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Subject: Bristol F.2 Fighter
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bristol_F.2_Fighter
The Bristol F.2 Fighter was a British two-seat biplane fighter and
reconnaissance aircraft of the First World War developed by the Bristol
Aeroplane Company. It is often simply called the Bristol Fighter or popularly
the "Brisfit" or "Biff". Despite being a two-seater, the F.2B proved to be an
agile aircraft that was able to hold its own against opposing single-seat
fighters. Having overcome a disastrous start to its career, the F.2B's robust
design ensured that it remained in military service into the 1930s, and surplus
aircraft were popular in civil aviation.
The aircraft's design came about as a result of Frank Barnwell's brief
experience as a front-line pilot with the Royal Flying Corps. In March 1916 he
started work on aircraft intended, like the R.E.8 and the F.K.8, as possible
replacements for the B.E.2c. Barnwell's first proposal used the 120 hp Beardmore
engine, and was designated the Type 9 R.2A. This was considered to be
underpowered, so a second design, the Type 9A R.2B powered by the 150 hp Hispano
Suiza, was proposed.
Only 52 F.2As were produced before production switched to what became the
definitive Bristol Fighter, the Bristol Type 14 F.2B which had first flown on 25
October 1916. The first 150 or so were powered by the Falcon I or Falcon II
engine but the remainder were equipped with the 275 hp (205 kW) Falcon III
engine and could reach a maximum speed of 123 mph (198 km/h). The F.2B was over
10 mph (16 km/h) faster than the F.2A and was three minutes faster at reaching
10,000 ft (3,000 m).
F.2Bs often carried a second Lewis gun on the rear cockpit mounting, although
observers found the weight of the twin Lewis gun mounting difficult to handle in
the high altitudes at which combat increasingly took place in the last year of
the war. A number of attempts were made to add forward firing Lewis guns on a
Foster mounting or similar on the upper wing - either instead of, or in addition
to the Vickers gun. Unfortunately this caused interference with the pilot's
compass, which was mounted on the trailing edge of the upper wing. Some F.2Bs
were fitted with a Lewis gun offset to starboard to minimise this effect.
Role
Biplane fighter aircraft
Manufacturer
British and Colonial Aeroplane Company
Designer
Frank Barnwell
First flight
9 September 1916
Retired
1930s
Status
1
Primary users
Royal Flying Corps
Polish Air Force
Produced
Number built
5,329
Unit cost
The arrival of the F.2A on the Western Front was deliberately timed for April
1917, as the British launched the Battle of Arras. In the event, this month
became known as Bloody April: casualties were high throughout the RFC, and
initially the Bristol fighter was no exception. At this period, contemporary
two-seater aircraft were far less nimble than fighter aircraft, and many types
lacked the structural strength to carry out the aggressive manoeuvres needed for
dogfighting. The first "Brisfit" aircrews were accustomed to the standard
doctrine of maintaining formation and using the crossfire of the observers' guns
to counter enemy fighter aircraft.
The very first F.2A patrol of six aircraft from No. 48 Squadron RFC, led by
Victoria Cross recipient William Leefe Robinson, ran into five Albatros D.IIIs
from Jasta 11 led by Manfred von Richthofen. Four out of the six F.2As were shot
Pilots soon realised that the Bristol Fighter was a strong and agile aircraft,
capable of manoeuvring with single-seat fighters. If its fixed forward-firing
gun was used as the primary weapon, the observer could use his flexible, rear
mounted gun to provide protection for the aircraft's tail. Flown in this manner,
the Bristol Fighter proved a formidable opponent for German fighters.
In September and October 1917, orders for 1,600 F.2Bs were placed, and by the
end of the First World War the Royal Air Force had 1,583 F.2Bs in squadron
service. A total of 5,329 aircraft were eventually built, mostly by Bristol but
also by Standard Motors, Armstrong Whitworth and even the Cunard Steamship
Company. After the war, F.2Bs continued to operate in army cooperation and light
bombing roles throughout the British Empire, in particular the Middle East,
India and China. The F.2B also served with the New Zealand Permanent Air Force
and RAAF as well as with the air forces of Belgium, Canada, Ireland, Greece,
Mexico, Norway, Peru, Spain and Sweden. It was not until 1932 that the F.2B was
finally withdrawn from RAF service, the last "Brisfit" unit being No. 20
Squadron RAF stationed in India. The type lasted a further three years in New
Zealand.
Specifications (F.2B)
General characteristics
Crew: 2 (pilot & observer/gunner)
Length: 25 ft 10 in (7.87 m)
Wingspan: 39 ft 3 in (11.96 m)
Height: 9 ft 9 in (2.97 m)
Empty weight: 2,145 lb (975 kg)
Max. takeoff weight: 3,243 lb (1,474 kg)
Performance
Maximum speed: 123 mph (107 kn, 198 km/h) at 5,000 ft (1,500 m)
Range: 369 mi (320 nmi, 593 km)
Service ceiling: 18,000 ft (5,500 m)
Rate of climb: 889 ft/min (4.5 m/s)
Armament
Guns:
Bombs: 240 lb (110 kg)
*
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