Bristol Babe

Bristol Babe

Company type	Aircraft
Industry	Aviation
Founded	1919
Founder	Frank Barnwell
Headquarters	Bristol , United Kingdom
Products	Lightweight single-seat biplane

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The Bristol Babe was a lightweight, single-seat British biplane designed for private aviators shortly after the conclusion of the First World War. Of the three constructed, only two actually achieved flight.

Development

Designed by Frank Barnwell, who was both an aviation enthusiast and Bristol’s chief designer, the Bristol Babe targeted the private pilot market. It featured a compact, single-engine, single-seat biplane configuration with staggered, unswept single-bay wings of differing spans. The upper wing alone was equipped with full-span ailerons. The fuselage was covered with plywood and protected externally by fabric. Positioned beneath the trailing edge of the upper wing, the cockpit had smooth rounded decking extending towards the tail. The fin and rudder were notably large and rounded, while the undercarriage consisted of a conventional setup with a single axle and tailskid.

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The uncovered Babe frame

Securing an appropriate small powerplant proved challenging. Initially, the plan was to fit a 60 hp (50 kW) ABC Gadfly radial engine; however, in April 1919, ABC Motors ceased aero-engine production. An alternative under development was the 40 hp (30 kW) flat-twin Siddeley Ounce, prompting construction of a third Babe as an experimental platform. Meanwhile, Barnwell revived a stored 45 hp (34 kW) five-cylinder radial Viale engine from 1911, previously installed in an Avro Type F before being sidelined due to a crash. This engine operated satisfactorily for short durations but tended to overheat after about thirty minutes. Installed in the second Babe, it powered its maiden flight on 28 November 1919. Pilot Cyril Uwins described it as manageable for experienced aviators but somewhat unstable for beginners. Despite its utility for testing, the Viale engine’s unreliability made it unsuitable for commercial use. Consequently, following discussions at the November 1919 Paris Air Show, two seven-cylinder 60 hp (50 kW) Le Rhône Type 7B2 rotary engines were ordered for the first two Babes. The third Babe appeared at this event equipped with an unfinished Ounce engine.

The second-built Babe was initially known as Babe I when powered by the Viale engine and later redesignated as Babe III after receiving a Le Rhône engine. The first machine fitted with a Le Rhône also bore the Babe III designation. The third aircraft, intended to be powered by the Ounce and designated Babe II, never flew; however, both Babe IIIs did fly and were registered during the winter of 1919-20.

In May 1920, the first Babe underwent significant alteration when fitted with a thick cantilever monoplane wing. Due to safety concerns, it was never tested in this configuration. By February 1921, both flying Babes had been removed from the Civil Register. The Viale engine is currently preserved at the Science Museum in London. When Bristol retrospectively assigned type numbers in 1923, they designated the Babe I as Type 30, the Babe IIs as Type 46, and the non-flying Babe III as Type 46A.

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Replica of Bristol Museum’s Babe

Specifications (Babe III)

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Babe equipped with Ounce engine