Boulton Paul Defiant – Снимки и видео

Болтън Пол Дифайънт
Страна	Великобритания
Роля	Двуместен изтребител, нощен изтребител, треньор
Първи полет	11 август 1937 г.
Построен	1064

1. Болтън Пол Дифайънт was a British interceptor aircraft that served with the Royal Air Force (RAF) during World War II. The Defiant was designed and built by Boulton Paul Aircraft as a “turret fighter”, without any forward-firing guns, a concept successfully used in the First World War-era Bristol F.2 Fighter and also implemented by the Royal Navy’s Blackburn Roc. In combat, the Defiant was found to be reasonably effective at its intended task of destroying bombers but was vulnerable to the Luftwaffe’s more manoeuvrable, single-seat Messerschmitt Bf 109 fighters. The lack of forward-firing armament proved to be a great weakness in daylight combat and its potential was realised only when it was converted to night fighting. It was supplanted in the night fighter role by the Bristol Beaufighter and de Havilland Mosquito. The Defiant found use in gunnery training, target towing, electronic countermeasures and air-sea rescue. Among RAF pilots it had the nickname “Daffy”.

Източник: Болтън Пол Дифайънт в Уикипедия

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1. Болтън Пол Дифайънт was a British fighter aircraft that saw combat during the early stages of World War II. It was designed as a “turret fighter”, meaning that it had a four-gun turret mounted behind the pilot, instead of fixed forward-firing guns. The idea was to allow the Defiant to attack enemy bombers from any angle, without having to maneuver into a firing position. The Defiant was also equipped with a retractable landing gear and a variable-pitch propeller, which improved its performance and handling.
1. Defiant first flew in August 1937 and entered service with the Royal Air Force in December 1939. It initially achieved some success against German bombers during the Battle of France and the Battle of Britain, as the enemy pilots were surprised by its unusual armament and often mistook it for a Hurricane. However, the Defiant soon proved vulnerable to more agile and faster single-seat fighters, such as the Messerschmitt Bf 109 and the Focke-Wulf Fw 190. The Defiant’s turret had a limited traverse and elevation, and its weight and drag reduced the aircraft’s speed and maneuverability. The Defiant also lacked any forward-firing guns, which made it difficult to engage other fighters in a dogfight.
В резултат на слабото си представяне като дневен изтребител, Defiant е изтеглен от фронтовата служба до средата на 1941 г. и преназначен на нощни изтребители и тренировъчни роли. Използва се и за въздушно-морско спасяване, теглене на цели, електронна война и специални операции. Defiant в крайна сметка е изваден от експлоатация през 1945 г., след като е заменен от по-модерни самолети като Mosquito и Beaufighter. Defiant е един от малкото британски самолети, които имат купол като основно въоръжение и въпреки че не успява да оправдае очакванията си, той играе значителна роля в ранната въздушна война над Европа.