I had a further sequence of
Paladin spin-offs ... but I think I'm
Defianted out for the moment
Anyway, I'll finish with these... MAP announced that the supply of
Spitfire wing panels would cease, effectively ending
Paladin production. Pendeford was already aware that this time was coming. Rolls-Royce's 1942 experimental
Mustang Mk.X conversion presaged the imminent arrival of longer-ranging
Merlin-powered
Mustangs from the US. That event would effectively remove any advantages that the
Paladin possessed.
With the MAP announcement, JD North and his team had to decide whether to abandon their fighter design altogether or find alternative wing sets. Reviving the original
Defiant wing was mooted but quickly rejected. Even requesting details on the
Mustang's laminar-flow wing was briefly considered. In the end, however, the basic wing from a rejected shipboard fighter design was resurrected. [1]
Boulton Paul's initial approach to the Admiralty was with the '
Sea Paladin' but this interim 'hooked
Paladin' proposal was rejected (the FAA being convinced that long-range fighters should be 2-seaters). Undaunted, JD North
et al worked up a fresh shipboard fighter concept. This new carrier fighter design looked very much like the
Paladin but had a shortened fuselage, reduced fuel load, and an entirely new wing. That wing was not 'laminar-flow' but took on some of the features of the
Mustang - including its wide-track undercarriage. [2]
The new Boulton Paul wing had a single main spar with stiffening mock spars - one on the inboard leading edge, the other just in front of the aileron/flap hinge line. This simplified wing-folding for stowage aboard aircraft carriers. In contrast with the double-fold of the
Seafire, BP's '
Pacific' (as Pendeford dubbed it) had pivoting folds to bring the wings aft alongside the rear fuselage. This approach was thought better-suited the low overhead of British aircraft carrier hangar spaces. An entirely new undercarriage was also devised to get around the
Seafire's dreaded landing 'bounce'. However, none of these features represented sufficient advantage over the
Seafire to tempt the Admiralty.
Redesigning that '
Pacific' wing for use by a land fighter was a comparatively simple exercise. Rather than attempting to compete with the
Spitfire, BP targeted the obsolescing
Hurricanes being used by the RAF in the South-East Asian Theatre. Construction would be kept as simple and durable as possible. However, this would be a stressed-skin aircraft avoiding the wood and fabric components of the
Hurricane as much as possible.
_______________________
[1] John North considered this an interim design pending acceptance of the more advanced P.103 and P.104 naval fighters.
[2] The wings were all dramatically different in planform. Whereas the
Mustang had a 'square-cut' look about it, the BP wing was more triangular - referencing the original
Defiant tail and rudder shape for its outline.