Boulton & Paul Mailplane
The Boulton & Paul P.64 Mailplane ( " mail plane "), even as a mail carrier ( " mail carrier " ) refers, was a twin-engined biplane of the British manufacturer Boulton & Paul Ltd from the 1930s. The all-metal aircraft was commissioned by the Imperial Airways. Only the prototype was built.
History
Boulton & Paul developed the aircraft as specified by the Air Ministry. It called for a fast mail plane, the (454 kg) could carry ( 1609 km ) up to a thousand pounds of cargo over a thousand miles.
The P.64 had its first flight on 23 March 1933. The aircraft, however, proved to be too expensive and showed unsatisfactory properties. On 21 October 1933, the prototype crashed during a test flight.
Boulton & Paul then developed a lighter version with a slimmer, a stretched fuselage, the Boulton & Paul P.71A.
Construction
The crew consisted of two pilots and a navigator. The drive served two attached to the upper wing Bristol Pegasus I Mk.2 radial engines each with 415 kW of power. Arranged between the wings of the body had a rectangular cross-section. The aircraft had an existing steel and duralumin and fabric used to cover construction and a rigid tailwheel.