24 RAF CENTENARY CELEBRATION BOMBERS
(^19182018) BOULTON AND PAUL ‘STRANDS’
1929 TO 1940
BOULTON AND PAUL
‘STRANDS’‘STRANDS’
Despite this, only 18 production-
standard Mk.IIs were ordered, all
going to 101 Squadron at Bircham
Newton at the western extremity
of Norfolk. With Sidestrands,
101 excelled in exercises and
competitions and an improved
version would be equally well
greeted. Along with the Fairey
Fox light bomber, the RAF was
beginning to modernise.
ZIPPED UP
In 1927 BP began testing the
Bittern twin-engined ‘bomber
destroyer’, which featured machine
guns in barbettes that could
be mechanically rotated to fire
upwards. It was not ordered into
production. Undaunted, BP built
up expertise in gun turrets and
powered control systems.
The Sidestrand was nearly 40mph
(64km/h) faster than the Handley
Page Hyderabad. Its gunners,
particularly those in the nose,
complained that the slipstream
was preventing accurate aiming.
Designer John Dudley North
decided the enhanced Sidestrand
would protect the gunner and ease
the physical effort required.
The turret’s single Lewis gun was
manually elevated or depressed. A
hydraulic ram, connected to the
P
eople with no knowledge of
RAF bombers, but with a love
of the north Norfolk coast
will immediately associate with
Overstrand and Sidestrand. Just
to the east of Cromer lie a small
township and a village with those
names. Boulton and Paul (BP) had
its factory at Mousehold northeast
of Norwich and someone with
influence clearly had a soft spot for
the ‘twin’ coastal settlements.
Primarily a woodworking
enterprise, the company sold off its
small aviation arm in 1934, which
became Boulton Paul Aircraft Ltd,
and two years later re-located to
Pendeford, Wolverhampton.
Several attempts had been made to
break into the bomber market, but
without success. With Specification
9/24, setting down the requirements
for the first RAF bomber to
be designated as ‘medium’, the
company at last got a contract.
Powered by a pair of 425hp
(317kW) Bristol Jupiter VIs the
prototype first flew in March 1926
and the all-metal biplane was an
immediate sensation. It was capable
of rolls and loops that would fool an
RAF fighter attempting a practice
interception. Yet it was easy to fly
and very stable, making it a pilot
and a bomb aimer favourite.
gunner’s seat, raised or lowered him
so he could continue to look along
the barrel to the sight.
The cylindrical, glazed, cupola
had a vertical slot to allow the gun
to train up or down. To prevent a
howling gale coming through the
slot, the machine gun’s barrel was
connected to a long zip fastener,
stitched to rubberised fabric. As
the gun moved up or down the zip
would open above the gun and close
up behind it.
As the gun was pushed to port
or starboard, switches detected the
movement and a pneumatic motor
moved the turret in the required
direction.
The new machine also featured a
fully enclosed and heated cockpit
for the pilot and a limited-authority
auto-pilot. The big rudder took a lot
of ‘boot’ to move, so a large servo-
rudder was mounted on out-riggers
attached to its trailing edge to lower
control loads. The Bristol Jupiters
were replaced by more powerful
Pegasus IIM3s.
The bomber had the first
power-operated, fully enclosed
turret, to be fitted on an RAF
aircraft. This was well ahead of
the turrets being developed by
the Nash and Thompson at Yate,
but the Gloucestershire company
Right
Publicity photograph of
air and ground crews of
101 Squadron, briefi ng
and maintaining
Sidestrands “on
exercise on the east
coast of Scotland”,
circa 1931. Note how
the Bristol Jupiter VIII
radial on the aircraft
in the foreground
is hinged to allow
engineers access to the
ancillaries.