Bristol Bullfinch

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


caption =
designer = Frank Barnwell
first flight = 6 November 1922
introduced =
introduction=
retired =
status = Prototype only
primary user =
more users =
produced =
number built = 3
unit cost =
developed from =
variants with their own articles = The Bristol Bullfinch was an experimental British military aircraft of the 1920s. Variants were built as both parasol wing monoplanes and biplane aircraft, but proved unsuccessful, only three prototypes being built.

Development

The Bullfinch was designed by Frank Barnwell, chief designer of the Bristol Aeroplane Company as a parasol-winged monoplane single-seat fighter aircraft, which was convertible to a two-seat biplane, thus meeting the requirements of the Royal Air Force for both a single-seat interceptor fighter and a two seat reconnaissance-fighter. The potential cost savings associated with this concept, which was planned to be powered by the Jupiter engine, the rights to which Bristol had just acquired from the bankrupt Cosmos Engineering, interested the Air Ministry, who wrote a specification (Specification 2/21) around Barnwell's proposed design, and ordered three prototypes in June 1921 Cite book|author=Mason, Francis K|title=The British Fighter since 1912|publisher=Naval Institute Press|year=1992
isbn= 1-55750-082-7.

The Bullfinch monoplane, or Type 52 Bullfinch Mk I, was a cantilever parasol monoplane with a welded steel tube fuselage. The wing was in two halves, joined at the aircraft centreline, with each half tapering from maximum thickness at half span to both the wing root and tips Cite book |author=Barnes, C.H.|title=Bristol Aircraft Since 1910 |Edition =First Edition |publisher=Putnam |location= London|year=1964 . The wing was wooden in the prototypes, but was planned to be of metal construction for any subsequent production aircraft. To produce the two-seat fighter reconnaissance version, the Type 53 Bullfinch Mk II, an extra fuselage bay was added aft of the pilot containing a cockpit for the observer, with a cantilever bottom wing attached which compensated for the shift in centre of gravity resulting from the lengthened fuselage.

The first prototype, a Type 52 monoplane flew on 6 November 1922, with the second prototype, also a monoplane, flying in May 1923 . After first flying as a monoplane, the third prototype was converted to biplane configuration, flying in that layout on 17 March 1924. While the single seater demonstrated reasonable performance, the two seater was overweight, and proved unable to carry the required military load. No further production occurred.

Variants

;Type 52 Bullfinch Mk I:Single seat parasol monoplane. Two built.

;Type 53 Bullfinch Mk II:Two seat biplane derivative. One built

Operators

;UK

*Royal Air Force

pecifications (Bullfinch I)

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

ref=Bristol Aircraft Since 1910

crew=1 (Bullfinch I) or 2 (Bullfinch II)
capacity=
length main= 24 ft 5 in
length alt= 7.44 m
span main= 38 ft 5 in
span alt= 11.71 m
height main= 10 ft 9 in
height alt= 3.28 m
area main= 267 ft²
area alt= 24.8 m²
airfoil=
empty weight main= 2,175 lb
empty weight alt= 989 kg
loaded weight main= 3,205 lb
loaded weight alt= 1,457 kg
useful load main=
useful load alt=
max takeoff weight main=
max takeoff weight alt=
more general= Length "(Bullfinch II)" : 27 ft 6 in (8.38 m)
*Wing Area "(Bullfinch II)" : 391 ft² (36.3 m²)
*Empty weight "(Bullfinch II)" : 2,495 lb (1,134 kg)
*Loaded weight "(Bullfinch II)" : 4,088 lb (1,858 kg)

engine (prop)=Bristol Jupiter III
type of prop= 9 cylinder radial engine
number of props=1
power main= 425 hp
power alt= 317 kW
power original=
max speed main= 117 knots
max speed alt= 135 mph, 217 km/h
max speed more= at 15,000 ft (4,600 m)
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= 12.0 lb/ft²
loading alt= 58.8 kg/m²
thrust/weight=
power/mass main= hp/lb
power/mass alt= W/kg
more performance=
*Endurance: 4 hours
*Maximum Speed "(Bullfinch II)" : 104 knots (120 mph, 193 km/h)
*Service Ceiling "(Bullfinch II)" : 18,000 ft (5,500 m)
*Wing Loading "(Bullfinch II)" : 10.5 lb/ft² ( 51.2 kg/m²)

armament=
* Two fixed, forward firing Vickers gun
* One Lewis gun with Scarff ring in rear cockpit "(Bullfinch II)"
avionics=

References

External links

[http://www.britishaircraft.co.uk/aircraftpage.php?ID=153 British Aircraft Directory]
[http://www.transportarchive.org.uk/getobject.php?rnum=G1057&searchitem=&mtv=&pnum= The Transport Archive, Bullfinch I Monoplane]
[http://www.transportarchive.org.uk/getobject.php?rnum=G1058&searchitem=bristol&mtv=G1&pnum=2 The Transport Archive, Bullfinch II Biplane]
[http://avia.russian.ee/air/england/bristol_bullfinch1.php Virtual Aircraft Museum]