Boulton-Paul P.120

1952

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  RESEARCH AIRCRAFTVirtual Aircraft Museum / United Kingdom / Boulton-Paul  

Boulton-Paul P.120

The Boulton Paul P.111 and P.120 delta wing research aircraft, built to Air Ministry Specification E.27/46 and E.27/49 respectively, were used to investigate high speed characteristics of the delta wing.

The P.120, flown on 6 August 1952, was similar in general layout to the P.111 but had an all-moving tailplane mounted on a squat fin. There was little chance to gain much information from the new aircraft as it was lost on 29 August, in an accident thought to have been caused by tail flutter.

Boulton-Paul P.120

Specification 
 ENGINE1 x 2315kg Rolls-Royce RN.2 Nene
 WEIGHTS
  Take-off weight5711 kg12591 lb
  Empty weight4838 kg10666 lb
 DIMENSIONS
  Wingspan10.19 m33 ft 5 in
  Length9.02 m30 ft 7 in
  Height2.90 m10 ft 6 in
  Wing area26.95 m2290.09 sq ft

3-View 
Boulton-Paul P.120A three-view drawing (900 x 745)

Comments
M.D.Saunders, e-mail, 10.12.2010 23:04

The aircraft suffered a failure of an elevon, the pilot Ben Gunn becoming the first pilot to eject from a delta winged jet aircraft.

reply

paul scott, e-mail, 18.08.2009 18:58

Yes, Tony, you were privileged indeed, the golden age of, although post-war austerity, imagine what Britain COULD have done. (Especially if it wasn't for Duncan Sandys disastrous white paper of 1957). If only Churchill's daughter had met someone else!

reply

tony catt, e-mail, 17.03.2009 21:38

I saw the P111a fly at farnbourgh and apart from the SWIFT became my favorite aircraft,although I spent many hours around Boscombe Down in the 50s I never saw the P120 so to me it was a great loss. I always felt that like many of the great aircraft that were designed and flown in the 50s many were not given the time to prove themselves. Its good to look back and be able to say :I saw that aircraft fly :

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