medium machine gun

(Not all ordnance types may be represented in the showcase above)

Hardpoint Mountings: 0

P.3 "Bobolink" - Base Series Designation; sole prototype completed.

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