Boulton & Paul P.15 Bolton

The Boulton & Paul P.15 Bolton was a one-off experimental twin-engine reconnaissance biplane ordered by the Air Ministry to sustain Boulton & Paul’s development of steel-framed aircraft early in the 1920s.

It was the RAF’s first metal-framed aircraft.

The Bolton first flew, piloted by Frank Courtney in September 1922.

Its career and performance remained largely hidden by official secrecy, although an estimated maximum speed of 130 mph (209 km/h) at 10,000 ft (3,048 m) was noted on the pilots log book.

Specifications

Crew

3

Length

48 ft 0 in (14.63 m)

Wingspan

62 ft 6 in (19.05 m)

Gross weight

9,500 lb (4,309 kg)

Powerplant

2 × Napier Lion 12 cylinder water cooled broad arrow engines,

450 hp (340 kW) each

Performance

Maximum speed

130 mph (210 km/h, 110 kn) at 10,000 ft (3,000 m)

Armament

Guns

1× 0.303 in (7.7 mm) Vickers machine guns on Scarff rings in nose and dorsal positions

Bombs

4 × 230 lb (100 kg) bombs.