Country of origin:

United Kingdom

Description:

Two-seat biplane fighter

Power Plant:

One 205 kw (275 hp) Rolls Royce Falcon III 12-cylinder VEE liquid-cooled engine

Specifications:

Armament:

One fixed 7.7 mm (0.303 in) Vickers machine gun synchronised to fire through propeller
disc; one 7.7 mm (0.303 in) Lewis machine gun on a Scarff mounting on rear cockpit; racks
for up to twelve 11 kg (25 lb) Cooper bombs, or two 51 kg (112 lb) bombs

History:

Known as the ‘Brisfit’, the Bristol Fighter was produced in large numbers during World War I as the F.2a and F.2b, some 5,308 examples being constructed with a variety of engines, including the Rolls Royce Falcon I, Falcon II, Falcon III, 112 kw (150 hp) Hispano Suiza, 149 kw (200 hp) Hispano Suiza, various variants of the Siddeley Puma, 149 kw (200 hp) Sunbeam Arab I, 149 kw (200 hp) Wolseley Viper, and 149 kw (200 hp) RAF 4d. Examples in the United States had the 298 kw (400 hp) Liberty 12, the 224 kw (300 hp) Wright H engine, this aircraft being known as the XB-1A, and the 261 kw (350 hp) Packard IA-1327 engine in the XB-180 P-18. Two examples known as the P-30 had the 224 kw (300 hp) Hispano Suiza engine.

The type was also built in the United States, being re-designed to take the 298 kw (400 hp) Liberty 12 engine. This was a 27-litre (1,649 cub in) 45 degrees V-12 liquid-cooled unit which was designed for ease of production and to provide a good power-to-weight ratio. It was produced during the war by a number of companies and some 13,574 were completed. Maximum rate of aircraft production was 150 per day during World War I. Production continued and total production ended up with 20,478 being completed. It was also produced in the United Kingdom by Nuffield and was installed in a number of tanks for the army.

A contract was placed with the Fisher Body Corporation for 1,000 aircraft, but this was cancelled and was re-allocated to the Curtiss Aeroplane & Motor Company, later in December 1917 being increased to 2,000. However, the Liberty unit was not suitable for this aircraft and the US Air Board ordered that production aircraft be fitted with the Liberty 8 or the 224 kw (300 hp) Hispano Suiza. The Liberty 8 was also found wanting and in the event only two prototypes (known as the O-1) and 25 production aircraft were completed in the US by Curtiss; 40 known as the XB-1A by Dayton-Wright Airplane Company at Daytn, Ohio; and one by the Engineering Division of the Bureau of Aircraft Production at Dayton. Forty F.2bs were built in Belgium and the rest of the production was in the United Kingdom.

The prototype F.2a (A3303) made its first flight on 12 September 1916 powered by a 142 kw (190 hp) Rolls Royce Falcon I engine, a distinctive feature of this aircraft being the radiators aligned with the front centre-section struts. These were deleted on the second prototype (E3304), which had a 112 kw (150 hp) Hispano Suiza engine and was test flown on 25 October 1916. After a number of modifications, became the prototype for the F.2b. Only 50 F.2as were built.

The type entered service with No 48 Squadron RFC in April 1916 at Netheravon in Wiltshire and the first patrol of six aircraft on 5 April saw four shot down by Albatros D IIIs of Jasta II. Later F.2bs became known as Mk Is, and those modified for tropical use became the Mk II. Others which received some strengthening became the Mk III, the prototype of this model being serial H1420. The last model was the Mk IV which had a larger fin and balanced rudder, as well as Handley Page slots on the upper wings. Production ceased in 1927. As noted elsewhere, many were converted for civil use as the Bristol Tourer, and eight examples came to and operated in Australia.

The Bristol F.2b Fighter also served with the RNZAF, these being operated as multi-role aircraft, duties including advanced training, communications, Army co-operation, meteorological flights and survey work. Two were fitted with Eagle VIII cameras in 1926. Two were initially obtained (serials H1557 and H1558) but were supplemented by further examples, being two Mk IIs (serials 6856 and 6857), a Mk III Dual (7120) and two Mk IIIs [J type] (serials 7121 and 7122). These aircraft served from 1919 to 1936 in the general purpose, survey and Army co-operation roles.

The first two (serials H1557 and H1558 – c/ns 5274 and 5275) were received as part of the Imperial Gift of aircraft to the colonies; whereas the Mk IIs were new aircraft obtained in 1925, the Mk IIIs being received in 1927. Three were lost in accidents. The survivors eventually becoming instructional airframes in late 1936 or early 1937. H1557 crashed on 17 March 1926; H1558 was lost in an accident in March 1929 and was broken up for spares; and 7121 crashed at Lake Ellesmere Range on 25 February 1936 during exercises. None has survive, the last of the survivors becoming instructional airframes in 1936, eventually being scrapped.

The Bristol Fighter was also used in some numbers by the AFC. No 67 (Australian) Squadron served on the Eastern Front in Palestine, later becoming No 1 Squadron AFC. It operated the F.2b, along with other types, receiving aircraft from No 111 Squadron, RFC. By the end of January it was equipped with nine F.2bs, and by the end of March it was operating 18, these being Mk Is with Rolls Royce Falcon I engines. Later it received Mk IIIs with the Falcon III engine. They were used for Army distant reconnaissance, mapping and photography work, and in operations against Turkish forces, as well as dropping bombs.

One interesting flight was that of Ross Smith when he (in B1229) flew Lt Col T E Lawrence [Lawrence of Arabia] into the desert to discuss Arab co-operation. In a period of two months before the attack on Armageddon, Bristol Fighters destroyed 15 and damaged 27 enemy aircraft. On one occasion two Fighters defeated eight German aircraft, shooting down four. After the Armistice the Bristol Fighters were returned to No 111 Squadron RAF and No 1 Squadron returned to Australia.

No 3 Squadron AFC also used the Bristol Fighter on the Western Front. One (E2529) flown by L J W Wackett escorted by SE-5as flew 10 km (6 miles) behind enemy lines to photograph enemy defences at Joncourt in France before the attack on the Hindenburg line. This Bristol Fighter was temporarily attached to the unit for long-distance reconnaissance and artillery shoots, but later three more (serials B2351, C917 and C995) were formed into a flight. After the Armistice the Australian units returned to Australia, the AFC being disbanded, being replaced by the Australian Air Corps, which was formed at Point Cook, VIC.

In Australia a committee was set up with a view to obtaining 200 aircraft from the United Kingdom, including the Bristol F.2b, de Havilland DH.9A, Vickers Vimy and Sopwith Snipe. This eventually led to the Imperial Gift but no Bristol F.2bs were received.

Two replicas of the Bristol Tourer, known as the Air Charter Bristol F.2b, were built for a TV series known as ‘A Thousand Skies’, the story of the early flying career of Sir Charles Kingsford Smith. They were initially fitted with a Continental IO-520 engine because the chosen power-plant was not available, but some time later they were fitted with the Geschwender conversion of the Ford V-8 engine producing 336 kw (450 hp). After filming one of these VH-UDR (c/n QA.32-2) was converted to Bristol Fighter configuration and placed in the Museum of Army Flying at Oakey, QLD, painted as C4623.

The other, painted as G-AUDK (VH-UDC – c/n QA.32-1), flew for some little time before suffering an accident in Western Australia, was recovered and repaired, and was placed on display in the WA Museum at Geraldton, WA. Another replica has been built and placed on display at the RAAF Association Museum at Bull Creek, near Perth, WA. This replica was a Civil Aviation Historical Society (WA Division) project to commemorate the 70th Anniversary of the first regular air transport in Western Australia and was constructed by Messrs Frank and Lyn Matthews of Maddington, WA.  In 2021 one of the aicraft built for the tlevision series was obtained by the Evans Head, NSW Aviation Heritage Centre where it is proposed to restore it to airworthy condition.

Survivors of the F.2b series have included: G-ACAA/D8084 airworthy in the United Kingdom after being restored by Skysport Engineering in Bedfordshire; G-AANM (D7889) fitted with a Rolls Royce Falcon engine; E2466 on display at the RAF Museum at Hendon in Greater London; D8096 airworthy with the Shuttleworth Trust collection at Old Warden in Bedfordshire; and E2581 at the Imperial War Museum at Lambeth in South London. One (c/n 849) is under restoration to airworthiness.

A replica built in the United States and registered N624 in August 1991, initially carrying the serial J7624, was airworthy at Omaka as ZK-JNU (c/n ERS.2) and was regularly seen at aviation events, being first registered in New Zealand on 8 May 2002. The aircraft was built by Edward Storo of Memphis, Tennessee. It was constructed of 4130 steel fuselage, fin and rudder, the wings being constructed from spruce. It was powered by a 149 kw (200 hp) six-cylinder Ranger engine. In January 2015 it was conveyed [with the serial B1112] to Avalon, VIC with other aircraft from The Vintage Aviator Limited (TVAL) collection and demonstrated at the Australian International Air Show before being sold to an Australian operator to be operated by The Australian Vintage Aviation Society (TAVAS) at Caboolture, QLD. The colour scheme at that time of serial B1112 was to represent the aircraft of Captain C Jones of No 16 Squadron, RFC in 1918. It became VH-IIZ4 (c/n ERS.2 – ex ZK-JNU, N624) on 19 June 2015.

Another (G-AEPH – D8096) owned by the Omaka Collection was imported to New Zealand from the United Kingdom in 2006, becoming ZK-BRI (c/n 7434), being airworthy and registered to Vintage Aviation Ltd of Wellington.

An original example (serial 66) has been displayed at the Brussels Military Museum in Belgium.

A fourth reproduction was completed by TVAL and flown for the first time after completion in New Zealand in July 2014, this aircraft becoming ZK-VTV (c/n C794). Fitted with a Hispano Suiza engine, and carrying the serial E2262, it was painted in the markings of No 39 Home Defence Squadron, RAF. It was test flown and exported to France where it took up residence with the Collection Salis of Les Casque de Cuir based near Paris, becoming F-AYBF.

In th 1970s a film was planned entitled ‘A High Road to China’ starring Tom Selleck, and part of the story was to use Bristol Fighters. As airworthy aircraft were not available six replicas were built by Vernon Ohmert, being fitted with 149 kw (200 hp) Fairchild Ranger 6-440-C six-cylinder in-line engines. A further two non flying replicas were to be built for filming purposes. However, the makers of the film made a number of changes to plans, so the Bristol Fighters were not completed and were not used in the finally released film.

In 1981 a further film was planned entitled ‘Death Hunt’ which featured one of the replica Bristol Fighters with a red painted fuselage fitted with skis, representing an aircraft of the RCAF. This aircraft was N29HC and was the first of the replicas to fly on 4 July 1979. It was damaged during filming and one of the other aircraft had to be substituted.

Later the six aircraft were placed in storage in Chino, California, where they remained for over 30 years. On their recovery in 2017 one (N47HC) was sold and was taken to Schellville Airport near Sonoma in northern California. Another, the second aircraft completed (N34HC – E2624), was restored to static display and placed on  display at the Planes of Fame Museum in Chino in the United States.

The remaining four were imported to Omaka near Blenheim in New Zealand where work commenced on their restoration, a couple being offered for sale.  The first of these completed was registered as N29HC in 1979 and flew for the first time on 4 July that year, being registered to Visionair International.  It was restored by JEM Aviation at Omaka and was registered VH-PRK² on 17 September 2019.

In about 2016 Phillip Cooper commenced construction of a full size Bristol F.2b replica to celebrate the history of the Australian Flying Corps.  In 2017 he obtained the fuselage and wings of one of the aircraft imported to Omaka, NZ and work commenced on restoration at Luskintyre Aircraft Restorations, NSW, using parts of his original project with the aircraft imported.  This aircraft when completed will be fitted with a de Havilland Gipsy Queen 70 engine with the exhaust system built to look like that utilised by the Rolls Royce Falcon V-12 engine.

In 2021 one of the Bristol Fighters built for an ABC TV series was obtained by the Evans Head Heritage Museum and was being made airworthy as part of the museum’s collection.

In the 1970s four replicas of the Bristol Fighter were built for the movie “High Road To China” starring Tom Selleck and Bess Armstrong.  Despite being built, they were not used during the movie’s production in 2010.  The aircraft were eventually placed into storage in containers at the Planes of Fame Museum at Chino, Los Angeles, USA, having been built at Ypsilant in Michigan, USA.

Eventually five were stored, of which one was placed on display at the Planes of Fame Museum, the other four being imported to Omaka, New Zealand, for private collectors.

The identities of the aircraft were: c/n VO.1 (EVA), N-29HC, which became ZK-FRK.

C/n VO.2 (HUNTRESS), N-34HC, which became ZK-BHS.

C/n VO.3, N-36HC.  This aircraft is on display at the Planes of Fame Museum at Vaile, Arizona, USA.

C/n VO.4, N-47HC.  This aircraft was obtained by, and restored by, the Rhinebeck Collection in New York, USA, where it has been regularly flown.

C/n VO.5, N-65HC.

C/n VO.6, N-75HC, VH-BFI.  This aircraft has been restored with a de Havilland Gipsy Queen engine at Luskintyre Aircraft Restorations in the Hunter Valley, NSW.