Boulton Paul 1917-1961 [9781910809488]
Date Added: Saturday 04. December, 2021
I should probably begin this review by acknowledging that I have a bias. The book is written by my father, who was a Boulton Paul Aircraft engineer and formal historical advisor at the company over 20 years. As one Boulton Paul Association ex-apprentice and long serving engineer stated a few years ago ‘what he does not know about the company is not worth knowing’.
The book itself covers more than 150 prototype and project designs which were generated by Boulton & Paul and BPA during the period where the companies focused on airframe design, including more minor designs, some of which were never numbered at all.
The final list expands upon the list of projects created and first published in the author’s historical thesis back in 1971, However, to try and cover everything that the two companies did while they existed would take many more volumes. While multiple books about Boulton Paul exist, they are generally less specific and gloss over many of the activities the companies undertook. Compared with those there are many revelations in this book which covers mainly the aspects of development and technical ideas for each design and its fate.
The volume is abundantly illustrated with CAD or improved original drawings of each project. Each section also covers accurate design parameters, but to round it off we have complete size and performance tables of all in the summary appendices. Worth having for the drawings, and numerous original cutaways, but also for anyone interested in technical aircraft design.
The book itself covers more than 150 prototype and project designs which were generated by Boulton & Paul and BPA during the period where the companies focused on airframe design, including more minor designs, some of which were never numbered at all.
The final list expands upon the list of projects created and first published in the author’s historical thesis back in 1971, However, to try and cover everything that the two companies did while they existed would take many more volumes. While multiple books about Boulton Paul exist, they are generally less specific and gloss over many of the activities the companies undertook. Compared with those there are many revelations in this book which covers mainly the aspects of development and technical ideas for each design and its fate.
The volume is abundantly illustrated with CAD or improved original drawings of each project. Each section also covers accurate design parameters, but to round it off we have complete size and performance tables of all in the summary appendices. Worth having for the drawings, and numerous original cutaways, but also for anyone interested in technical aircraft design.
Rating: 
[5 of 5 Stars!]
[5 of 5 Stars!]
