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Bristol F2
Fighter History
Captain Frank Barnwell designed
the Bristol F2 Fighter during the middle of WW1 for the British RFC and
Colonial Aeroplane Company. It was a two seat fighter aircraft
intended to replace the RFC's obsolete Royal Aircraft Factory F.E.2
and Sopwith 1½ Strutter fighters. To facilitate the project, Captain
Barnwell was released from active service to take up the position of
chief designer at Bristol. The Bristol F2 Fighter was a
relatively large and heavy wooden framed biplane aircraft, but was
able to hold it's own against smaller single seat biplanes once the
definitive Bristol F2b fighter variant was introduced.
Bristol
F2b Fighter
in WW1
The Bristol F2a fighter entered
operational service during WW1 with the Royal Flying Corps, in April 1917,
but initially suffered heavy losses. This was partially due to the use of
an inappropriate strategy which had been developed for the older
biplane aircraft that the Bristol F2b replaced, and partially due to
engine reliability issues. Once tactical lessons had been learnt and the
Bristol F2b fighter, with it's more powerful Rolls-Royce Falcon III
liquid-cooled V12 engine, came into front line service,
the Bristol F2b fighter proved to
be a very good WW1 biplane fighter.
Bristol
F2b Fighter
Biplane Post WW1
A total in excess of 5,000
of these fighter aircraft were produced, and production continued until 1927. The
Bristol F2b fighter, or "Brisfit"
and "Biff" as it was popularly known, remained in service
with the RAF in the
British colonies until the early years of the 1930's. Many Bristol
F2b fighters eventually ended up in civilian hands with many private owners
coveting the Bristol F2b aircraft for it's renowned rugged reliability.
Various scale
models, model kits and plans of this aircraft have been available
in the market place.
Bristol
F2b
Fighter Specifications:
Bristol F2b
Crew: 2
Bristol F2b Length: 25 ft 10 in (7.87 m)
Bristol F2b Wing Span: 39 ft 3 in (11.96 m)
Bristol F2b Length: 25 ft 10 in (7.87 m)
Bristol F2b Height: 9 ft 9 in (2.97 m)
Bristol F2b Power-plant: Rolls-Royce Falcon III, 12 cylinder, liquid cooled
inline V, 270 hp
Bristol F2b Weight: 2,779 lb (1,261 kg)
Bristol F2b Maximum speed: 123 mph (198 km/h)
Bristol F2b Service Ceiling: 21,500 ft (6,553 m)
Bristol F2b Range: 3 hours maximum endurance
Bristol
F2b Fighter Armament:
Guns:
1 Vickers machine gun, synchronized, forward firing
2-3 Lewis machine guns on a scarf ring in the rear cockpit
Bombs:
240lb (108.9 kg) of bombs
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