New Planes at RAF Cosford

The Bolton and Paul Defiant was an unusual aircraft, being a fighter  with a mid-upper gun turret fitted behind the cockpit.  The only surviving example of this RAF type to serve in the war is being assembled at the RAF Museum at Cosford.

At present, there is a short opportunity to be able to see the engine of this aircraft un-cowelled.  Like most RAF aircraft of the time, it was fitted with the standard Rolls Royce Merlin engine.

These aircraft had some success at shooting down bombers, but they were no match for the faster and more manoeuvrable German fighters.

This photograph has been scanned from an old negative 110mm image of the Defiant, taken in 1976 at the RAF Hendon Museum.  At that time it did not have any squadron markings.  The yellow disk around the RAF roundel was meant to make the identity of the aircraft clearer in low light conditions.

 Tucked away in the corner of the warfare hanger is a Gloucester Gladiator.  This is a 1930's biplane fighter which was still in service during the Battle of Britain.  This aircraft is also being re-assembled for display.

 The Gladiator was outclassed at all levels by the second world war, but it was used to make up numbers and to train pilots for a short time.

I also have an image from 1976 from the Hendon Museum of this aircraft in the same colours.  The quality of this scan of a 110mm negative is quite poor, the film having degraded over the years.