Bristol Bullpup
| Industry | Aerospace |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1910 |
| Founder | Sir George White |
| Headquarters | Filton, Bristol , United Kingdom |
| Products | Aircraft, aero engines |
The Bristol Type 107 Bullpup was a British fighter developed during the 1920s. Only a single prototype was produced, as it was ultimately not chosen for operational squadron deployment.
Background
The Bullpup emerged from a series of fighter design studies led by Frank Barnwell throughout the 1920s. In 1924, Barnwell initiated work on a fighter powered by the Rolls-Royce Falcon engine intended to satisfy specification F.17/24. This project was put on hold since Bristol preferred to utilise their proprietary engines. However, in 1926 Barnwell resumed development with a design called the Bristol 102, aimed at meeting either specification F.9/26 for a day-and-night fighter or N.21/26 for a carrier-based fighter. Another subsequent design, the Type 105, targeted F.9/26 and was to be powered by the Bristol Mercury engine, which was then under development.
These efforts led to the construction of two mockups presented to the Air Ministry in February 1927. Both designs shared many features; however, the interceptor developed to meet F.17/24 was somewhat smaller, lighter, and lacked radio equipment. Following this, Bristol was requested to modify the design to comply with a newer interceptor specification, F.20/27. A prototype was ordered for evaluation based on this revision, while the alternate design did not receive official endorsement.
Despite this, Bristol regarded the project as having potential and proceeded to build a prototype as a private venture for entry into the F.9/26 trials. This version was powered by a Bristol Jupiter engine due to anticipated limited availability of Mercury engines and ultimately evolved into the Bristol Bulldog.
Design and development
The Type 107 featured a single-bay biplane configuration with unequal wing spans, powered by a 480 hp (360 kW) air-cooled radial engine from Bristol Mercury, which turned a two-blade propeller. Its framework was entirely metallic but covered with fabric, constructed from rolled high-tensile steel strips that were riveted together to form the structural members. To enhance the pilot’s visibility, the upper wing incorporated a large semi-circular cutout in its trailing edge, while the inner portion of the lower wing had a reduced chord. Only the upper wing was equipped with Frise-type ailerons. Armament consisted of two 0.303 in (7.7 mm) Vickers machine guns mounted on either side of the cockpit.
The prototype’s maiden flight occurred on 28 April 1928, initially powered by a Bristol Jupiter engine due to the unavailability of a flight-ready Mercury engine at that time. The aircraft was not submitted for evaluation at Martlesham Heath until March 1929. Later modifications included fitting the Bullpup prototype with a Jupiter F-type cylinder head featuring twin compensator rods for the penthouse heads. Engine trials using this configuration were conducted at Martlesham during 1929.
Operational history
Although its performance during the 1929 F.20/27 competition was considered adequate, none of the participating aircraft entered operational service. The eventual requirement was fulfilled by the Hawker Fury, which was an evolution of the Hawker F.20/27 design powered by a Rolls-Royce Kestrel engine. The Bullpup prototype served as an engine testbed until it was dismantled in 1935 following the conclusion of the Bristol Aquila engine development program.