Boulton Paul P.9

The Boulton & Paul P.9 was a British single-engined twin-seat aircraft. The wings and fuselage were constructed of wood with fabric covering. It was built by Boulton & Paul Ltd.

P.9
Role Light utility aircraft
Manufacturer Boulton & Paul Ltd
First flight May 1919
Number built 8

Design and development

The P.9 was designed as a larger version of the companies P.6 single-engined biplane design, it was 6 ft longer with a 2 ft 6in increase in wing span. It had the same 90 hp (67 kW) RAF 1 V-8 engine as the P.6 but had an increased fuel capacity. The first order was from A.L Long for use on a sheep station in Australia and the first aircraft was delivered to Australia and it was soon used on newspaper delivery flights. On 17 December 1919 it made the first flight across the Bass Strait between Tasmania and the mainland.

With the success of the first aircraft in Australia, minor changes were made to production aircraft, including a compartment behind the cockpit to carry two specially built suitcase. Although the aircraft was for sale at a modest £700, mainly due to the use of an old but standard engine, it failed to compete with war-surplus sales of converted military aircraft and only eight aircraft were built in total, including a further three to Australia.

Specifications

Data from British Civil Aircraft since 1919 [1]

General characteristics

  • Crew: 2
  • Length: 24 ft 8 in (7.52 m)
  • Wingspan: 27 ft 6 in (8.38 m)
  • Height: 10 ft 0 in (3.05 m) [2]
  • Wing area: 323 sq ft (30.0 m2)
  • Empty weight: 1,244 lb (564 kg)
  • Gross weight: 1,770 lb (803 kg)
  • Powerplant: 1 × RAF1a air-cooled V-8 engine, 90 hp (67 kW)

Performance

  • Maximum speed: 104 mph (167 km/h, 90 kn)
  • Cruise speed: 85 mph (137 km/h, 74 kn)
  • Range: 300 mi (480 km, 260 nmi)
  • Service ceiling: 14,000 ft (4,300 m) [2]
  • Rate of climb: 650 ft/min (3.3 m/s)

References
Notes
  1. Jackson 1974, p. 224.
  2. Flight 21 September 1922, p. 544.
Bibliography
  • "The Boulton And Paul P.9 Biplane". Flight (21 September 1921): 541–544.
  • Jackson, A.J. (1974). British Civil Aircraft since 1973. London: Putnam. ISBN 0-370-10006-9.
  • "Boulton & Paul P.9". British Aircraft Directory. Archived from the original on 10 February 2007. Retrieved 1 July 2017.CS1 maint: BOT: original-url status unknown (link)
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