What was the first aircraft with a single turboprop?

Short answer

The second prototype of the Boulton Paul Balliol, powered by the Mamba turboprop, was the world's first single-engined turboprop aircraft to fly. That flight took place on 24 March or 17 May 1948, according to different sources (according to different sources).

Published: November 6, 2026 · Updated: November 6, 2026 · Edited by Above Ten Thousand · Editorial policy

What was the first aircraft with a single turboprop?

Boulton Paul Balliol T2 3 view silhouette

A trainer for the jet age

In March 1945 the British Air Ministry issued specification T.7/45, calling for a new advanced trainer to succeed the Royal Air Force's North American Harvards. The new generation of advanced trainers needed to better prepare pilots to fly jet combat aircraft.

First, with a piston engine

The Mamba was not ready in time for flight. Instead, on its initial test flights the first prototype carried a Bristol Mercury 30 radial engine of 820 hp.

The second prototype, with the Mamba

The second prototype, serial number VL917, was completed with the Mamba engine. With it, it became the world's first single-engined turboprop aircraft to fly, on 24 March or 17 May 1948, according to different sources (according to different sources). The turboprop sat ahead of the cockpit and the jet exhaust exited from the lower right side of the fuselage. That exhaust contributed around 20% of the aircraft's power.