What emergency feature did the Bobolink have?

Short answer

Jettisonable fuel tanks: the Bobolink could drop its main fuel tanks if the aircraft caught fire. They sat behind the pilot, separated by an armour plate, so a single tank could be released on its own. Boulton & Paul entered it in the contest to replace the Sopwith Camel, which the Snipe won.

Published: November 5, 2026 · Updated: November 5, 2026 · Edited by Above Ten Thousand · Editorial policy

What emergency feature did the Bobolink have?

Pilatus P3-03 P3 Flyers HB RBP OTT 2013 02Julian Herzog (Website) (CC BY), vía commons

Fuel that could be dropped in flight

The most unusual feature of the Boulton Paul Bobolink was its use of jettisonable fuel tanks. The main tanks could be released if the aircraft caught fire. They were mounted behind the pilot and separated from each other by an armour plate, which allowed a specific tank to be dropped in the event of fire.

A candidate to replace the Sopwith Camel

The British Air Ministry called for proposals to replace the Sopwith Camel. Boulton & Paul designed and built the Bobolink and entered it in that competition. When the design contest for a Camel replacement was announced, the firm decided to take part.

The Snipe won the contest

The winner was the Sopwith Snipe, whose performance figures were similar to the Bobolink's, but which was considered easier to mass-produce. The Snipe was easier to build, while the Bobolink was said to have poor ground handling; the Snipe won the contest to replace the Camel. Only a single prototype of the Bobolink was ever built.