Jump to content

Bristol Scout

From Alfawiki
Bristol Scout
Company typeAircraft
IndustryAviation
Founded1913
FounderFrank Barnwell, Harry Busteed
ProductsSingle-seat rotary-powered biplane scout/fighter aircraft


For the subsequent monoplane, see Bristol M.1. For the unrelated 1917 prototype model, see Bristol Scout F.

Template:Infobox aircraft

The Bristol Scout was a rotary-powered, single-seat biplane initially conceived as a racing machine. It served with both the Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS) and the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) as a fast reconnaissance "scout" aircraft, similar to other lightweight, swift planes of its era. Among the earliest single-seat fighters deployed, it lacked an effective forward-firing weapon until British-designed gun synchronizers were introduced in late 1916, by which time the Bristol Scout had become outdated. The term "scout" continued to be used in Britain for single-seat fighters well into the early 1920s.

Design and development

Conceived in the latter half of 1913 by Frank Barnwell alongside Bristol's chief test pilot, Harry Busteed, the Bristol Scout emerged from Busteed's vision of a compact, high-performance biplane during his work on the Bristol X.3 seaplane project. This seaplane had been developed under a separate confidential design team led by Barnwell. The new aircraft inherited the works number SN.183, originally assigned to an abandoned design for the Italian government by Henri Coanda. The partially completed fuselage from that project remained in Bristol’s workshops, and the drawings for this new aircraft retained that number.

File:Bristol Scout Prototype in March 1914.jpg
Prototype Bristol Scout displayed at the 1914 Olympia Aero Show

The aircraft featured an equal-span, single-bay biplane configuration with staggered wings of parallel chord and raked tips. Both upper and lower wings were equipped with ailerons and set with approximately half a degree of dihedral, giving them a nearly flat appearance when viewed head-on. The wing profile was derived from a Coanda design previously employed on the Bristol Coanda Biplanes. The fuselage had a rectangular cross-section built using traditional wire-braced wooden construction from ash and spruce; its forward section was clad in aluminium sheeting while fabric covered the rear portion. Propulsion came from an 80 hp (60 kW) Gnome Lambda rotary engine enclosed within a cowling that lacked any frontal openings except for a cutaway at the bottom to allow airflow for cooling. Control surfaces included a rectangular balanced rudder without a fixed fin and split elevators mounted on a non-lifting horizontal stabiliser. The fixed tail surfaces were constructed with steel tube outlines and wooden ribs, whereas the elevators were entirely steel tube framed.

File:Revised Bristol Scout A.jpg
The updated Bristol Scout A during late spring 1914

The maiden flight took place at Larkhill on 23 February 1914 with Busteed at the controls. Shortly thereafter, it was presented at London’s Olympia Aero Show in March 1914. Following additional testing at Larkhill, the prototype—later designated Scout A—was returned to Filton for modifications including larger wings that increased chord by six inches (15 cm) and expanded span from 22 ft (6.71 m) to 24 ft 7 in (7.49 m). These new wings featured an increased dihedral angle of approximately 1¾°. Additional refinements included an enlarged rudder, a redesigned cowling with six external stiffening ribs arranged asymmetrically around its sides (especially noticeable when viewed head-on), and wheels covered with fabric panels. On 14 May 1914 at Farnborough Airfield, Busteed flew this version for military evaluation, reaching speeds up to 97.5 mph (157 km/h) with a stall speed of 40 mph (64 km/h). Although entered into the 1914 Aerial Derby, poor weather conditions prevented its participation. Meanwhile, two further units (works numbers 229 and 230) were under construction. The prototype was sold without its engine to Lord Carbery for £400; he installed an 80 hp Le Rhône 9C rotary engine and entered it in the London–Manchester race on 20 June but had to withdraw after damaging it during landing at Castle Bromwich. Following repairs and undercarriage modifications to widen the track, Carbery competed in the London–Paris–London race on 11 July but was forced to ditch in the English Channel due to only one fuel tank being filled during refuelling in France. He survived by landing near a ship; however, the aircraft was lost.

File:Scout B No-648.jpg
Second production Bristol Scout B (serial no. 648)

Numbers 229 and 230 were later classified as Scout B after Frank Barnwell retrospectively assigned type numbers to early Bristol designs. These closely resembled the modified Scout A but featured half-hoop underwing skids, six stiffening ribs around the exterior circumference of their engine cowlings—which also had larger circular front openings for cooling compared to Scout A—and an enlarged rudder. Completed soon after World War I began in August 1914, both were requisitioned by the War Office and issued Royal Flying Corps serial numbers 644 and 648 respectively; one was assigned to No. 3 Squadron and the other to No. 5 Squadron for operational evaluation. Serial number 644 was irreparably damaged during a crash landing on 12 November 1914.

Impressed by its capabilities, on 5 November the War Office placed an order for twelve units, followed by an Admiralty order for twenty-four more on 7 November. The production models—later termed Scout C—differed mainly in construction details: their cowling had a small frontal opening without stiffening ribs; the top decking ahead of the cockpit featured a deeper curve; and aluminium covering on fuselage sides extended only up to forward centre-section struts beyond which plywood decking was used.

Operational history

File:Bristol Scout C (1611) flown by Lanoe Hawker in his Victoria Cross-earning military engagement on July 25th, 1915. (49177372226).jpg
The original Scout C, Royal Flying Corps serial number 1611, piloted by Lanoe Hawker on 25 July 1915 during the combat mission that earned him the Victoria Cross. This plane featured the rear-mounted engine oil tank characteristic of the earliest Scout Cs.

The Bristol Scout’s service span from 1914 to 1916 represents the early emergence of fighter aircraft as a separate class. Numerous initial British efforts to equip tractor-configured planes with forward-firing weaponry were trialed in combat using Bristol Scouts. The earliest example involved fitting the second Scout B, RFC number 648, with a pair of rifles positioned on either side, angled outward and forward to avoid striking the propeller arc.[1][2]

Two of the Royal Flying Corps’ initial Bristol Scout Cs, serials 1609 and 1611, flown by Captain Lanoe Hawker with No. 6 Squadron RFC, were each armed with a Lewis machine gun mounted on the left fuselage side. After 1609 was lost due to combat damage, its gun mount was transferred to 1611 as its replacement. This setup closely resembled the earlier rifle mounts used on the second Scout B and was based on a design by Hawker himself. On 25 July 1915, during aerial engagements over Passchendaele and Zillebeke, Hawker successfully destroyed two German aircraft and drove off a third. His actions earned him the first Victoria Cross awarded to a British single-seat scout/fighter pilot for combat against heavier-than-air enemy planes,[3] following prior Victoria Cross awards given to William Rhodes-Moorhouse (piloting a B.E.2 two-seat reconnaissance biplane) and Reginald Warneford (for actions against an enemy Zeppelin) in April[4] and June 1915 respectively.[5][6]

File:RNAS Bristol Scout D w-twin Lewis guns.jpg
RNAS Bristol Scout D equipped with twin unsynchronized Lewis guns mounted similarly to RFC Captain Hawker’s Scout Cs; these guns could be fired obliquely outside the propeller arc

Among the initial batch of 24 production Scout Cs delivered to the RNAS, some were armed with one or occasionally two Lewis machine guns. These were sometimes mounted atop the upper wing center section akin to the arrangement on the Nieuport 11. However, a less advisable practice by certain RNAS pilots involved placing the Lewis gun on the forward fuselage as if it were synchronized—firing straight ahead through the propeller arc—risking significant propeller damage. The bullet-deflecting plates pioneered by Roland Garros on his Morane-Saulnier Type N monoplane were also tested on one of the RFC’s last Scout Cs, No. 5303. This required fitting the Morane Type N’s large “casserole” spinner which severely restricted cooling airflow to the engine; consequently, this deflector method was abandoned for Bristol Scouts.[1][7][8]

An RNAS Scout achieved a milestone as the first landplane launched from a ship when Flight Lieutenant H. F. Towler took off in No.1255 from the flying deck of seaplane carrier HMS Vindex on 3 November 1915.[9] To counter German airships, certain RNAS Scout Ds were fitted with Ranken Darts—explosive flechettes weighing approximately one pound each—released from dual vertical cylindrical containers beneath the pilot’s seat; each container held twenty-four darts.[10] On August 2nd, 1916, Flight Lieutenant C.T. Freeman flew a Scout from Vindex’s deck and launched an attack against Zeppelin L17 using these darts; however, none inflicted damage on the airship and Freeman was forced to ditch his aircraft after failing to return safely—the plane could not land back on Vindex and was too far from land for a safe landing.[11]

File:Vickers Challenger synchroniser (Bristol Scout).jpg
Vickers-Challenger synchronization gear installed on a Bristol Scout – illustrating linkage between engine and machine gun

In March of 1916, RFC Scout C No.5313 was outfitted with a Vickers machine gun synchronized to fire through the propeller via the cumbersome Vickers-Challenger synchronization mechanism, which was then the sole option available to RFC pilots for this purpose. An additional six Scouts—comprising late-model Scout Cs and early Scout Ds—were similarly equipped with this system. Aircraft types employing this gear—including the Royal Aircraft Factory B.E.12, Royal Aircraft Factory R.E.8, and Vickers F.B.19—mounted their guns on the port side of the fuselage. Attempts to synchronize a centrally mounted gun on the Bristol Scout using this gear failed; testing persisted at least until May 1916 but ultimately led to abandonment of this approach and no Vickers-equipped Scouts saw operational deployment.[1]

Neither RFC nor RNAS squadrons operating Bristol Scouts ever relied solely on them; by late summer of 1916 no new Scouts were delivered to British units in either service as frontline fighters transitioned instead to aircraft like the single-seat pusher-configured Airco DH.2. A limited number of Scouts were dispatched to Middle Eastern theaters including Egypt, Mesopotamia, and Palestine in 1916; others served in Macedonia and with RNAS forces in the Eastern Mediterranean region. The last documented military use of a Bristol Scout was by former RNAS Scout D No.8978 stationed at Point Cook near Melbourne in Australia as late as October 1926.

Following their withdrawal from active combat roles, many Bristol Scouts were reassigned for training purposes while others remained in use as personal transport "runabouts" for senior officers.

One particular aircraft—No.5570—survived beyond World War I into civilian ownership before being dismantled in 1933.[12]

Scout A

The sole prototype model.

Scout B

Two units were produced, mirroring the modified Scout A but equipped with half-hoop style skids beneath the wings and a larger rudder.

Type 1 Scout C

File:RNAS Bristol Scout C with Rear Oil Tank.jpg
A Bristol Scout C (No.1255) serving in the RNAS, featuring an engine oil tank positioned behind the cockpit

Closely resembling the earlier Scout B, these initial Scout C aircraft—totaling 36 units with twelve allocated to the Royal Flying Corps and 24 to the RNAS—relocated the primary oil tank directly behind the pilot’s shoulders. This adjustment necessitated a raised dorsal fairing immediately aft of the cockpit. These early models utilized a small central aperture "dome-fronted" cowling designed exclusively for the 80 hp Gnome Lambda seven-cylinder rotary engine, a rotary powerplant notably preferred by the Royal Naval Air Service.[1][13]

After producing these first 36 airframes, subsequent Scout C batches—comprising 50 units for the RNAS and 75 for the RFC—adopted a flat-fronted, shallower cowling capable of accommodating either the Gnome Lambda rotary or an alternative nine-cylinder 80 hp Le Rhône 9C rotary engine when the Gnome Lambda was unavailable. Additionally, the oil tank was repositioned forward to sit ahead of the pilot to enhance weight distribution and engine reliability. This later "flat"-front cowling retained a small opening similar to that of the earlier dome-front type. Both designs featured a circumferential slot cutout at mid-cowl depth, approximately one-sixth of the circumference down to the lower edge, to improve cooling airflow and facilitate drainage of unburned fuel and oil mixture.[1] Overall, around 161 Scout C airframes were manufactured for British forces before transitioning gradually to the Scout D configuration through incremental design updates.[14]

Types 2, 3, 4 and 5 Scout D

The Scout D represents the final and most extensively produced variant, evolving through successive refinements of the Scout C design. Early modifications appeared on seventeen of the seventy-five naval Scout Cs, including an increase in wing dihedral from 1+3⁄4° to 3°. Other aircraft within this production batch featured enlarged horizontal tailplanes with increased span, a wider-chord rudder, reduced-span ailerons, and a large front cowl opening resembling that of the Scout B but without external reinforcing ribs.[15]

This updated cowling was occasionally fitted with a blister on its starboard lower side to enhance exhaust gas scavenging efficiency. It was designed to accommodate the more powerful nine-cylinder 100 hp Gnôme Monosoupape B2 rotary engine in later production runs to boost performance. Approximately 210 Scout D aircraft were built in total: 80 ordered by the RNAS and 130 by the Royal Flying Corps.[1][16]

Other versions

  • S.2A : A two-seat fighter adaptation of the Scout D model. Only two units were produced, serving as advanced trainers.

Operators

Template:UK

Template:Col-begin Template:Col-2

Template:Col-2

Template:Col-end

Template:AUS
File:Flag of Greece (1822-1978).svg Greece
Template:Country data Ottoman Empire
  • The Ottoman Air Force utilized several Bristol Scouts captured during conflict.

Surviving aircraft and replicas

File:Bristol Scout (35004414011).jpg
The Bremner family’s reproduction of Scout C #1264 taking off powered by a Le Rhône 9C engine, summer of 2017
File:Bristol Scout A1742.jpg
Replica of Bristol Scout A1742 displayed at Aerospace Bristol

There are two prominent flying reproductions and one replica of the Bristol Scout that have been constructed for operational use:

Leo Opdycke, founder of the World War I AERO quarterly, initiated a reproduction of the Scout D in New York State in 1962.[17] His goal was to power it with an original Le Rhône 9C rotary engine producing approximately 80 hp. Over the course of two decades, the aircraft gradually took shape at his residence in Poughkeepsie, New York, culminating in its completion during the early 1980s. Following successful flight trials at Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome—where it experienced a minor incident without injury—the fully assembled airframe with engine is now exhibited at the Fleet Air Arm Museum located in Yeovilton, UK.[18]

Another example is the reproduction of Bristol Scout C No.1264, originally one of the first twenty-four Scout Cs manufactured for the Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS). This project incorporated original components from the historic aircraft including its joystick, rudder bar, and a functional Bosch starting magneto preserved from No.1264 itself. David and Richard Bremner, grandsons of RNAS pilot Francis Donald Holden Bremner who flew this aircraft during World War I, embarked on this tribute in 2002 using their grandfather’s artifacts as a foundation for authenticity.[19] Research commenced in that year with construction beginning six years later in 2008, culminating in its maiden flight on July 9, 2015, powered by a Le Rhône 9C rotary engine similar to Opdycke’s earlier reproduction project.[20] The Bremners also flew this aircraft near Gallipoli—the operational area where their grandfather’s original Scout C was based between December 1915 and August 1916—honoring his service against Central Powers forces.

Additionally, a Bristol Scout D replica actively flies under the New Zealand Warbirds Association at Ardmore Airport near Auckland, New Zealand.[21] This particular machine was assembled by Herb Harkey in California during the early to mid-1990s and finalized by 1997.[22] It retains authentic period components such as cockpit instruments and an original Le Rhône engine rated at approximately eighty horsepower.[23] Since its arrival in New Zealand in 2018, it has been regularly displayed at annual airshows and open days organized by the NZ Warbirds Association.

Moreover, a full-scale reproduction of Scout D No.A1742 is on exhibit at Aerospace Bristol museum situated on the grounds of the former Filton Aerodrome facility.


Specifications (Bristol Scout D)

File:Bristol Scout C British First World War fighter biplane drawing in RNAS markings.jpg
RNAS Bristol Scout C illustration, featuring RNAS ring-style insignia and the early Scout C's rearward engine oil tank positioned "behind the shoulders"

Template:Aircraft specs

See also

Template:Aircontent

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named Barnes
  2. ↑ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2123: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  3. ↑ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2123: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  4. ↑ Template:London Gazette
  5. ↑ Sturtivant, Ray, British Naval Aviation: The Fleet Air Arm, 1917–1990, Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press, 1990, ISBN 0-87021-026-2, p. 215.
  6. ↑ Whitehouse, Arch, The Zeppelin Fighters, New York: Ace Books, 1966, no ISBN, pp. 84–92.
  7. ↑ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2123: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  8. ↑ Shores and Rolfe 2001, pp. 10–11.
  9. ↑ Bruce, J. M.The Bristol Scout Pt II Flight International 3 October 1958, pp. 544–6
  10. ↑ Bruce, J. M. The Bristol Scout Part V Flight International, 31 October 1958, pp.701–11
  11. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named Bruce 1994 5
  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. ↑ "Bristol Scout D." Fleet Air Arm Museum. Retrieved: 18 October 2011.
  17. ↑ ...
  18. ↑ ...
  19. ↑ ...
  20. ↑ ...
  21. ↑ ...
  22. ↑ ...
  23. ↑ ...

Bibliography

  • Barnes, C. H. Bristol Aircraft since 1910. London: Putnam, 1964.
  • Barnes, C. H. Bristol Aircraft since 1910. (second edition) London: Putnam, 1970. ISBN 0 370 00015 3
  • Bruce, J. M. The Bristol Scouts (Windsock Datafile No.44). Berkhamsted, Herts, UK: Albatros, 1994. ISBN 0-948414-59-6.
  • Shores, Christopher and Rolfe, Mark. British and Empire Aces of World War 1. Oxford, UK: Osprey, 2001. ISBN 978-1-84176-377-4.
  • Thomas, Andrew. "In the Footsteps of Daedulus: Early Greek Naval Aviation". Air Enthusiast, No. 94, July–August 2001, pp. 8–9. Template:ISSN

External links

Template:Bristol aircraft

Retrieved from "https://www.alfawiki.org/index.php?title=Bristol_Scout&oldid=77726"