Bristol Bulldog

Infobox Aircraft
name=Type 105 Bulldog


caption=
type=Fighter
manufacturer=Bristol Aeroplane Company Filton, Bristol
designer=Frank Barnwell
first flight= 21 January 1928
introduced= 1929
retired=
status=
primary user= Royal Air Force
more users= Spanish Air Force Finnish Air Force Royal Australian Air Force
produced=
number built= 443 (including prototypes and licence built)
unit cost=
variants with their own articles=The Bristol Bulldog was a British Royal Air Force (RAF) single-seat biplane fighter designed during the 1920s by the Bristol Aeroplane Company, with over four hundred "Bulldogs" produced, that arguably became the most famous aircraft during the RAF's inter-war period.

Design and development

In September 1926, the Air Ministry stated a need for a single-seat fighter capable of operating in day and night-time conditions; to be armed with two 0.303 in (7.7 mm) Vickers machine guns and to be powered by a radial air-cooled engine. This requirement was laid down in Specification F9/26. The Bulldog was designed by Frank Barnwell, the Chief Designer of the Bristol company, (who had served as a Captain in the British Army during the First World War), as a private venture to meet the requirements of this specification. The prototype Bulldog, the Bulldog Mk. I first flew on 17 May 1927 Mason 1992 ] . After initial consideration of all the types entered to meet the specification, the Bulldog and the Hawker Hawfinch were selected for more detailed evaluation Mason 1992 ] . While the Bulldog's manouverability and strength were praised by the RAF Barnes 1964] , it initially had poor spinning recovery properties and was therefore fitted with a lengthened rear fuselage. In this form, it was declared the winner of the competition, having slightly superior speed Barnes 1964] and was easier to maintain Barnes 1964] , and required fewer changes to produce an operational aircraft than the Hawfinch Mason 1992 ] .

The full-production Bulldog came in the form of the Mk.II, which had a modified structure but in every other respect was identical to the original Bulldog; having two 0.303 in (7.7 mm) Vickers machine guns; a capacity for four 20 lb (9 kg) bombs; a 450 hp (336 kW) Bristol Jupiter radial engine; giving the Bulldog a maximum speed of just under 180 mph (290 km/h) and a range of 300 miles (480 km). The aircraft then entered production in 1928, entering service the following year, and becoming, during the early 1930s, the most widely used aircraft in the RAF. It was cheap to maintain and thus, at a time of defence budget constraints, was the more preferable option to any other competitors. The Mk. IIA was again virtually similar to its predecessor, though it had a new Jupiter engine and a strengthened structure.

The Bulldog proved to be quite a successful export to foreign air forces, seeing service with Australia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Japan, Latvia, Siam, Spain and Sweden. The "Bulldog" was withdrawn from RAF service in 1937, being replaced by the Hawker Hurricane and Supermarine Spitfire, both of which would become legends of the RAF for their contributions during the Second World War. The Bristol Bulldog's career was not over though, for the type continued to serve with other air forces.

Operational history

The Bulldog never saw combat service with the RAF, though during the Abyssinia Crisis of 1935-36, Bristol Bulldogs were sent to the Sudan to reinforce Middle East Command. Douglas Bader, better known for his Second World War actions, lost both of his legs when his Bristol Bulldog crashed while he was performing unauthorised flying acrobatics. A number of Bulldogs, ex-Latvian aircraft, saw service during the Spanish Civil War, as part of the forces fighting the Nationalists. Nineteen Bulldogs also saw combat as part of the Finnish Air Force during the Winter War against the Soviet Union, which began in 1939. The "Bulldogs" fought well against their Soviet opponent, gaining six kills by five pilots for the loss of one of their own, [http://www.sci.fi/~ambush/faf/fafincolor.html Finnish Air Force Aircraft: Bristol Bulldog] FAF in Color.] the types shot down being two Polikarpov I-16s and four Tupolev SB-2s, both of which were quite superior in terms of technology compared to the Bulldog. In fact, the very first aerial victory of Finnish Air Force was achieved by a Bulldog piloted by SSgt Toivo Uuttu on 1 December 1939 [http://surfcity.kund.dalnet.se/finland_uttu.htm] ] . The Bulldog continued in service during the subsequent Continuation War against the Soviet Union, though without scoring any further kills or suffering losses.

Variants

;Bulldog I:Single-seat day and night fighter prototype. 2 built by Bristol Aeroplane Co.;Bulldog II:Single-seat day and night fighter version. Powered by a 328-kW (440-hp) Bristol Jupiter VII radial piston engine. 92 built by Bristol Aeroplane.;Bulldog IIA:Single-seat day and night fighter version. Powered by a 365-kW (490-hp) Bristol Jupiter VIIF radial piston engine. 268 built by Bristol.;Bulldog IIIA:Interim aircraft. Only two aircraft were built by Bristol.;Bulldog IVA:Single-seat day and night fighter version. Powered by a 477-kW (640-hp) Bristol Mercury radial piston engine. 18 built by Bristol.;Bulldog TM (Type 124):Two-seat training version. 59 built by Bristol.

;"J.S.S.F.":Two aircraft license-built by Nakajima Aircraft Works, Japan.

Operators

;AUS
*Royal Australian Air Force
** No. 1 Squadron RAAF - Bulldog Mk. IIA
** No. 2 Squadron RAAF - Bulldog Mk. IIA;DNK;EST;FIN
*Finnish Air Force;JPN;LAT;flagicon|Thailand Siam;flagicon|Spain|1931 Spanish Republic
*Spanish Air Force;SWE;UK
*Royal Air Force
** No. 3 Squadron RAF - Bulldog Mk.II and Bulldog Mk. IIA
** No. 17 Squadron RAF - Bulldog Mk. II and Bulldog Mk. IIA
** No. 19 Squadron RAF - Bulldog Mk. IIA
** No. 23 Squadron RAF - Bulldog Mk. IIA
** No. 24 Squadron RAF - One two-seat Bulldog was used by No. 24 (Communications) Squadron.
** No. 29 Squadron RAF - Bulldog Mk. IIA
** No. 32 Squadron RAF - Bulldog Mk. IIA
** No. 41 Squadron RAF - Bulldog Mk. IIA
** No. 54 Squadron RAF - Bulldog Mk. IIA
** No. 56 Squadron RAF - Bulldog Mk. IIA
** No. 111 Squadron RAF - Bulldog Mk. IIA
** No. 3 Flying Training School
** No. 5 Flying Training School
** Central Flying School RAF
** RAF College, Cranwell

pecifications (Bulldog II)

aircraft specifications
plane or copter?=
jet or prop?=
ref=British Aircraft Directory [http://www.britishaircraft.co.uk/aircraftpage.php?ID=166]
crew=1
capacity=
payload main=
payload alt=
length main= 25 ft 2 in
length alt=7.67 m
span main=33 ft 10 in
span alt=10.3 m
span sweep=
height main=8 ft 9 in
height alt=2.67 m
area main= 307 ft²
area alt= 28.5 m²
airfoil=
empty weight main= 2,200 lb
empty weight alt= 1,000 kg
loaded weight main=
loaded weight alt=
useful load main=
useful load alt=
max takeoff weight main= 3,490 lb
max takeoff weight alt= 1586 kg
more general=
engine (prop)= Bristol Jupiter VII
type of prop=radial piston engine
number of props=1
power main= 440 hp
power alt=328 kW
power original=
max speed main= 155 knots
max speed alt= 178 mph , 287 km/h
cruise speed main=
cruise speed alt=
stall speed main=
stall speed alt=
never exceed speed main=
never exceed speed alt=
range main=
range alt=
ceiling main= 29,300 ft
ceiling alt= 8930 m
climb rate main=
climb rate alt=
loading main=
loading alt=
thrust/weight=
power/mass main=
power/mass alt=
more performance=
armament=
* Two 0.303 in (7.7 mm) Vickers machine guns
* Four 20 lb (9 kg) bombs
avionics=

ee also

aircontent
similar aircraft=
* Gloster Grebe
* Gloster Gamecock
* Hawker Woodcock
lists=
* List of aircraft of the RAF
* List of fighter aircraft

References

Notes

Bibliography

* Andrews, C.F. "The Bristol Bulldog (Aircraft in Profile No.6)". Leatherhead, Surrey, UK: Profile Publications Ltd., 1965.
* Barnes, C.H. "Bristol Aircraft Since 1910". London: Putnam, 1964.
* Crawford. Alex. "Bristol Bulldog, Gloster Gauntlet". Sandomierz, Poland/Redbourn, UK: Mushroom Model Publications, 2005. ISBN 83-89450-04-6.
* Granger. "The Bristol Bulldog (Data Plan No. 2)". Taurus Press, 1973.
* López, Rafael A. Permuy and Pérez, Artemio Mortera "Bristol "Bulldog" (I) (Perfiles Aeronauticos: La Maquina y la Historia 8)". Valladolid, Spain: Quiron Ediciones, 2006. ISBN 84-96016-03-X.
* López, Rafael A. Permuy and Pérez, Artemio Mortera "Bristol "Bulldog" (II) (Perfiles Aeronauticos: La Maquina y la Historia 9)". Valladolid, Spain: Quiron Ediciones, 2006. ISBN 84-96016-04-0.
* Mason, Francis K. "The British Fighter since 1912". Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press, 1992. ISBN ISBN 1-55750-082-7.

External links

* [http://www.avrosys.nu/aircraft/Jakt/107J7.htm Sweden: J 7 - Bristol Bulldog Mk IIA (1930-1940)]
* [http://glostransporthistory.visit-gloucestershire.co.uk/JetAgeRMCbristol.htm Bristol Aircraft]
* [http://www.rafmuseum.org.uk/bristol-bulldog-mkiia.htm RAF Museum Bristol Bulldog Mk IIA]