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Boulton Paul P.82 Defiant

For a description of the format and data included in Production Tables, see here.

Produced Variants

P.82 Prototypes
 		 Two seat turret-armed defensive fighter to Specification F.9/35 to meet the requirements of O.R.20. One 1,030 h.p. Rolls Royce Merlin I (1st prototype) or 1,030 h.p. Rolls Royce Merlin II (2nd prototype) powerplant.
Defiant Mk.I Initial production variant, similar to prototypes, to Production Specification 5/37. 1,030 h.p. Rolls Royce Merlin III powerplant.
Defiant N.F. Mk.I Night-fighter conversion of F. Mk I. Flame damper exhausts, no radar.
Defiant N.F. Mk.IA As NF. Mk I with AI Mk IV or VI radar fitted.
Defiant N.F. Mk. II
 		 Improved production variant with larger rudder and deeper oil cooler and radiator. Same designation with and without radar. One 1,260 h.p. Rolls-Royce Merlin XX powerplant.
Defiant TT.Mk.I
 		 Target Tug variant with turret removed and winch installed. One 1,260 h.p. Rolls-Royce Merlin XX powerplant. New built or Mk.II conversions
Defiant TT.Mk.III Target Tug variant with turret removed and winch installed - all Mk.I conversions.
Defiant ASR.Mk.I Air Sea Rescue variant - All Mk.I conversions.


Projected Variants

Defiant TT.Mk.II Reduced weight Target Tug variant with turret removed and winch installed. 1,620 h.p. Rolls-Royce Merlin 24 powerplant.
Defiant Single-Seat      Fighter Single seat version with turret removed and armament of two 0.303 machine guns in each wing. Mock-up up built by converting first prototype.
Defiant Trainer Dual-control trainer version with turret replaced by second cockpit. Design work stopped when 80% complete.
P.85 Naval fighter version of F. Mk I with Bristol Hercules or Merlin powerplant.
P.94
 		 Improved single-seat fighter version with One 1,260 h.p. Rolls-Royce Merlin XX powerplant, cut-down rear fuselage and wings equipped for 12 machine guns or four 20 mm cannon + 4 machine guns.


Production List Page Top
Serial Range C/n Type Batch Qty Conv. Canc'd Notes
 2 aircraft ordered from Boulton Paul Aircraft Ltd, Wolverhampton, to contract 453462/35. First flew August 1937.
 K8310, K8620   prototype  2      
 87 aircraft ordered from Boulton Paul Aircraft Ltd, Wolverhampton, to contract 622849/37. Delivered between August 1939 and June 1940.
 L6950 - L7036  1-87 Mk I  87      
 363 aircraft ordered from Boulton Paul Aircraft Ltd, Wolverhampton, to contract 757867/38. Delivered between June 1940 and February 1941.
 N1535 - N1582  88-135 Mk I  48      N1550 and N1551 conv to Mk.II prototypes
 N1610 - N1653  136-179    44      
 N1671 - N1706  180-215    36      
 N1725 - N1773  216-264    49      
 N1788 - N1812  265-289    25      
 N3306 - N3340  290-324    35      
 N3364 - N3405  325-366    42      
 N3421 - N3460  367-406    40      
 N3477 - N3520  407-450    44      
 150 aircraft ordered from Boulton Paul Aircraft Ltd, Wolverhampton, to contract 34864/39. Delivered between February and August 1941.
 T3911 - T3960  451-500 Mk I  50      
 T3980 - T4010  501-531    31      
 T4030 - T4076  532-578    47      
 T4100 - T4121  579-600    22      
 50 aircraft ordered from Boulton Paul Aircraft Ltd, Wolverhampton, to contract 34864/39. Delivered between April and June 1941.
 V1106 - V1141  601-636 Mk I  36      
 V1170 - V1183  637-650    14      
 300 aircraft ordered from Boulton Paul Aircraft Ltd, Wolverhampton, to contract 34864/39. Ordered as Mk.I but delivered between April and June 1941 as 63 Mk.I and 207 Mk.II. Remainder cancelled.
 AA281 - AA330  651-700 Mk I  50      
 AA350 - AA362  701-713    13      
 AA363 - AA369  714-720  Mk.II  7      
 AA370 - AA384  721-735    15      
 AA398 - AA447  736-785    50      
 AA469 - AA513  786-830    45      
 AA531 - AA550  831-850    20      
 AA566 - AA595  851-880    30      
 AA614 - AA633  881-900    20      
 AA651 - AA670  801-919    20      
 AA671 - AA675          5  
 AA689- AA713          25  
 300 aircraft ordered from Boulton Paul Aircraft Ltd, Wolverhampton, to contract 34864/39. Cancelled.
 AV508 - AV557    Mk.II      50  
 AV571 - AV605          35  
 AV633 - AV682          50  
 AV698 - AV742          45  
 AV768 - AV787          20  
 AV805 - AV839          35  
 AV863 - AV892          30  
 AV912 - AV946          35  
 150 aircraft ordered from Boulton Paul Aircraft Ltd, Wolverhampton, to contract 34864/39. Delivered as 140 TT.Mk.I between January 1942 and February 1943. Remainder cancelled.
 DR863 - DR896  921-954  TT.Mk.I  34      
 DR914 - DR949  955-990    36      
 DR961 - DR991  991-1021    31      
 DS121 - DS159  1022-1060    39      
 DS160 - DS169          10  
  Total Production   1062   340  

Defiant TT.Mk.I Conversions (All aircraft converted from Mk.II)
Serial Range
 149 Defiant Mk.II converted to TT.Mk.I standard by Reid and Sigrist, Desford.
 N1550
 AA363 - AA369, AA370, AA371, AA372, AA374, AA380, AA382, AA398, AA399, AA401, AA404, AA406, AA409, AA410, AA412, AA413, AA415,
 AA416, AA419 - AA422, AA424, AA425, AA427, AA431 - AA434, AA437, AA440 - AA447, AA469 - AA499, AA500 - AA513, AA531 - AA539, AA541,
 AA544, AA545, AA547, AA549, AA550, AA566, AA567, AA570, AA571, AA573, AA575 - AA579, AA584 - AA595, AA614 - AA628, AA630, AA633,
 AA656, AA657, AA665, AA667, AA668
Total Conversions   (149)

Defiant TT.Mk.III Conversions  (All aircraft converted from Mk.I)
Serial Range
 1 Defiant Mk.I converted to TT.Mk.III prototype by Boulton Paul, Wolverhampton, late 1942.
 N3488
 224 Defiant Mk.I converted to TT.Mk.III standard by Reid and Sigrist, Desford.
 L6967
 N1537, N1538, N1541, N1542, N1544, N1545, N1548, N1549, N1553, N1555, N1558, N1559, N1562, N1563, N1571, N1577, N1579, N1610,
 N1614, N1617, N1622, N1624, N1631 - N1633, N1636, N1638 - N1640, N1642, N1643, N1648, N1672, N1674, N1676, N1683, N1689, N1691,
 N1693, N1695 - N1697, N1699, N1700, N1701, N1726 - N1728, N1730, N1733, N1736, N1740, N1742, N1744, N1747, N1751, N1756, N1758,
 N1764, N1768, N1771, N1772, N1789, N1796,   N1807, N1812, N3315, N3321 - N3324, N3326, N3329, N3331, N3335, N3338, N3367, N3370,
 N3372, N3379, N3380, N3384, N3386,   N3393, N3396, N3403, N3421, N3423, N3425, N3430, N3431, N3433 - N3536, N3538, N3440, N3441,
 N3450,   N3454, N3456, N3457, N3480, N3487, N3489, N3491, N3497, N3498, N3508, N3519
 T3917, T3919, T3920, T3922, T3923, T3925, T3928, T3932, T3935, T3942, T3947, T3948, T3950, T3951, T3960, T3982 - T3984, T3986 - T3990,
 T3992, T3994, T3996, T3997, T4000 - T4002, T4005 - T4007, T4009, T4035 - T4037, T4043, T4046 - T4048, T4050, T4052, T4057, T4060, T4062,
 T4066 - T4068, T4070, T4072, T4076, T4103, T4111, T4112, T4120, T4121
 V1106 - V1108, V1110 - V1112, V1115, V1119, V1120, V1123, V1124, V1126, V1127, V1129, V1132, V1133, V1135, V1136, V1139, V1170, V1178,
 V1181
 AA282, AA286, AA288 - AA292, AA294, AA296, AA298, AA300, AA301, AA305, AA306, AA308, AA310, AA311, AA313, AA314, AA316, AA317,
 AA320, AA321, AA324, AA326 - AA330, AA354, AA356, AA358, AA359, AA361
Total Conversions  (225)

Defiant ASR.Mk.I Conversions (All aircraft converted from Mk.I)
Serial Range
 77 Defiant Mk.I converted to ASR.Mk.I standard during 1942.
 N1541, N1561, N1562, N1613, N1623, N1652, N1672, N1673, N1675, N1753, N1763, N1804, N3308, N3323, N3372, N3392, N3395, N3398,
 N3421, N3423, N3430, N3443, N3481, N3515, N3516
 T3912, T3920, T3922, T3929, T3932, T3939, T3942, T3944, T3948, T3954, T3986, T3994, T3997, T4036, T4051, T3951, T4000, T4061, T4062,
 T4120
 V1106, V1110, V1117, V1121, V1124, V1126, V1141
 AA290, AA296, AA302, AA303, AA304, AA309, AA310, AA311, AA312, AA313, AA314, AA315, AA316, AA318, AA320, AA324, AA326, AA328,
 AA329, AA350,   AA351, AA352, AA353, AA354, AA360
Total Conversions   (77)



Production Summary

Page Top 
All Aircraft By Mark
Type Built New Conv. Canc'd Total
 P.82 Defiant Mk.I 715     715
 P.82 Defiant Mk.II 207 (2) 330 539
 P.82 Defiant TT.Mk.I 140 (149) 10 299
 P.82 Defiant TT.Mk.III   (224)   224
 P.82 Defiant ASR.Mk.I   (77)   77
  1062 (452) 340  

Notes
  1. Boulton Paul did not allocate construction numbers to their aircraft, but the Defiants were given a "machine number", listed here as a c/n. [2]. It will be noted that in Brew [2], both N1580 and N1581 are given as c/n. 133, with all following being correspondingly shifted up to DR863, when the numbering resumes its logical pattern. This author assumes this to be a typographical error.

Production References
  1. Boulton Paul Aircraft Since 1915, Alec Brew (Putnam, 1993)
  2. The Defiant File, Alec Brew (Air Britain (Historians), 1996)
  3. The British Roundel (various issues)

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V1.4.4 Created by Roger Moss. Last updated August 2020