PEGASUS 1/72-SCALE RAF BOULTON PAUL BALLIOL T.Mk.2 TRAINER Kit No. 2006 INJECTIO

Image Hosting by Vendio
 

 

 

PEGASUS 1/72-SCALE RAF BOULTON PAUL BALLIOL T.Mk.2 TRAINER Kit No. 2006 INJECTION MOLDED SHORT RUN

-----------------------------------------------

Additional Information from Internet Encyclopedia

The Boulton Paul Balliol and Sea Balliol are monoplane military advanced trainer aircraft built for the Royal Air Force (RAF) and the Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm (FAA) by Boulton Paul Aircraft. Developed in the late 1940s, the Balliol was designed to replace the North American Harvard trainer. It used the Rolls-Royce Merlin engine. The Sea Balliol was a naval version for deck landing training.

Design and development

The Balliol was developed to meet Air Ministry Specification T.7/45 for a three-seat advanced trainer powered by a turboprop engine, competing against the Avro Athena. It was a conventional low-wing monoplane with a retractable main undercarriage and a fixed tailwheel. Pilot and instructor sat side by side ahead of the observer. The first prototype first flew on 30 May 1947, being temporarily powered by an 820 hp (611 kW) Bristol Mercury 30 radial engine. The second prototype, powered by the intended Armstrong Siddeley Mamba turboprop, first flew on 17 May 1948, the world's first single-engined turboprop aircraft to fly.[1] The Air Ministry had second thoughts about its training requirements, and issued a new specification, T.14/47, requiring a two-seat trainer, powered by a Rolls-Royce Merlin piston engine.

The Merlin powered Balliol, designated Balliol T.2, first flew on 10 July 1948,[1] and after extensive evaluation, it was chosen over the Athena, with large orders being placed to replace some of the Harvards in RAF service.[2] The observer's seat of the Mk 1 was removed, the side-by-side seats remaining.

The Sea Balliol T.21 had folding wings and arrestor hook for deck landings.

By 1951, however, the Air Ministry changed its mind about its training requirements yet again and decided to introduce a jet-powered advanced trainer, the de Havilland Vampire T.Mk11.

The RAF naming conventions for various types preferred that pure trainers, not conversion type trainers, should have names related to education or places of learning e.g. Airspeed Oxford, Avro Tutor and Athena, the Percival Prentice and Provost and De Havilland Dominie. Balliol is an Oxford University College and it alliterated with 'Boulton Paul'

Operational history

Pre-production Balliols were delivered to the RAF's Central Flying School in 1950, but with the change in air-training policy, the Balliol was only delivered to one Flying Training School, � No. 7 at RAF Cottesmore, replacing their Harvards. The Balliol later served at the RAF College, Cranwell until replaced there by the de Havilland Vampire T.Mk 11 in 1956.[2] The Balliol also saw limited squadron service from 1953 with No. 288 Squadron RAF based at RAF Middle Wallop. Operations continued until the squadron was disbanded in September 1957.

The Sea Balliols served with 781 squadron at Lee-on-Solent and 1843 Squadron RNVR at Abbotsinch. The last one was delivered in December 1954.[3] Some remained active at Abbotsinch until September 1963.

Two Balliols were used for the testing of radar absorbing coatings.

The only Balliols exported were 12 Mk.2s to the Royal Ceylon Air Force, 7 from RAF cancelled contracts and five from RAF stocks, which were replaced by a further five production aircraft.

Variants

P.108 Balliol T.Mk 1

Prototypes, 3 built, powered by the Armstrong Siddeley Mamba turboprop engine

Balliol T.Mk 2

Two-seat advanced training aircraft for the RAF; 196 built, (166 built by Boulton Paul, and 30 built by Blackburn Aircraft).

Sea Balliol T.Mk 21

Two-seat advanced training aircraft for FAA. A total of 30 built by Boulton Paul.

Operators

Ceylon

Royal Ceylon Air Force

United Kingdom

Aeroplane and Armament Experimental Establishment

Empire Test Pilot's School

Royal Air Force

No. 288 Squadron RAF at Middle Wallop

No. 238 Operational Conversion Unit RAF at RAF Colerne

No. 7 Flying Training School at RAF Cottesmore

No. 3 Civilian Anti-Aircraft Co-operation Unit at Exeter Airport

Central Flying School

RAF College Cranwell

Royal Navy, Fleet Air Arm

702 Naval Air Squadron

750 Naval Air Squadron

781 Naval Air Squadron

1843 Naval Air Squadron (Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve)




 
FREE scheduling, supersized images
and templates. Get Vendio Sales Manager.
Make your listings stand out with
FREE Vendio custom templates!

Simply Powerful eCommerce
 
FREE scheduling, supersized images
and templates. Get Vendio Sales Manager.