The P 82 "Defiant" was designed to respond to a new concept on a fighter plane with all his weapons concentrated in a mobile turret. But the performances of this plane, an entirely metallic monoplane , weren't exceptional because of the weight of the turret that created a great air resitance and lack of manouverability. First employed as day fighters, in 1940 the P 82 were designed to become night interceptors because they were too much vulnerable to Bf 109. In the end of the war they were employed as target-transporting planes.

Bolton Paul Defiant ©The Great Planes

July 12, 2005

Fuentes utilizadas:

The Great Planes: A Source about World War 2 Aviation