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Bristol Aeroplane Company

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Not to be confused with Bristol Aerospace.
Bristol Aeroplane Company
IndustryAerospace manufacturer
Founded1910; 116 years ago (1910) (originally British and Colonial Aircraft Company)
FounderSir George White
DefunctTemplate:End date and age
(holding company)
Template:End date and age
(aircraft manufacturing)
FateDivided and merged
SuccessorBritish Aircraft Corporation
Bristol Siddeley
Headquarters
Filton
,
United Kingdom
Key people
SubsidiariesBristol Aero-Engines
Bristol Helicopters
(1945–1959)
Bristol Cars
(1945–1960)
Bristol Aerospace
(1957–1966)

The Bristol Aeroplane Company, initially established as the British and Colonial Aeroplane Company, was among the earliest and most influential British aviation enterprises, engaged in the design and production of both airframes and aircraft engines. The company is renowned for aircraft such as the 'Boxkite', the Bristol Fighter, the Bulldog, the Blenheim, the Beaufighter, and the Britannia. Moreover, the firm contributed significantly to the initial development stages that eventually led to the creation of Concorde. In 1956, its primary divisions were separated into Bristol Aircraft and Bristol Aero Engines. Subsequently, in 1959, Bristol Aircraft joined forces with several leading British aviation companies to create the British Aircraft Corporation (BAC), while Bristol Aero Engines merged with Armstrong Siddeley to form Bristol Siddeley.

The British Aircraft Corporation later became a foundational element of the nationalised entity British Aerospace, now known as BAE Systems. Bristol Siddeley was acquired by Rolls-Royce in 1966, which continued advancing and marketing engines originally developed by Bristol. The BAC facilities were located in Filton, approximately 4 miles (6 km) north of central Bristol. Today, major aerospace firms including BAE Systems, Airbus, Rolls-Royce, MBDA, and GKN maintain operations at the Filton site where the Bristol Aeroplane Company once operated.

Establishment

The British and Colonial Aeroplane Company, Ltd was established in February 1910 by Sir George White, who was chairman of the Bristol Tramways and Carriage Company, along with his son Stanley and brother Samuel. Their objective was to capitalise commercially on the rapidly expanding field of aviation. Sir George’s encounter with American aviation pioneer Wilbur Wright in France in 1909 sparked his recognition of aviation's commercial promise.

Unlike many contemporaneous aviation ventures founded by enthusiasts with limited capital, British and Colonial began with substantial financial backing. Sir George deliberately formed a separate entity from the Bristol Tramway Company to shield shareholders from potential risks associated with aviation. The new company’s initial working capital of £25,000 was entirely subscribed by Sir George, his brother, and his son. Although legally distinct, the two companies maintained close operational ties; their first manufacturing site consisted of two former tram sheds at Filton, leased from the Bristol Tramway Company. Key staff members were also drawn from the tramway business, including chief engineer and works manager George Challenger.

To support pilot training, flying schools were set up at Brooklands, Surrey—then a hub for British aviation—where Bristol rented hangar space; additionally, a school was established in June 1910 at Larkhill on Salisbury Plain, leasing 2,248 acres (9.10 km2) from the War Office. By 1914, students trained at these schools had earned 308 out of 664 certificates issued by the Royal Aero Club.

The Bristol Boxkite

File:Bristol Boxkite Centenary Flight at Centenary of Military Aviation 2014 (2).jpg
A replica of the Bristol Boxkite at the RAAF Museum
File:Bristol Boxkite Centenary Flight at Centenary of Military Aviation 2014 (1).jpg
Bristol Boxkite Centenary Flight held at the RAAF Museum Point Cook, 2014
Main article: Bristol Boxkite

The company's first production effort involved manufacturing an enhanced version of a French biplane originally created by Gabriel Voisin and produced under license by société Zodiac.[1] This aircraft had been displayed at the 1909 Paris Aero Salon, where Sir George was notably impressed by its build quality. Consequently, one unit was acquired and transported to England to be showcased at the Olympia Aero Show in March 1910. Following this, construction commenced on five additional units at the Filton facility. The aircraft was then moved to Brooklands for flight testing, which revealed that its wing profile was inadequate and that it lacked sufficient engine power. Despite Bristol fitting it with redesigned wings, the plane managed only a brief hop on 28 May 1910 before development ceased. As the aircraft had been sold with a flight guarantee, Sir George successfully obtained compensation of 15,000 francs from Zodiac.[2][1]

Following this setback, the company resolved to develop its own original aircraft as a replacement.[1] George Challenger drafted plans inspired by a proven design from Henri Farman, whose specifications had been published in aeronautical journals. These plans were completed in just over a week, and Sir George immediately approved the production of twenty units.[1] The first completed model was taken to Larkhill for trial flights and successfully made its inaugural flight on 20 July 1910, piloted by Maurice Edmonds. The aircraft demonstrated excellent performance during testing.[3]

This initial series supplied two flying schools and also served as demonstration aircraft. Nicknamed the Boxkite, it became a commercial triumph with a total of 76 units built. Many were used within the company’s own training schools, while others were sold to the War Office and various international governments.[1]

1911–1914

While adequate for its time, the Boxkite had limited potential for further enhancement, prompting development of two new models: a compact tractor configuration biplane and a monoplane. Both were displayed at the 1911 Olympia Aero Show but failed to achieve successful flights. During this period, both Challenger and Low departed to join the newly formed aviation division of armaments manufacturer Vickers. Their positions were filled by Pierre Prier, formerly chief instructor at the Blériot flying school located at Hendon, who was later joined by Gordon England. In January 1912, Romanian engineer Henri Coandă was appointed as chief designer.

In early 1912, a confidential design unit known as the "X-Department" was established to develop naval aircraft concepts proposed by Dennistoun Burney. Frank Barnwell was recruited as design engineer for this initiative and succeeded Coandă as chief designer when he left in October 1914. Barnwell would become one of aviation’s leading engineers and remained with Bristol until his death in 1938.

The company experienced rapid growth, opening a second manufacturing site at the former tramway works in Brislington. By the start of the First World War, Bristol employed approximately 200 staff.[1]

First World War

When hostilities commenced in August 1914, Britain's armed forces had just over one hundred aircraft, and the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) was composed of only seven squadrons operating a variety of unarmed aircraft models. The official stance of the War Office mandated procurement exclusively from designs originating at the Royal Aircraft Establishment (RAE). By that time, Bristol had already produced several B.E.2 two-seat reconnaissance planes. Nevertheless, due to persistent demands from pilots within the RFC and the Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS), Bristol received orders for a new model, the Scout.

File:Bristol F2B D8096 flying 1.jpg
The Bristol Fighter

In 1915, Barnwell returned from service in France, with his design expertise considered far more valuable than his piloting skills. Around this period, Leslie Frise, a recent graduate from Bristol University's engineering faculty, joined Barnwell’s team. The company's founder, Sir George, passed away in 1916 and was succeeded by his son Stanley as managing director.

Barnwell’s first design after his return was the Bristol T.T.A., developed to meet a War Office specification for a two-seat fighter tasked with defending against Zeppelin attacks on British soil. Although this model did not succeed, work commenced in 1916 on the Bristol F.2A, which evolved into the highly acclaimed F.2B Fighter. This aircraft stood out as one of the premier fighters of the 1914–18 conflict and remained a vital component of the RAF through the 1920s. Over 5,300 units were manufactured, with operational service continuing until 1931.

Another design from this era was the Bristol Monoplane Scout. Despite its popularity among pilots, its success was curtailed by the War Office's bias against monoplanes, resulting in only 130 units being produced. Its relatively high landing speed of 50 mph rendered it unsuitable for Western Front field conditions, restricting its active deployment primarily to the Near East.

Inter-war years

File:BBadger.jpg
The Bristol Badger

By war’s end, Bristol employed upwards of 3,000 workers across its production facilities located in Filton and Brislington. The company’s products had long been marketed under the 'Bristol' brand name, which was officially adopted in 1920 when British and Colonial was dissolved and its assets transferred to the newly formed Bristol Aeroplane Company, Ltd. Under pressure from the Air Ministry, Bristol acquired the aero-engine division of the bankrupt Cosmos Engineering Company based in Fishponds, Bristol, establishing the foundation of a new aero-engine division.

A strong collaboration already existed between Bristol Aircraft and Cosmos; notably, the Cosmos Jupiter engine had first been flown on a prototype Bristol Badger in May 1919. For £15,000, Bristol obtained Cosmos' design team led by Roy Fedden, along with some completed engines and manufacturing equipment. Although it took several years for Bristol's aero-engine division to turn a profit, the Jupiter engine ultimately achieved great success. In fact, during the inter-war period, this division outperformed the parent company and allowed Bristol to dominate the market for air-cooled radial engines. Beyond powering most Bristol aircraft designs, the Jupiter and its derivatives were widely used by numerous other manufacturers.

File:Bristol Bulldog.1.jpg
The Bristol Bulldog

The most successful aircraft produced by Bristol during this timeframe was the Bristol Bulldog fighter, which served as the backbone of the Royal Air Force (RAF) fighter fleet between 1930 and 1937 when it was withdrawn from frontline duty. Since the Bulldog originated as a private venture rather than an Air Ministry-sponsored prototype, it could be exported freely; consequently, Bulldogs were sold to countries including Denmark, Estonia, Finland, and Australia.

During these years, Bristol became known for favoring steel airframes constructed from high-tensile steel strips rolled into flanged sections instead of using lightweight alloys more commonly applied in aircraft manufacturing. On 15 June 1935, Bristol Aeroplane Company transitioned into a public limited company. At that point, its workforce numbered approximately 4,200 employees—primarily within the engine factory—and it was well positioned to capitalize on Britain’s significant rearmament program initiated in May that year. Among Bristol’s key contributions to RAF expansion was the development of the Blenheim light bomber.

In August 1938, Frank Barnwell tragically died piloting an aircraft he personally designed; he was succeeded as Chief Designer by Leslie Frise. By September 1939 at war’s outbreak, Bristol’s Filton facility had become the largest single aircraft manufacturing site worldwide, spanning nearly 25 hectares (2,691,000 square feet).

Second World War

File:Bristol Type 156 Beaufighter ExCC.jpg
The Bristol Beaufighter

During World War II, Bristol's key aircraft was the Beaufighter, a robust two-seat heavy multirole plane serving as a long-range fighter, night fighter, ground attack aircraft, and torpedo bomber.[1] This model saw extensive service with the RAF, other Commonwealth air forces, and the USAAF. The Beaufighter originated from the Beaufort torpedo bomber, itself developed from the Blenheim.[1]

In 1940, several shadow factories were established at Weston-super-Mare to manufacture Beaufighters, alongside an underground facility at Hawthorn near Corsham, Wiltshire, dedicated to engine production. The conversion of the former stone quarry at Hawthorn took longer than anticipated, resulting in minimal output before its closure in 1945.[4][5][1] During the war, the company's headquarters operated from the Royal West of England Academy, Clifton, Bristol.

Post-war

Following the conclusion of the war, Bristol established a distinct helicopter division at its Weston-super-Mare plant under the leadership of helicopter innovator Raoul Hafner. This division was acquired by Westland in 1960.[1]

Among post-war endeavors was the development of Bristol Cars, which utilized pre-war BMW designs as a foundation for the Bristol 400.[1] Vehicle manufacturing took place at Bristol's Patchway facility.[1]

The engine created for the Bristol 400 powered numerous successful automobiles produced by other manufacturers such as Cooper, Frazer Nash, and AC. Additionally, it propelled the Bristol 450 sports prototype to class wins at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in both Template:24hLM and Template:24hLM. In 1953, S.H. Arnolt, an American dealer specializing in British sports cars, commissioned Bristol’s car division to produce a sports car tailored for the US market named the Arnolt-Bristol. Approximately 177 units were manufactured before production ended in 1958.[6][7]

File:Britannia.plan.arp.750pix.jpg
The Bristol Britannia

In 1960, Sir George White played a crucial role in safeguarding the car division during the company’s broader merger with BAC.[1] Consequently, Bristol Cars Limited was established and continued operations within the Filton complex. Sir George retired in 1973, after which Tony Crook acquired his shares and assumed full ownership and management duties.[8] Early post-war ventures also included production of prefabricated structures, marine vessels, and plastic and composite materials; these auxiliary businesses were eventually divested.

Bristol contributed significantly to Britain's post-war revival of civilian aviation inspired by the Brabazon Committee report from 1943–45.[1] The prototype of the Brabazon airliner first flew in 1949 and was one of the largest aircraft globally at that time. However, it failed to attract substantial interest from military or civil operators and was cancelled in 1953.[1] Concurrently with this cancellation, Bristol shifted focus toward developing a large turboprop airliner known as the Britannia. Designed for transatlantic flights, it achieved commercial success; both it and the Freighter were produced in significant numbers during the 1950s. Nonetheless, Britannia sales were limited—only 82 units were built—primarily because of extended development delays; ordered by BOAC on 28 July 1949 and first flown on 16 August 1952, it entered service only on 1 February 1957.[9] The company also manufactured helicopters such as the Belvedere and Sycamore, which entered mass production.

Missile development represented another significant post-war activity for Bristol, culminating in producing the Bloodhound surface-to-air missile. Upon its introduction, Bloodhound was unique as the RAF’s sole long-range transportable missile system.[1] Bristol Aero Engines developed various rocket motors and ramjets for missile propulsion systems. Eventually, this guided weapons division became part of MBDA.[1]

File:Concorde landing Farnborough Fitzgerald.jpg
Concorde, originated from the Bristol 223 project study

In the late 1950s, Bristol engaged in supersonic transport (SST) conceptual work through its Type 223 project that later contributed to the development of Concorde. During this period, they built a research aircraft known as the Type 188 to evaluate stainless steel’s suitability for Mach 2 airframes. By its maiden flight in 1962, Bristol had already merged into BAC.

Alongside these supersonic initiatives, several subsonic designs were proposed including the Type 200—a competitor to the Hawker Siddeley Trident—as well as its variants Type 201 and Type 205.[10] None of these models progressed to production.

Integration into BAC

In 1959, government directives compelled Bristol to combine its aviation operations with those of English Electric, Hunting Aircraft, and Vickers-Armstrongs, resulting in the creation of the British Aircraft Corporation (BAC). Bristol established a holding company that controlled a 20% stake in BAC, while English Electric and Vickers each retained 40%.

By 1966, Rolls-Royce had acquired the Bristol holding company, which owned 20% of BAC and held a 50% interest in Bristol Siddeley engines. During this period, Bristol maintained several investments and subsidiaries including: Bristol Aerojet (50%), Bristol Aeroplane Co Australia, Bristol DE Mexico SA (78%), Motores Bristol De Cuba SA, Bristol Aeroplane Co of Canada, Bristol Aero Industries Ltd, Bristol Aeroplane Co USA, Spartan Air Services Ltd (46.5%), Bristol Aeroplane Co New Zealand, Bristol Aircraft Services Ltd, Bristol Aeroplane Plastics Ltd, SECA (30%), Short Bros & Harland (15.25%), SVENSK-ENGELSK Aero Service AB, TABSA (25%), and Westland Aircraft Ltd (10%).

The Canadian Division of The Bristol Aeroplane Company

Among its international branches, the Canadian operations represented the largest overseas group. This division managed aircraft servicing and handling at Montreal’s Dorval Airport. In Vancouver, Bristol Aero Engines (Western), Ltd., one of four Canadian subsidiaries, focused on refurbishing Pratt & Whitney and Wright engines for both the R.C.A.F. and commercial clients. The largest subsidiary and sole airframe manufacturing facility was Bristol Aircraft (Western), Ltd located at Stevenson Field, Winnipeg, formerly known as MacDonald Brothers Aircraft. At Mexico City’s Central Airport, Bristol de Mexico S.A. de CV specialized in piston engine overhauls for South American customers. In 1963, this Mexican subsidiary secured a license to produce Alfred Herbert Ltd machine tools and began assembling centre lathes that same year. Additionally, they developed their own small engine lathes for installation in Mexican government training centers. Malcolm Roebuck from Alfred Herbert Ltd and William Walford Webb Woodward were recruited to oversee this initiative.

Nationalisation

In 1977, BAC was nationalized alongside Scottish Aviation and Hawker Siddeley, leading to the formation of British Aerospace (BAe), which eventually evolved into the privatized entity known as BAE Systems. The Canadian division was acquired by Rolls-Royce Holdings before being sold in 1997 to its present owner, Magellan Aerospace.

Archives

A limited collection of early company documents is preserved within the Sir George White papers held at Bristol Archives (Ref. 35810/GW/T) (online catalogue). Additional materials can be found at the Bristol Record Office, including the professional papers of Lionel Harris, an engineer active with the Bristol Aeroplane Company during the 1940s (Ref. 42794) (online catalogue).

Bristol Engine Company

File:Bristol-hercules east-fortune.jpg
The Bristol Hercules

Initially established as an independent firm, the Bristol Engine Company originated from Cosmos Engineering, which itself evolved from the pre-World War I automobile manufacturer Brazil-Straker. In 1917, Cosmos was commissioned to explore air-cooled radial engine designs and, under the leadership of Roy Fedden, developed the Cosmos Mercury, a 14-cylinder two-row (helical) radial engine introduced in 1918. Although this engine saw limited application, its simpler nine-cylinder variant, the Bristol Jupiter, proved to be a highly successful design.

Following the sharp decline in military contracts after the war, Cosmos Engineering faced financial collapse. The Air Ministry recommended that the Bristol Aeroplane Company acquire the struggling firm. Throughout the 1920s, the Jupiter competed against the Armstrong Siddeley Jaguar, but Bristol’s continued refinement made the Jupiter clearly superior by 1929. During the 1930s, under Roy Fedden’s guidance, the company advanced the Bristol Perseus series of radial engines utilizing the sleeve valve mechanism. These engines became some of the most powerful piston engines globally and remained in production well into the 1960s.

In 1956, this division was rebranded as Bristol Aero Engines, and two years later merged with Armstrong Siddeley to create Bristol Siddeley, mirroring airframe industry consolidations that led to BAC. Ownership was split evenly between Bristol and the Hawker Siddeley group. In 1966, Rolls-Royce acquired Bristol Siddeley, establishing itself as Britain's sole major aero-engine manufacturer. From 1967 onward, Bristol Siddeley's facilities operated as Rolls-Royce's "Bristol Engine Division" and "Small Engine Division," distinct from Rolls-Royce's main "Aero Engine Division." Several Bristol Siddeley designs continued development under Rolls-Royce, including the Olympus turbojet—originating from joint work with Snecma for Concorde—and the Pegasus. The celestial-themed names preferred by Bristol reflected their lineage within a Rolls-Royce engine family named after British rivers.

Helicopter Division

File:BEA Bristol 171 Sycamore at London Gatwick.jpg
The Bristol 171

The Helicopter Division of the Bristol Aeroplane Company traces back to 1944 when helicopter engineer Raoul Hafner, recently released from the Airborne Forces Experimental Establishment (AFEE), joined Bristol along with several team members.[11] Under Hafner’s leadership, this division produced two notable helicopter models that achieved commercial success. The initial design, known as the Type 171, encountered early difficulties when its second prototype’s wooden rotor blades failed during its maiden flight in 1949.[11] Despite this setback, the Type 171—referred to as Sycamore in military service—was exported globally with a total production run of 178 units.[12]

Following the Type 171, Hafner’s team pursued development of a civil tandem rotor helicopter resulting in the 13-seat Type 173, which first flew at Filton in 1952. Five units were constructed for evaluation purposes.[13] Although no commercial airline orders materialized for this model, it paved the way for military variants such as the Type 192 which served with the RAF under the name Belvedere. The Belvedere first flew in 1958 and saw a production total of 26 aircraft.[14]

Continuing their exploration of civil tandem rotor helicopters, Hafner and his team designed a larger model designated Type 194.[15] This project was well advanced when government directives led to merging Bristol’s Helicopter Division with those of other British manufacturers (Westland, Fairey, and Saunders-Roe) to form Westland Helicopters in 1960. After cancellation of Westland’s competing Westminster program, Westland management permitted continued development of the Type 194; however, it ultimately failed to secure commercial orders.[16][17]

Initially based at Bristol Aeroplane Company's main site in Filton, from 1955 onwards the Helicopter Division relocated to the Oldmixon facility in Weston-Super-Mare, a factory that had previously produced Blenheim bombers during World War II.[18] This location is now home to The Helicopter Museum.

Products

Bristol began the formal assignment of project type numbers in 1923, initiating with the Type 90 Berkeley. That same year, they retrospectively allocated type numbers in chronological sequence to all projects dating back to August 1914, regardless of whether they were constructed. Consequently, the Scouts A and B were not given type numbers, but the Scout C was designated as Type 1. The last Bristol project, identified as Type 225, was a STOL transport planned in 1962 but never built. Out of these 225 types, 117 were actually manufactured. This compilation excludes unbuilt "paper aeroplanes" but includes aircraft developed before August 1914.

Aircraft

File:Britannia.red.750pix.jpg
The Bristol Britannia, operated by the UK Ministry of Defence, visiting the Filton factory in 1983. It served as a civil airliner for BOAC, British Eagle, and Air Spain.
File:Belvedere helicopter at Filton, Bristol, England.jpg
The Bristol Belvedere, a twin-rotor helicopter designed for general land-based use by the Royal Air Force. A total of twenty-six units were produced.


Pre-World War I

World War I

Inter-war

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Template:Col-break

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World War II

File:Blenheim - Duxford (17782655268).jpg
The sole airworthy Blenheim (Mk.1 L6739) exhibited at Duxford in 2015

Post-WWII

File:Britannia.arp.750pix.jpg
1964 Royal Air Force Bristol Britannia Spica

Helicopters

Engines

Among Bristol’s engine developments are: Template:Col-begin Template:Col-break Early series:

Template:Col-break Sleeve-valve engine models:

Template:Col-break Turbine engines:

File:Bristol-pegasus-brooklands.jpg
The Bristol Pegasus

Template:Col-end Ramjet variants:

Missiles and rockets

File:Bloodhound SAM at the RAF Museum.jpg
The Bristol Bloodhound missile

Missile projects by Bristol include:

  • Blue Envoy – surface-to-air missile proposal to fulfill Operational Requirement 1140; never entered production
  • Bloodhound – large surface-to-air missile system
  • Fulmar – experimental research rocket
  • Skua – sounding rocket for atmospheric research
  • Bristol 182 developed for specification UB.109T, also referred to by the Ministry of Supply codename "Blue Rapier"

Aircraft turrets

Bristol initiated the manufacture of gun turrets with its Bristol Type 120, created in response to an Air Ministry requirement. This turret featured a glazed cupola positioned above a Scarff ring that held a Lewis light machine gun. Although the turret was manually rotated, it shielded the air gunner from the slipstream. Comparable turrets were also installed on the Bristol Bombay.

The initial powered turrets developed by Bristol operated through hydraulic systems. In the B.II nose turret and B.III tail turret configurations, a Vickers K machine gun was mounted within a narrow horizontal strip connected to a gunsight. Horizontal rotation of the strip and gun was achieved via a ram, while the glazing remained fixed.

More representative of subsequent turret designs was the Bristol Type B.1, where the gun elevated through a rotating slot in the glazing. The Type B.1 incorporated two notable features: the cupola could be lowered to decrease aerodynamic drag, and although the single gun was centrally aligned, its cradle could pivot independently from the turret itself. This allowed the turret to be rotated with enough offset for the gunner to fire alongside the rudder and engage targets directly behind the aircraft. The Type B.1 was installed on aircraft such as the Bristol Blenheim and Beaufort, as well as on the Avro Anson and Fairey Battle—the latter fitted with two Browning machine guns when used for gunnery training.

The Type B.IV was a lightweight turret, weighing 66 kg, specifically designed for the Beaufort’s mid-upper position. It was available with either one (B.IV Mk 1) or two (B.IV Mk 1E) Vickers K machine guns.

For the Blenheim Mk V, Type X was introduced as a turret equipped with two 0.303-in Browning machine guns, intended to replace earlier models.

In 1940, Bristol developed the Type B.11, a four-gun turret designed for dorsal mounting on the Beaufighter; however, this design was never installed. It was also considered for use on the Douglas Boston and de Havilland Mosquito.

The Type B.12 was another four-gun dorsal turret crafted for the Bristol Buckingham. A unique requirement for this model was that crew members needed to pass through the turret space when it was not in operation to access the bombardier’s position. After successful testing, it was redesigned to accommodate two 0.5-inch Browning heavy machine guns in its Mark II variant, while the Mark IV version featured two 0.303-inch guns.

The B.12 "Mark III" served as an experimental model utilizing an electrical rather than hydraulic system for turret operation; this system proved effective and was subsequently adopted in later turrets such as the B.16, B.17, B.18, and B.30.

A secondary turret was developed for the Buckingham to provide defensive coverage beneath and behind the aircraft. This rear-facing turret was mounted at the aft end of the gondola-style bomb aimer’s position under the fuselage and armed with two Browning machine guns.

The designation "B.14" referred to a remotely controlled four-gun nose mounting rather than a traditional turret. Intended for use on the Buckingham and featured on pre-production mock-ups, this design did not advance beyond initial development.


See also

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Citations

  1. ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 1.12 1.13 1.14 1.15 1.16 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named bae heri
  2. ↑ Barnes 1988, p. 14.
  3. ↑ Barnes 1988, p. 48.
  4. ↑ Template:Cite PastScape
  5. ↑ Gray 1987, p. 35.
  6. ↑ "American Sports Car Has European Origins." Popular Mechanics, April 1954, p. 86, bottom page.
  7. ↑ "Arnolt-Bristol Sports Car." Archived 17 December 2014 at the Wayback Machine UK Bristol Owners Club, section 9.
  8. ↑ "History of the Bristol Marque." Archived 26 April 2012 at the Wayback Machine UK Bristol Owners Club.
  9. ↑ Barnes 1988, pp. 344-345, 347.
  10. ↑ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2123: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named aa_heli
  12. ↑ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2123: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  13. ↑ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2123: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  14. ↑ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2123: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  15. ↑ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2123: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  16. ↑ Penrose, Harald; Adventure with Fate: An Autobiography, Airlife, 1984, p.324.
  17. ↑ Oughton, James D.; Bristol: An Aircraft Album, Ian Allan, 1973, p.108.
  18. ↑ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2123: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).

Bibliography

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External links

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  • The Bristol Aeroplane Company – website maintained by the founder’s family
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  • Bristol aircraft engines
  1. REDIRECT Template:20th Century Press Archives

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