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The Bristol Bulldog is a British Royal Air Force single-seat biplane fighter designed during the 1920s by the Bristol Aeroplane Company. More than 400 Bulldogs were produced for the RAF and overseas customers, and it was one of the most famous aircraft used by the RAF during the inter-war period.

Background

The design of the Bulldog was the outcome of a series of design studies for fighters undertaken by Frank Barnwell during the 1920s. In 1924 Barnwell had started work on a fighter powered by the Rolls-Royce Falcon to meet the requirements of specification F.17/24. The project was shelved since Bristol preferred to use its own engine designs, but was revived in 1926 when Barnwell started work on a design, designated the Bristol 102, to meet either F.9/26 for a day-and-night fighter or N.21/26 for a shipborne fighter.

The Type 105 designation was first applied to a subsequent proposal for another aircraft to meet F.9/26 powered by the Mercury engine then under development at Bristol. These proposals looked promising enough for a pair of mock ups to be constructed for inspection by the Air Ministry in February 1927. The two aircraft were similar in design, the interceptor to specification F.17/24 design being slightly smaller and lighter and not equipped with radio. As a result, Bristol was asked to revise the design so that it met a later interceptor specification, F.20/27. Subsequently, a prototype aircraft, now called the Type 107 Bullpup was ordered for evaluation, but the other design did not gain official backing. Bristol considered it promising enough to build a prototype for the F.9/26 trials as a private venture, powered by a Bristol Jupiter because the supply of Mercurys was expected to be limited.

Design and development

The Type 105 was an unequal span single bay biplane powered by a supercharged Bristol Jupiter VII air-cooled radial engine driving a two-bladed propeller. The structure was all-metal with a fabric covering, using members built up from rolled high-tensile steel strips riveted together. In order to ensure the maximum field of view there was a large semi-circular cut-out in the trailing edge of the upper wing and the inboard section of the lower was of reduced chord. Frise ailerons were fitted to the top wing only. It was armed with a pair of Vickers machine guns mounted one either side of the cockpit.

The prototype Bulldog first flew on 17 May 1927. Initial testing was entirely satisfactory and it was delivered to RAF Martlesham Heath in June. After consideration of all the types entered to meet the specification, the Bulldog and the Hawker Hawfinch were selected for more detailed evaluation.

A second prototype with a lengthened rear fuselage was ordered for further evaluation in comparison with the Hawfinch. In this form, the Type 105A or Bulldog Mk. II, it was first flown by Cyril Uwins on 21 January 1928 and shortly afterwards delivered to Martlesham Heath. Performance was so close to that of the Hawfinch that a decision was deferred until the aircraft had been evaluated by service pilots; the eventual choice of the Bulldog was made largely because it was easier to maintain. An initial contract for 25 aircraft was placed: Bristol accordingly laid down 26 airframes, the extra one being intended as a company demonstration aircraft. The first of these were delivered on 8 May 1929 and deliveries were complete by 10 October.

Later production aircraft were of a refined version, the Mk. IIA with revised wing spars and a stronger fuselage, powered by the improved Jupiter VII F. One production aircraft was modified for use as an advanced trainer: after evaluation by the Central Flying School at Upavon this was ordered by the RAF, the production aircraft differing from the prototype in having slightly swept wings and an enlarged fin to improve spin recovery.

Operational history

thumb|A Bristol Bulldog preserved at the [[Royal Air Force Museum|RAF Museum, Hendon]]

The Bulldog never saw combat with the RAF, although 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 he crashed his Bristol Bulldog while he was performing unauthorised aerobatics at Woodley airfield near Reading. The Bulldog was withdrawn from RAF Fighter Command in July 1937, being primarily replaced by the Gloster Gauntlet. but continued to serve the RAF for a few years with Service Flying Training Schools.

In 1936, Latvia, intent on replacing its Bulldogs with more modern aircraft, sold 11 Bulldogs to Basque nationalist forces. These became part of the Spanish Republican Air Force in the Spanish Civil War; remaining in use until the Battle of Santander. The first aerial victory of the Finnish Air Force was achieved by a Bulldog piloted by SSgt Toivo Uuttu on 1 December 1939, over an I-16.

;"J.S.S.F." (Japanese Single-Seat Fighter)

:Two aircraft licence-built by Nakajima Aircraft Works, Japan.

;B.Kh.6

:() Royal Siamese Air Force designation for the Bulldog Mk. II.

Operators

thumb|Bristol Bulldog preserved at the [[Hallinportti Aviation Museum.]]

;

  • Royal Australian Air Force
  • No. 1 Squadron RAAF – Bulldog Mk. IIA
  • No. 2 Squadron RAAF – Bulldog Mk. IIA

;

  • Royal Danish Air Force

;

  • Estonian Air Force

;

  • Finnish Air Force – Bulldog Mk. IVA

;

  • Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service

;

  • Latvian Air Force

; (now Thailand)

  • Royal Siamese Air Force Two bought for comparison purposes

;

  • Spanish Republican Air Force

;

  • Royal Swedish Air Force Two remaining Bulldog Mk. IIA donated to Finland 1939

;

  • Royal Air Force
  • No. 3 Squadron RAF – May 1929 to July 1937
  • No. 17 Squadron RAF – October 1929 to August 1936
  • No. 24 Squadron RAF – One two-seat Bulldog was used by No. 24 (Communications) Squadron.
  • No. 29 Squadron RAF – June 1932 to April 1935

Surviving aircraft

;Finland

  • BU-59 – Bulldog IVA on static display at the Hallinportti Aviation Museum in Kuorevesi, Jämsä.

;United Kingdom

  • G-ABBB – Bulldog IIA on static display at the Royal Air Force Museum London in London. This aircraft was the civilian demonstrator and is painted as K2227. It was severely damaged in a crash in 1964 at the Farnborough Airshow and repaired in the late 1990s.

In addition an airworthy replica was constructed by Ed Storo of Tillamook, Oregon between 2000 and 2022. It is powered by a Pratt & Whitney R-1340 Wasp due to the scarcity of the original Bristol Jupiter engine.

Specifications (Bulldog IIa)

thumb|Bristol Bulldog 3-view drawing from Aero Digest November,1930

See also

Notes

Bibliography

  • Andrews, C.F. The Bristol Bulldog (Aircraft in Profile No.6). Leatherhead: Profile Publications Ltd., 1965.
  • Barnes, C.H. Bristol Aircraft Since 1910. London: Putnam, 1964.
  • "The Bulldog Breed" Part II. Air Enthusiast, Vol. 4, No. 2, February 1973, pp.&nbsp;91–95. Bromley, UK: Fine Scroll.
  • Crawford. Alex. Bristol Bulldog, Gloster Gauntlet. Sandomierz, Poland/Redbourn, UK: Mushroom Model Publications, 2005. .
  • Delve, Ken. Fighter Command 1936–1968: An Operational and Historical Record. Barnsley, South Yorkshire, UK: Pen & Sword, 2008. .
  • Gerdessen, Frederik. "Estonian Air Power 1918 – 1945". Air Enthusiast, No. 18, April – July 1982. pp.&nbsp;61–76. .
  • Granger, Alfred. The Bristol Bulldog (Data Plan No. 2). Hamburg, Germany: Taurus Press, 1973.
  • Keskinen, Kalevi, Niska, Klaus, Stenman Kari and Geust, Carl-Frederik. Suomen museolentokoneet (Museum Aircraft in Finland). Espoo, Tietoteos, 1981. .
  • López, Rafael A. Permuy and Artemio Mortera Pérez. Bristol "Bulldog" (I) (Perfiles Aeronáuticos: La Máquina y la Historia 8) (in Spanish). Valladolid, Spain: Quiron Ediciones, 2006. .
  • López, Rafael A. Permuy and Artemio Mortera Pérez. Bristol "Bulldog" (II) (Perfiles Aeronáuticos: La Máquina y la Historia 9) (in Spanish). Valladolid, Spain: Quiron Ediciones, 2006. .
  • Lumsden, Alec. "On Silver Wings – Part 11". Aeroplane Monthly, Vol 19 No 8, August 1991. pp.&nbsp;458–463.
  • Mason, Francis K. The British Fighter since 1912. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press, 1992. .
  • Thetford, Owen. "On Silver Wings – Part 12". Aeroplane Monthly, Vol 19 No 9, September 1991. pp.&nbsp;522–528.
  • Sweden: J 7 – Bristol Bulldog Mk IIA (1930–1940)
  • Bristol Aircraft
  • RAF Museum Bristol Bulldog Mk IIA