Boulton Paul Mailplane
1933 mailplane by Boulton & Paul
The Boulton & Paul P.64 Mailplane also known as the Mail-Carrier was a 1930s British twin-engined all-metal biplane transport aircraft designed for Imperial Airways and built by Boulton & Paul Ltd.
Development
The airline had a requirement, which was translated into Air Ministry specification 21/28, for a mailplane to carry a 1,000 pounds (450 kg) payload on a 1,000 miles (1,600 km) leg at a speed of at least 150 miles per hour (240 km/h). Boulton & Paul designed and constructed the prototype P.64 Mailplane to address these requirements. The P.64 was a twin-engine two-bay equi-span biplane. It was powered by two Bristol Pegasus IM2 supercharged radial engines rated at 555 horsepower (414 kW) driving two-bladed fixed pitch propellers and mounted under the upper wings.
The aircraft (registered G-ABYK) first flew in March 1933 at the company Norwich. It was not a success, deemed to be expensive and unsatisfactory. It was destroyed during trials at Martlesham Heath when it struck the ground during an unexplained dive on 21 October 1933.
The company then addressed the specification's requirements with a new design transport aircraft which was lighter, slimmer and longer (the Boulton Paul P.71A).
Specifications (P.64 Mailplane)
Data from Boulton Paul Aircraft since 1915General characteristics
Crew: 3 (2 pilots plus navigator or radio operator)
Length: 42 ft 6 in (12.95 m)
Wingspan: 54 ft (16 m)
Height: 13 ft (4.0 m)
Wing area: 756 sq ft (70.2 m2)
Empty weight: 7,008 lb (3,179 kg)
Gross weight: 11,267 lb (5,111 kg)
Powerplant: 2 × Bristol Pegasus I.M2 9-cyl.
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