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Bristol Brigand

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Bristol Aeroplane Company
Company typeCompany
IndustryAerospace, Defense
Headquarters
Bristol
,
United Kingdom
ProductsAircraft (including Bristol Brigand)


For the automobile manufactured by Bristol Cars between 1982 and 1994, see Bristol Type 603.

Template:Infobox aircraft The Bristol Brigand was a British aircraft designed for anti-shipping, ground attack, and dive bombing roles, created by the Bristol Aeroplane Company as a successor to the Beaufighter. A total of 147 units were manufactured and operated by the Royal Air Force in Malaya during the Malayan Emergency and in Kenya, before being replaced by the de Havilland Hornet in Malaya and the English Electric Canberra jet bomber in other locations.

Design and development

The Bristol Type 164 emerged from the 1942 Air Ministry specification H.7/42, which sought an accelerated advancement of the Beaufighter for long-range torpedo missions and anti-shipping attacks.[1] Under the leadership of Leslie Frise, Bristol's design team incorporated the wings, tail unit, and landing gear from the Bristol Buckingham, combined with a newly developed oval-shaped fuselage. The cockpit arrangement positioned the pilot, navigator/bomb aimer, and radio-operator/gunner together at the front. Although officially reclassified as a bomber, the first eleven production Brigands were completed as torpedo bombers.[2] These initial aircraft served with RAF Coastal Command between 1946 and 1947 before being converted into bombers.

Operational history

In 1946, eleven torpedo-fighter (TF.1) models were delivered to RAF Coastal Command's 36 Squadron and 42 Squadron. However, as there was no immediate requirement for coastal strike aircraft, these torpedo-fighters were returned to Filton for conversion into light bombers (B.1). The first B.1s were introduced in 1949 to 84 Squadron at RAF Habbaniya, replacing Beaufighters, and to 8 Squadron in Aden, which previously operated Hawker Tempests. The initial squadron to transition from Beaufighters to Brigands was 45 Squadron, stationed at RAF Station Tengah, Singapore, supporting British forces against Communist insurgents during the Malayan Emergency. The inaugural Brigand flight from RAF St Athan to Tengah took sixteen days in November 1949.

Following test flights, the Brigand’s first combat mission occurred on 19 December 1949 when Flight Lieutenant Dalton Golding, accompanied by radio/radar operator Peter Weston, led an attack alongside four Beaufighters from No. 45 Squadron targeting Communist Terrorist positions west of Kluang, Malaya. The Brigand was armed with three rockets, one 500 lb (230 kg) bomb, and two bombs weighing 1,000 lb (450 kg) each. The mission succeeded, allowing No. 45 Squadron to complete its conversion to Brigands promptly. Subsequently, both No. 45 and No. 84 Squadrons routinely conducted strikes against insurgent targets across Malaya, providing both direct attacks and close air support for ground troops as well as convoy protection against ambushes.

Operational challenges surfaced during Malayan deployments; notably, undercarriage deployment failures were traced to rubber seals within hydraulic jacks deteriorating due to hot and humid conditions.[3] Shortly after addressing this issue, a more critical problem emerged involving damage and loss of aircraft during strafing runs with the four 20 mm cannons. Gas accumulation in extended cannon blast tubes beneath the cockpit ignited when firing high-explosive rounds, severing hydraulic lines that subsequently caught fire. This was mitigated by significantly reducing ammunition loads and restricting use to ball ammunition only.[4] Additionally, there was a tendency for propeller blade detachment leading to total propeller failure; this would often cause engine separation from the wing and result in crashes. Corrosion on propeller locking rings was identified as the cause; more frequent maintenance reduced occurrences.[5]

When functioning correctly, pilots regarded the Brigand positively:

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Despite operational success, increasing restrictions caused commanders serious concerns about ongoing use of the Brigand. It was decided to continue deployment provided rigorous maintenance was maintained.[3] Another design weakness involved leather bellows controlling air brakes during dives; tropical conditions caused leather deterioration leading to brake failures. This resulted in loss of wings during dives due to uneven brake deployment causing excessive speed or rotation forces. Consequently, all air brakes were wired shut across Brigand fleets, reducing dive bombing effectiveness.

No. 45 Squadron transitioned to de Havilland Hornet aircraft in January 1952 while No. 84 Squadron disbanded in February 1953; soon after these events Brigands were grounded and withdrawn from frontline service. The type also saw operational use over Aden by No. 8 Squadron from 1950 until concerns about main spar integrity led to replacement by de Havilland Vampire jets.[6] In addition, nine Brigand T.4 radar trainer variants were delivered in 1950 to 228 OCU at RAF Leeming for radar navigator instruction on aircraft interception radar systems. Another variant with an alternative radar fitment was designated Brigand T.5; conversions from B.1 models were undertaken alongside modifications upgrading all T.4s to T.5 standard later on. The final operator was 238 OCU at RAF North Luffenham, which disbanded in March 1958.

Variants

The initial model produced was the Brigand I, also known as the Brigand TF.1, which entered service with RAF Coastal Command. These aircraft were later modified to the Brigand B.1, distinguished as the RAF’s first bomber designed specifically for multi-role operations and its final piston-engine bomber. The B.1 was capable of carrying a 22 in (560 mm) torpedo beneath the fuselage along with two 500 lb (230 kg) bombs under the wings, or alternatively one 2,000 lb (910 kg) bomb or two 1,000 lb (450 kg) bombs under the fuselage. Additionally, it featured underwing mounts for 16 RP-3 rockets weighing 60 lb (30 kg) each.

Type 164 Brigand
Four prototype aircraft initially equipped with Centarus VII engines.
Brigand TF.1
Production torpedo-bomber variant, with 11 units constructed and later converted into B.1 models.
Brigand B.1
Bomber version featuring removal of the rear gun, addition of external bomb racks, and rocket rails; 106 built plus 11 conversions from TF.1.
File:Bristol 164 Brigand MET.3 VS820 1301 Flt Luqa 06.49 edited-2.jpg
Brigand MET.3 of 1301 Flight RAF stationed at RAF Luqa, Malta, June 1949
Type 165 Brigand II
A planned training model with dual controls that was never produced, as the Buckmaster—a dual-control adaptation of the Bristol Buckingham—served as the training aircraft for Brigand crews instead.
Brigand MET.3
An unarmed meteorological reconnaissance variant designed for weather observation duties, with 16 units built.
Brigand T.4
A trainer aircraft variant intended for instructing operators in AI radar use, nine were produced and later upgraded to T.5 standard.
Brigand T.5
An enhanced training model used to educate AI radar operators, created through conversions from B.1 and T.4 variants.

Operators

Template:Country data Dominion of Pakistan
Template:UK

Surviving aircraft

There are no intact Brigand aircraft remaining today. The fuselage of Brigand RH746, though in deteriorated condition, was obtained by the Royal Air Force Museum Cosford in 2010 after being salvaged from a scrapyard in 1981. Remnants of another Brigand, RH755 from No. 45 Squadron, still exist at the crash site in Malaysia where it went down in January 1951.[7][8]

Specifications (Brigand)

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See also

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Notes

Citations

  1. ↑ Mondey 1994, p. 69.
  2. ↑ Taylor 1969, p. 335.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Blythe 1977, p. 228.
  4. ↑ Blythe 1977, pp. 233, 235.
  5. ↑ Blythe 1977, p. 236.
  6. ↑ Mulvagh 1995, pp. 16–19.
  7. ↑ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2123: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  8. ↑ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2123: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).

Bibliography

  • Blythe, A. C. (Group Captain). "Brigands over Malaya." Aeroplane Monthly, vol. 5, no. 5, May 1977.
  • Bridgeman, Leonard. Jane's All The World's Aircraft 1951–52. London: Sampson Low, Marston & Company, Ltd, 1951.
  • Campden, Vic. "Bristol Brigand in Focus." FlyPast, no. 343, February 2010.
  • Crouchman, Alan F. "Last of the 'Colonial Policemen'? Bristol's Occasionally Self-Destructive Brigand." Air Enthusiast, no. 83, October 1999, pp. 22–29.
  • Jefford, C. G. RAF Squadrons: A comprehensive record of the movement and equipment of all RAF squadrons and their antecedents since 1912. 2nd ed., Airlife Publishing, Shrewsbury, UK, 2001.
  • Mondey, David. The Hamlyn Concise Guide to British Aircraft of World War II. London: Chancellor Press, 1994.
  • Mulvagh, Brendan. "Brigands over Aden." Aeroplane Monthly, vol. 23, no. 9, September 1995.
  • Sturtivant, Ray and John Hamlin. Royal Air Force flying training and support units since 1912. Tonbridge, UK: Air-Britain (Historians), 2007.
  • Taylor, John W.R. Combat Aircraft of the World from 1909 to the Present. New York: G. P. Putnam's Sons, 1969.
  • Trimble, Robert L. "Bristol's Multi-mission Bomber." Air Classics, vol. 18, no. 8, August 1982.


External links

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