|
|
The Boulton & Paul P.67 was a design for a monoplane fighter produced to satisfy Air Ministry Specification F.7/30.
Specification F.7/30 was for a day/ night fighter armed with four Vickers machine guns, and to be powered by the steam-cooled Rolls-Royce Goshawk engine if possible. It would have to outperform the existing Siskin biplane and the upcoming Hawker Fury biplane, with a top speed of 250mph and better rates of climb and service ceiling. The new aircraft also had to be capable of night operations, and to carry four Vickers machine guns.
Boulton & Paul's chief designer John North had already produced the P.31 Bittern monoplane, and chose to use the same basic layout for the P.67.
The P.67 was a low-wing monoplane with wire braced wings and a wingspan of 40ft (dramatically down from the 71ft 11in of the P.31 Bittern). North chose to use two Napier Rapier engines, mounted in nacelles carried below the wings. The main wheels retracted backwards into the engine nacelles. The fuselage was neatly streamlined, although it kept the open cockpit of biplane fighters. From the front it had an almost rectangular shape, with curved corners, but from the side it was more rounded. The wings had the typical Boulton & Paul square tipped plan.
A wing tunnel model was produced, but no prototype was built. A wide range of designs were offered, with a mix of biplanes and monoplanes. Eventually the Gloster Gladiator biplane was chosen to fill F.7/30.
Performance figures estimates
Engine: Two Napier Rapier engines
Crew: 1
Span: 40ft
Length: 29ft 3in
Max speed: 227mph at 12,500ft
Climb Rate: 12,500ft in 6.55min, 20,000ft in 11.5min
Service ceiling: 30,000ft
Armament: Four Vickers machine guns