Bristol Type 110A

Bristol Aeroplane Company

Industry	Aerospace
Headquarters	Filton , United Kingdom
Products	Aircraft

The Bristol Type 110A was a single-engine biplane designed for charter services, offering comfortable seating for four passengers. Conceived by Frank Barnwell and constructed at Filton Aerodrome by the Bristol Aeroplane Company, only one unit was produced as it failed to secure any orders.

Development

The Bristol 110A targeted the charter market with a four-passenger capacity, evolving from the earlier concept of the three-seat Type 110. It featured a single engine and was a single-bay biplane capable of being equipped with either of two smaller variants of the nine-cylinder Bristol Jupiter radial engine: the five-cylinder, 220 hp (164 kW) Titan or the seven-cylinder, 315 hp (235 kW) Neptune. The aircraft’s wings were of nearly equal span, unswept and unstaggered, though the lower wing had a significantly narrower chord compared to the upper. Only the upper wing was fitted with Frise-type ailerons. Constructed entirely from metal but covered in fabric, the Type 110A had a flat-sided fuselage, a horn-balanced rudder, and an unbraced horizontal tailplane with unbalanced elevators. Positioned between the wings, the passenger cabin featured three windows on each side, including one integrated into the starboard-side door. The pilot’s seat was elevated ahead of the upper wing’s leading edge within a glazed cockpit located behind a fully cowled engine. The undercarriage employed a divided arrangement with widely spaced main wheels and a tailskid.

Registered as G-AAFG, the Type 110A took to the air for its maiden flight on 25 October 1929, piloted by Cyril Uwins, initially powered by the Titan engine. Prior to this, it had been displayed at the Olympia Aero Show in July 1929 featuring a mock-up Neptune engine, where its well-appointed cabin attracted attention but failed to generate sales. The Neptune engine was installed in January 1930, and subsequent trials proceeded without issue until early February when the aircraft sustained damage during a landing incident. With no purchase commitments forthcoming, development was halted and the sole prototype was dismantled.

File:Bristol 110A 3 view.png

References

Notes

Bibliography