Bristol Type 84 Bloodhound

* "For the surface-to-air missile see: Bristol Bloodhound

infobox Aircraft
name = Bloodhound
type = Fighter/Reconnaissance
manufacturer = Bristol Aeroplane Company


caption =
designer =
first flight = May 1923
introduced =
introduction=
retired =
status = Prototype only
primary user =
more users =
produced =
number built = 4
unit cost =
developed from =
variants with their own articles = The Bristol Bloodhound was a British two seat reconnaissance/fighter aircraft designed and built by the Bristol Aeroplane Company as a possible replacement for the Bristol F.2 Fighter for the Royal Air Force. It was unsuccessful, only four prototypes being built.

Development and design

After the failure of the two-seat version of the Bristol Bullfinch, the requirement remained for a Royal Air Force replacement for the Bristol F.2 Fighter. The Air Ministry therefore issued Specification 3/22 for a two-seat fighter powered by a supercharged engine. Bristol's chief designer, Wilfred Reid (who had replaced Frank Barnwell when Barnwell emigrated to Australia), designed the Bristol Type 84 Bloodhound to meet this requirement, with Bristol deciding to build a prototype as a private venture Cite book |author=Barnes, C.H.|title=Bristol Aircraft Since 1910 |Edition =First Edition |publisher=Putnam |location= London|year=1964 .

The Bloodhound was a two-seat biplane with swept two-bay wings, powered by a Bristol Jupiter IV radial engine. It first flew at the end of May 1923. It was redesigned with a lengthened fuselage and revised wings when Frank Barnwell returned from Australia to resume his role as the chief designer. The Air Ministry placed an order for three Bloodhounds to a revised specification (22/22), of which one was of all metal construction and the other two were fitted with wooden wings Cite book|author=Mason, Francis K|title=The British Fighter since 1912|publisher=Naval Institute Press|year=1992
isbn= ISBN 1-55750-082-7, the first of these flying on 4 February 1925. After evaluation at Martlesham Heath and Farnborough, it was clear that the Bloodhound was not adequate for the role of replacing the Bristol Fighter, with the same true for other, similar aircraft being evaluated to replace the Bristol Fighter in the reconnaissance role, the Hawker Duiker, Armstrong Whitworth Wolf and de Havilland D.H.42 Dormouse.

The first prototype was fitted with a new Jupiter V engine, and received a civil certificate of airworthiness before being flown in the 1925 King's Cup Race. It was then fitted with a Jupiter VI engine and long-range tanks as an engine testbed cite book |last= Jackson|first= A.J. |title= British Civil Aircraft since 1919 Volume 1|year= 1974|publisher= Putnam|location= London|isbn=0 370 10006 9 ] , proving the reliability of the Jupiter for Imperial Airways before finally being scrapped in 1931.

Operators

;UK
*Bristol Aeroplane Company
*Royal Air Force

pecifications (Bloodhound)

aircraft specifications
plane or copter?=plane
jet or prop?=prop

ref=The British Fighter since 1912

crew=Two
capacity=
length main= 26 ft 6 in
length alt= 8.08 m
span main= 40 ft 2 in
span alt= 12.25 m
height main= 10 ft 8 in
height alt= 3.25 m
area main= 494 ft²
area alt= 45.9 m²
airfoil=
empty weight main= 2,515 lb
empty weight alt= 1,143 kg
loaded weight main= 4,236 lb
loaded weight alt= 1,925 kg
useful load main=
useful load alt=
max takeoff weight main=
max takeoff weight alt=
more general=

engine (prop)=Bristol Jupiter IV
type of prop=radial engine
number of props=1
power main= 425 hp
power alt= 317 kW
power original=
max speed main= 113 knots
max speed alt= 130 mph, 209 km/h
max speed more= at sea level
cruise speed main=
cruise speed alt=
never exceed speed main=
never exceed speed alt=
stall speed main=
stall speed alt=
range main=
range alt=
ceiling main= 22,000 ft
ceiling alt= 6,700 m
climb rate main=
climb rate alt=
loading main= 8.57 lb/ft²
loading alt= 41.9 kg/m²
thrust/weight=
power/mass main= 0.10 hp/lb
power/mass alt= 0.16 kW/kg
more performance=*Endurance: 3 hours

armament=
* 1 fixed, forward firing Vickers gun and one Lewis gun with Scarff ring in rear cockpit.
* Four 20 lb (9 kg) bombs

avionics=

References

External links

[http://www.edcoatescollection.com/ac5/ROW%20Europe/G-EBGG.html "G-EBGG"]
[http://www.britishaircraft.co.uk/aircraftpage.php?ID=156 British Aircraft Directory]
[http://www.transportarchive.org.uk/getobject.php?rnum=G1470&searchitem=Jupiter&mtv=G1&pnum=1 The transport Archive - Type 84 - Bristol Bloodhound]