Boulton Paul Sea Balliol T.21 (VR599), October 1952

The Balliols ordered by the Royal Navy in 1950 were fitted with naval features such as an arrester hook that the RAF aircraft did not have. The engine fitted to this T.21 prototype is a later variant of the famous Rolls Royce Merlin.

The Balliol was designed by Boulton Paul Aircraft of Wolverhampton to fulfil Air Ministry Specification T7/45. This called for a replacement of the wartime North American Harvard trainer. It was specified for the aircraft to use the newly developed turboprop engine. On 17 May 1948, the Balliol became the world’s first single-engined turboprop aircraft to fly. Eventually, the production model received the Rolls Royce Merlin engine. Around 200 Balliols served as an advanced training aircraft with both the Royal Air Force and the Royal Navy. With the Royal Navy the aircraft were known as Sea Balliols. Balliols only lasted in service for a few years before being stored.