Boulton Paul Defiant - DR886 - Mainland Orkney - 27/07/1943
Boulton Paul Defiant DR886 joined 771 Sqdn. on 28th June 1942 and was a target towing aircraft at R.N.A.S. Twatt.
On the 26th June 1943. while piloted by Sub. Lt Thorne, collided with a stationary lorry Cat X.
The aircraft was repaired and seemed to have been signed off with 771 Sqdn ? .
27th July 1943 Defiant DR886 was flying over Scapa Flow piloted by Sub.Lt William. Fenwick. Smith 771 Sqdn. It is not know why the aircraft was over Scapa Flow but it is possible the aircraft was involved in Exercise ''Chutney'', a simulated air attack on the fleet that was planned for later that day.
At 1040 the aircraft suffered engine problems reported as ''Failure of flame traps'' and Sub. Lt. Smith decided to bail out and parachuted into the sea near ''A'' Buoy and was picked up by a Royal Navy launch.
The engine then picked up again and the aircraft continued without a pilot until crashing on mainland Orkney.
The aircraft was classed as Cat: Y = Could not be serviced locally but considered worth repair elsewhere.
The aircraft was taken to Desford, Leicestershire in August 1943 to the Civilian Repair Organisation, and was eventually SOC )Stuck Off Service) in October 1943.
On the 26th June 1943. while piloted by Sub. Lt Thorne, collided with a stationary lorry Cat X.
The aircraft was repaired and seemed to have been signed off with 771 Sqdn ? .
27th July 1943 Defiant DR886 was flying over Scapa Flow piloted by Sub.Lt William. Fenwick. Smith 771 Sqdn. It is not know why the aircraft was over Scapa Flow but it is possible the aircraft was involved in Exercise ''Chutney'', a simulated air attack on the fleet that was planned for later that day.
At 1040 the aircraft suffered engine problems reported as ''Failure of flame traps'' and Sub. Lt. Smith decided to bail out and parachuted into the sea near ''A'' Buoy and was picked up by a Royal Navy launch.
The engine then picked up again and the aircraft continued without a pilot until crashing on mainland Orkney.
The aircraft was classed as Cat: Y = Could not be serviced locally but considered worth repair elsewhere.
The aircraft was taken to Desford, Leicestershire in August 1943 to the Civilian Repair Organisation, and was eventually SOC )Stuck Off Service) in October 1943.
Report of Defiant in the Balloon ORB : AIR 27/2298 950 Squadron ORB 43-44 (27/07/1943)
The ORB states this was reported by Balloon 34 on Flotta (see chart below)
Chart showing site B 34 :AIR 13/108 950 SQDN.
Buoy ''A'' off Flotta shown on Chart F.083 Oct 1940 UKHO
Lorraine asked Mark Hillier about the mechanics of a pilot leaving the Defiant and it flying on. This is his amazing explanation:
The question is interesting with regards what the aircraft would do post pilot departure! First and foremost is how he left the controls. If he left the throttle in the same position and didn’t reduce or increase boost before he jumped out then if it picked up, the engine would continue to run at the setting he left. So, if the controls were trimmed for level flight (elevator pitch set) then it would continue (all things being equal in level flight until the fuel ran out! Even if he did climb initially with whatever excess speed he had, if he didn’t re-trim the pitch (elevator) the aircraft would carry out a number of oscillations (phugoids) until it levelled out and carry on again until fuel ran out. So, if he had half tanks and was cruising around a 150 mph it would go for some distance, all things being equal, but the defiant range from full tanks with best cruise power setting was about 400 nautical miles, or about 1.30 hours flying time. If the engine did finally quit or he throttled back it would slow down and the wing would stall, the nose would drop and it would then regain a flying attitude again until the thing stalled again, a bit like a falling clover leaf. We will never know how he left it but to bail out he would want it stable, level flight. Some pilots were told to roll inverted and kick the stick forwards to push him out of the cockpit, however depending on height again the aircraft could recover the level flight. If he had a high climb power, then when it quit he would probably trimmed it for best glide speed and lowered the nose to give time to work out what had happened and extend his glide distance. In all cases I have read of many aircraft continuing post pilot/crew departure. It is possible that it did glide to land.
The question is interesting with regards what the aircraft would do post pilot departure! First and foremost is how he left the controls. If he left the throttle in the same position and didn’t reduce or increase boost before he jumped out then if it picked up, the engine would continue to run at the setting he left. So, if the controls were trimmed for level flight (elevator pitch set) then it would continue (all things being equal in level flight until the fuel ran out! Even if he did climb initially with whatever excess speed he had, if he didn’t re-trim the pitch (elevator) the aircraft would carry out a number of oscillations (phugoids) until it levelled out and carry on again until fuel ran out. So, if he had half tanks and was cruising around a 150 mph it would go for some distance, all things being equal, but the defiant range from full tanks with best cruise power setting was about 400 nautical miles, or about 1.30 hours flying time. If the engine did finally quit or he throttled back it would slow down and the wing would stall, the nose would drop and it would then regain a flying attitude again until the thing stalled again, a bit like a falling clover leaf. We will never know how he left it but to bail out he would want it stable, level flight. Some pilots were told to roll inverted and kick the stick forwards to push him out of the cockpit, however depending on height again the aircraft could recover the level flight. If he had a high climb power, then when it quit he would probably trimmed it for best glide speed and lowered the nose to give time to work out what had happened and extend his glide distance. In all cases I have read of many aircraft continuing post pilot/crew departure. It is possible that it did glide to land.
NOTE: Mark Hillier is Head of Operations at Spitfires.com.
Mark has been involved in aviation as an enthusiast and hobbyist for the past 30 years. He is a qualified RAF VR(T) Gliding Instructor, a Private Pilot and Class Rating Instructor on tailwheel aircraft. He has flown many types including the de Havilland DHC-1 Chipmunk, the Noorduyn Harvard and the Boeing Stearman.
Mark is also a published aviation historian, having authored 14 books and has appeared on television speaking about topics such as the P47 Thunderbolt, the Avro Lancaster and the Supermarine Spitfire.
Mark has been involved in aviation as an enthusiast and hobbyist for the past 30 years. He is a qualified RAF VR(T) Gliding Instructor, a Private Pilot and Class Rating Instructor on tailwheel aircraft. He has flown many types including the de Havilland DHC-1 Chipmunk, the Noorduyn Harvard and the Boeing Stearman.
Mark is also a published aviation historian, having authored 14 books and has appeared on television speaking about topics such as the P47 Thunderbolt, the Avro Lancaster and the Supermarine Spitfire.
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(c) Copyright 2025. Aviation Research Group of Orkney & Shetland.
All rights reserved. Due to the immense amount of research that enabled us to build this site we would like to point out that all material on this website is owned by A.R.G.O.S though photos are credited to their respective owners. Anyone wishing to use material for their own website or any other purpose are requested to contact us first expressing their wishes. Permission will usually be granted to none profit making ventures, i.e. websites for educational and/or historical purposes, though a link to this website and acknowledgement to the original owners of any photographs will usually be requested.