View source for Bristol Aeroplane Company

{{Short description|1910–1959 UK aerospace manufacturer}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2019}}
{{Use British English|date=December 2016}}
{{not to be confused with|Bristol Aerospace}}
{{Infobox company
| name               = Bristol Aeroplane Company
| logo               = Bristol Aeroplane Company.png
| fate               = Split and merged
| successor          = [[British Aircraft Corporation]]<br>[[Bristol Siddeley]]
| foundation         = {{Start date and age|df=yes|1910}} (as British and Colonial Aircraft Company)
| founder            = [[Sir George White, 1st Baronet|Sir George White]]
| defunct            = {{End date and age|df=yes|1966}}<br>(holding company)<br>{{End date and age|df=yes|1959}}<br>(aircraft production)
| location_city      = [[Filton]]
| location_country   = [[United Kingdom]]
| industry           = [[Aerospace manufacturer]]
| key_people         = {{unbulleted list|[[Frank Barnwell]]|[[Roy Fedden]]|[[Leslie Frise]]|[[Archibald Russell]]}}
| products           = 
| num_employees      = 
| parent             = 
| subsid             = Bristol Aero-Engines<br>Bristol Helicopters<br>(1945–1959)<br>[[Bristol Cars]]<br>(1945–1960)<br>[[Bristol Aerospace]]<br>(1957–1966)
| homepage           = 
}}

The '''Bristol Aeroplane Company''', originally the '''British and Colonial Aeroplane Company''', was both one of the first and one of the most important British [[aviation]] companies, designing and manufacturing both [[airframe]]s and [[aircraft engine]]s. Notable aircraft produced by the company include the [[Bristol Boxkite|'Boxkite']], the [[Bristol F.2 Fighter|Bristol Fighter]], the [[Bristol Bulldog|Bulldog]], the [[Bristol Blenheim|Blenheim]], the [[Bristol Beaufighter|Beaufighter]], and the [[Bristol Britannia|Britannia]], and much of the preliminary work which led to [[Concorde]] was carried out by the company.  In 1956 its major operations were split into '''Bristol Aircraft''' and '''Bristol Aero Engines'''.  In 1959, Bristol Aircraft merged with several major British aircraft companies to form the [[British Aircraft Corporation]] (BAC) and Bristol Aero Engines merged with [[Armstrong Siddeley]] to form [[Bristol Siddeley]].

BAC went on to become a founding component of the nationalised [[British Aerospace]], now [[BAE Systems]]. Bristol Siddeley was purchased by [[Rolls-Royce Limited|Rolls-Royce]] in 1966, who continued to develop and market Bristol-designed engines.  The BAC works were in [[Filton]], about {{convert|4|mi|km|sigfig=1}} north of [[Bristol]] city centre. [[BAE Systems]], [[Airbus]], [[Rolls-Royce plc|Rolls-Royce]], [[MBDA]] and [[GKN]] still have a presence at the Filton site where the Bristol Aeroplane Company was located.

== History ==
===Foundation===
The '''British and Colonial Aeroplane Company, Ltd''' was founded in February 1910 by [[Sir George White, 1st Baronet|Sir George White]], chairman of the [[Bristol Omnibus Company|Bristol Tramways and Carriage Company]], along with his son Stanley and his brother Samuel, to commercially exploit the fast-growing aviation sector. Sir George met with the American aviation pioneer [[Wright brothers|Wilbur Wright]] in France in 1909 by chance, during which he became aware of aviation's business potential.<ref name = "bae heri">[http://www.baesystems.com/en/heritage/bristol-aeroplane-company- "Bristol Aeroplane Company."] ''[[BAE Systems]]'', Retrieved: 12 May 2017.</ref>

Unlike many aviation companies of the era, which were started by enthusiasts with little financial backing, British and Colonial was well funded from its outset.<ref name = "bae heri"/> Sir George chose to establish a separate company from the Bristol Tramway Company, as the venture might be seen as too risky by many shareholders, and the new company's working capital of £25,000 was subscribed entirely by Sir George, his brother, and his son. The affairs of the two companies were closely connected, and the company's first premises were a pair of former tram sheds used for aircraft manufacture at [[Filton]] leased from the Bristol Tramway Company.<ref>Barnes 1988, p. 13.</ref><ref name = "bae heri"/> Additionally, key personnel for the new business were recruited from the Bristol Tramway Company, including the chief engineer and works manager, [[George Henry Challenger|George Challenger]].

Flying schools were established at [[Brooklands]], Surrey, which was then the centre of activity for British aviation, where Bristol rented a hangar; and at [[Larkhill]] on [[Salisbury Plain]] where, in June 1910, a school was established on {{cvt|2248|acre|km2}} of land leased from the [[War Office]]. By 1914 308 of the 664 [[Royal Aero Club]] certificates issued had been earned at the company's schools.<ref>Barnes 1988, p. 24.</ref><ref name = "bae heri"/>

===The Bristol Boxkite===
[[File:Bristol Boxkite Centenary Flight at Centenary of Military Aviation 2014 (2).jpg|thumb|A Bristol Boxkite Replica at [[RAAF Museum]]]]
[[File:Bristol Boxkite Centenary Flight at Centenary of Military Aviation 2014 (1).jpg|thumb|Bristol Boxkite Centenary Flight at [[RAAF Museum]] Point Cook, 2014]]
{{Main|Bristol Boxkite}}

The company's initial manufacturing venture was to be a licensed and improved version of an aircraft manufactured in France by société [[Zodiac Aerospace|Zodiac]], a biplane designed by [[Gabriel Voisin]].<ref name = "bae heri"/> This aircraft had been exhibited at the Paris Aero Salon in 1909 and Sir George had been impressed by the quality of its construction. Accordingly, a single example was purchased and shipped to England to be shown at the Aero Show at [[Olympia, London|Olympia]] in March 1910, and construction of five more begun at the company's Filton works. It was then transported to Brooklands for flight trials, where it immediately became apparent that the type had an unsatisfactory [[aerofoil|wing-section]] and lacked sufficient power; even though Bristol fitted the aircraft with a new set of wings, it only achieved a single brief hop on 28 May 1910, after which work on the type was abandoned. Since the machine had been sold with a 'guarantee to fly', Sir George succeeded in getting 15,000 francs compensation from Zodiac.<ref>Barnes 1988, p. 14.</ref><ref name = "bae heri"/>

After this failure, the company decided to embark upon designing its own aircraft to serve as a successor.<ref name = "bae heri"/> Drawings were prepared by George Challenger for an aircraft based on a successful design by [[Henri Farman]] whose dimensions had been published in the aeronautical press. These drawings were produced in little over a week, and Sir George promptly authorised the construction of twenty examples.<ref name = "bae heri"/> The first aircraft to be completed was taken to Larkhill for flight trials, where it performed its [[maiden flight|first flight]] on 20 July 1910, piloted by Maurice Edmonds. The aircraft proved entirely satisfactory during flight tests.<ref>Barnes 1988, p. 48.</ref>

The first batch equipped the two training schools, as well as serving as demonstration machines; the aircraft, which gained the nickname of the [[Bristol Boxkite|Boxkite]], went on to become a commercial success, a total of 76 being constructed. Many served in the company's flying schools and examples were sold to the [[War Office]] as well as a number of foreign governments.<ref name = "bae heri"/>

===1911–1914===
Although satisfactory by the standards of the day, the Boxkite was not capable of much further development and work soon was started on two new designs, a small [[tractor configuration]] [[biplane]] and a [[monoplane]]. Both of these were exhibited at the 1911 Aero Show at [[Olympia (London)|Olympia]] but neither was flown successfully. At this time, both Challenger and Low left the company to join the newly established aircraft division of the armament firm [[Vickers]]. Their place was taken by [[Pierre Prier]], the former chief instructor at the [[Louis Bleriot|Blériot]] flying school at [[Hendon Aerodrome|Hendon]]: he was later joined by [[Eric Gordon England|Gordon England]]. In January 1912 Romanian aircraft engineer [[Henri Coandă]] was appointed as the company's chief designer.

During early 1912 a highly secret separate design office, known as the "[[Bristol-Burney seaplanes|X-Department]]", was set up to work on [[Dennistoun Burney]]'s ideas for naval aircraft. [[Frank Barnwell]] was taken on as the design engineer for this project, and took over as Bristol's chief designer when Coandă left the company in October 1914. Barnwell went on to become one of the world's foremost aeronautical engineers, and worked for the company until his death in 1938.

The company expanded rapidly, establishing a second factory at the [[Brislington]] tramway works; the firm employed a total of 200 people by the outbreak of the [[World War I|First World War]].<ref name = "bae heri"/>

===First World War===
At the outbreak of war in August 1914, Britain's military forces possessed just over a hundred aircraft and the [[Royal Flying Corps]] (RFC) consisted of only seven squadrons equipped with a miscellany of aircraft types, none of them armed.<ref name="Mason, p.194ff">Mason 1992, p. 194.</ref> Official War Office policy was to purchase only aircraft designed by the [[Royal Aircraft Establishment]] (RAE), and Bristol had already built a number of their [[B.E.2]] two-seater reconnaissance aircraft. However, pressure from the pilots of the RFC and [[Royal Naval Air Service]] (RNAS) led to orders being placed for a new aircraft manufactured by Bristol, known as the [[Bristol Scout|Scout]].<ref name = "bae heri"/>

[[File:Bristol F2B D8096 flying 1.jpg|thumb|left|The Bristol Fighter]]
In 1915, Barnwell returned from France, his skills as pilot being considered to be of much less value than his ability as a designer. At this time [[Leslie Frise]], newly graduated from Bristol University's engineering department, was recruited by Barnwell. In 1916, the company's founder Sir George died; he was succeeded in managing the company by his son Stanley.<ref name = "bae heri"/>

The first project that was worked on by Barnwell after his return, the [[Bristol T.T.A.]], was designed in response to a War Office requirement for a two-seat fighter intended to conduct home defence operations against [[Zeppelin]] raids. This was not successful but, in 1916, work was started on the [[Bristol F.2 Fighter|Bristol F.2A]], which was developed into the highly successful [[Bristol F.2 Fighter|F.2B Fighter]], one of the outstanding aircraft of the 1914–18 war and a mainstay of the RAF during the 1920s. More than 5,300 of the type were produced and the Fighter remained in service until 1931.<ref name="Barnes, p.117">Barnes 1964, p. 117.</ref><ref name = "bae heri"/>

Another aircraft designed at this time was the [[Bristol M.1|Bristol Monoplane Scout]]. Although popular with pilots, the success of this aircraft was limited by War Office prejudice against monoplanes and only 130 were built. It was considered that its relatively high landing speed of 50&nbsp;mph made it unsuitable for use under the field conditions of the Western Front, and the type's active service was limited to the Near East.

=== Inter-war years ===
[[File:BBadger.jpg|thumb|The Bristol Badger]]
By the end of the war, the company employed over 3,000 at its production works, which were split between Filton and Brislington.<ref name = "bae heri"/> Its products had always been referred to by the name 'Bristol' and this was formalized in 1920, when British and Colonial was [[liquidation|liquidated]] and its assets transferred to the '''Bristol Aeroplane Company, Ltd'''. During this time the company, acting under pressure from the [[Air Ministry]], bought the aero-engine division of the bankrupt [[Cosmos Engineering|Cosmos Engineering Company]], based in the Bristol suburb of [[Fishponds]], to form the nucleus of a new aero-engine operation.<ref name = "bae heri"/>

There was already a good working relationship between Bristol Aircraft and Cosmos, the [[Bristol Jupiter|Cosmos Jupiter]] having been first flown in a prototype [[Bristol Badger]] in May 1919. For £15,000 Bristol got the Cosmos design team, headed by [[Roy Fedden]], along with a small number of completed engines and tooling.<ref name = "bae heri"/> Although it was to be several years before Bristol showed any profit from the aero engine division, the Jupiter engine eventually proved enormously successful; indeed, during the inter-war period, the aero-engine division was more successful than the parent company and Bristol came to dominate the market for air-cooled [[radial engine]]s.<ref name = "bae heri"/> Apart from providing engines for almost all Bristol's aircraft designs, the Jupiter and its successors powered an enormous number of aircraft built by other manufacturers.

[[File:Bristol Bulldog.1.jpg|thumb|left|The Bristol Bulldog]]
Bristol's most successful aircraft during this period was the [[Bristol Bulldog]] fighter, which formed the mainstay of [[Royal Air Force]] (RAF) fighter force between 1930 and 1937, when the Bulldog was retired from front line service.<ref name='Mason, p.194ff'/> Since the Bulldog had started life as a private venture rather than an Air Ministry-sponsored prototype it could be sold to other countries, and Bulldogs were exported to, among others, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, and Australia.

During this time, Bristol was noted for its preference for steel airframes, using members built up from high-tensile steel strip rolled into flanged sections rather than the light alloys more generally used in aircraft construction. On 15 June 1935, the Bristol Aeroplane Company became a [[public limited company]]. By this time, the company had a payroll of 4,200, mostly in the engine factory, and was well positioned to take advantage of the huge re-armament ordered by the British Government in May of that year. Bristol's most important contribution to the expansion of the RAF at this time was the [[Bristol Blenheim|Blenheim]] light bomber.

In August 1938, Frank Barnwell was killed flying a light aircraft of his own design;<ref>[http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1938/1938%20-%202278.html "Frank Barnwell."] ''Flight'', 11 August 1938. p. 124.</ref> Barnwell was succeeded as Bristol's Chief Designer by [[Leslie Frise]]. By the time war broke out in 1939, the Bristol works at Filton were the largest single aircraft manufacturing unit in the world, with a floor area of nearly 25 [[hectare]]s (2,691,000 square feet).

=== Second World War ===
[[File:Bristol Type 156 Beaufighter ExCC.jpg|thumb|The Bristol Beaufighter]]
During the [[Second World War]], Bristol's most important aircraft was the [[Bristol Beaufighter|Beaufighter]] heavy two-seat multirole aircraft, a long-range fighter, [[night fighter]], [[ground attack aircraft]] and [[torpedo bomber]].<ref name = "bae heri"/> The type was used extensively by the RAF, other Empire air forces and by the [[USAAF]]. The Beaufighter was derived from the [[Bristol Beaufort|Beaufort]] torpedo bomber, itself a derivative of the Blenheim.<ref name = "bae heri"/>

In 1940, [[shadow factory|shadow factories]] were set up at [[Weston-super-Mare]] for the production of Beaufighters, and underground at Hawthorn, near [[Corsham]], Wiltshire, for engine manufacture. Construction in the former stone quarry at Hawthorn took longer than expected and little production was achieved before the site closed in 1945.<ref>{{cite PastScape |mnumber=1576642 |mname=Personnel Lift 2, Spring Quarry |access-date=1 May 2016}}</ref><ref>Gray 1987, p. 35.</ref><ref name = "bae heri"/> The company's war-time headquarters was located in the [[Royal West of England Academy]], Clifton, Bristol.

=== Post-war ===
When the war ended, Bristol set up a separate helicopter division in the Weston-super-Mare factory, under helicopter pioneer [[Raoul Hafner]]. This facility was taken over by [[Westland Helicopters|Westland]] in 1960.<ref name = "bae heri"/>

Other post-war projects included [[Bristol Cars]], which used pre-war [[BMW]] designs as the basis for the [[Bristol 400]].<ref name = "bae heri"/> Vehicle production was conducted at [[Patchway]], Bristol.<ref name = "bae heri"/>

The engine developed for the Bristol 400 found its way into many successful motor cars manufactured by other companies, such as [[Cooper Car Company|Cooper]], [[Frazer Nash]] and [[AC Cars|AC]] and, in {{24hLM|1954}} and {{24hLM|1955}}, powered the [[Bristol 450]] [[sports car racing|sports prototype]] to class victories in the [[24 Hours of Le Mans]] race. In 1953, S.H. Arnolt, a US car dealer who sold British sports cars, commissioned the Bristol Car Division to build a sports car for the US market, called the '''Arnolt-Bristol'''. It is estimated that about 177 were built before production ceased in 1958.<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=Nd8DAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA86 "American Sports Car Has European Origins."] ''Popular Mechanics'', April 1954, p. 86, bottom page.</ref><ref>[https://boc.net/page.php?currPage=cars&sc=9 "Arnolt-Bristol Sports Car."] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141217052955/https://boc.net/page.php?currPage=cars&sc=9 |date=17 December 2014 }} ''UK Bristol Owners Club'', section 9.</ref>

[[File:britannia.plan.arp.750pix.jpg|thumb|left|The Bristol Britannia]]
In 1960, Sir George White was instrumental in preventing the car division being lost during the wider company's merger with BAC.<ref name = "bae heri"/> Accordingly, Bristol Cars Limited was formed, and remained within the Filton complex. Sir George retired in 1973 and [[Tony Crook (racing driver)|Tony Crook]] purchased his share, becoming sole proprietor and managing director.<ref>[https://boc.net/page.php?currPage=cars&sc=12&uid=54 "History of the Bristol Marque."] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120426125913/https://boc.net/page.php?currPage=cars&sc=12&uid=54 |date=26 April 2012 }} ''UK Bristol Owners Club''.</ref> Pre-fabricated buildings, marine craft and plastic and composite materials were also amongst the company's early post-war activities; these side-ventures were independently sold off.

Bristol was involved in the post-war renaissance of British civilian aircraft, which was largely inspired by the [[Brabazon Committee]] report of 1943–5.<ref name = "bae heri"/> In 1949, the [[Bristol Brabazon|Brabazon]] airliner prototype, at the time one of the largest aircraft in the world, first flew. This project was deemed to be a step in the wrong direction, gaining little interest from military or civilian operators, resulting in the Brabazon being ultimately cancelled in 1953.<ref name = "bae heri"/> At the same time as the termination, Bristol decided to focus on development of a large turboprop-powered airliner, known as the [[Bristol Britannia|Britannia]]. Capable of traversing [[transatlantic flight|transatlantic]] routes, it proved a commercial success; both it and the [[Bristol Freighter|Freighter]] were produced in quantity during the 1950s. However, sales of the Britannia were poor and only 82 were built, primarily due to its protracted development; having been ordered by BOAC on 28 July 1949 and first flown on 16 August 1952, it did not enter service until 1 February 1957.<ref>Barnes 1988, pp. 344-345, 347.</ref> Bristol was also involved in [[helicopter]] development, with the [[Bristol Belvedere|Belvedere]] and [[Bristol Sycamore|Sycamore]] going into quantity production.

Another post-war activity was [[missile]] development, culminating in the production of the [[Bristol Bloodhound|Bloodhound]] anti-aircraft missile. Upon introduction, the Bloodhound was the RAF's only long range transportable surface-to-air missile.<ref name = "bae heri"/> Bristol Aero Engines produced a range of [[rocket motor]]s and [[ramjet]]s for missile propulsion. The guided weapons division eventually became part of [[MBDA]].<ref name = "bae heri"/>

[[File:Concorde landing Farnborough Fitzgerald.jpg|thumb|Concorde, originated from the Bristol 223 project study]]
In the late 1950s, the company undertook supersonic transport (SST) project studies, the [[Bristol Type 223|Type 223]], which were later to contribute to [[Concorde]]. A research aircraft, the [[Bristol 188|Type 188]], was constructed in the 1950s to test the feasibility of [[stainless steel]] as a material in a Mach 2.0 airframe. By the time the aircraft flew in 1962, the company was already part of BAC.

In parallel with these supersonic studies, several subsonic designs were schemed in this period, including the [[Bristol Type 200|Type 200]] (a competitor of the [[Hawker Siddeley Trident]]) and its derivatives, the Type 201 and Type 205.<ref>{{cite book |title=Bristol Aircraft Since 1910 |first=C |last=Barnes |year=1988}}</ref> None of these designs were built.

=== Merger into BAC ===
In 1959, Bristol was forced by Government policy to merge its aircraft interests with [[English Electric]], [[Hunting Aircraft]], and [[Vickers-Armstrongs]] to form the [[British Aircraft Corporation]] (BAC). Bristol formed a holding company which held a 20 per cent share of BAC, while English Electric and Vickers held 40 per cent each.<ref name = "bae heri"/>

In 1966, the Bristol holding company which held 20 per cent of BAC and 50 per cent of Bristol Siddeley engines was acquired by [[Rolls-Royce Limited|Rolls-Royce]].<ref name = "bae heri"/> Bristol also had the following holdings and subsidiary companies at this time:- Bristol Aerojet (50 per cent) – Bristol Aeroplane Co Australia – Bristol DE Mexico SA (78 per cent) – Motores Bristol De Cuba SA – Bristol Aeroplane Co of Canada – Bristol Aero Industries Ltd – Bristol Aeroplane Co USA – Spartan Air Services Ltd (46.5 per cent) – Bristol Aeroplane Co New Zealand – Bristol Aircraft Services Ltd – Bristol Aeroplane Plastics Ltd – SECA (30 per cent) – Short Bros & Harland (15.25 per cent)  – SVENSK-ENGELSK Aero Service AB – TABSA (25 per cent) – Westland Aircraft Ltd (10 per cent).

===The Bristol Aeroplane Company of Canada===
The Canadian Bristol group of companies was the largest of the overseas subsidiaries. The group undertook aircraft handling and servicing at [[Dorval Airport]], Montreal. [[Vancouver Airport]] was the base for Bristol Aero Engines (Western), Ltd., one of the Canadian company's four operating subsidiaries. Work at Vancouver included the overhaul of Pratt and Whitney and Wright engines for the [[Royal Canadian Air Force|R.C.A.F.]] and commercial operators. Bristol Aircraft (Western), Ltd (Stevenson Field, Winnipeg) was formerly MacDonald Brothers Aircraft, and was the largest of the subsidiaries and the group's only airframe plant. Bristol de Mexico, S.A. de CV. (Central Airport, Mexico City), overhauled piston engines for South American operators. Bristol de Mexico S.A. obtained a license to manufacture [[Alfred Herbert (company)|Alfred Herbert Ltd]] machine tools in 1963 and commenced assembling their centre lathes in 1963.  They also commenced building their own design of small engine lathes for the Mexican Government to be installed in training schools throughout Mexico. Malcolm Roebuck was hired from Alfred Herbert Ltd along with William Walford Webb Woodward to supervise this project.

=== Nationalisation ===
In 1977, BAC was nationalised, along with [[Scottish Aviation]] and [[Hawker Siddeley]], to form [[British Aerospace]] (BAe), which later became part of the now-privatised [[BAE Systems]]. The Canadian unit was acquired by [[Rolls-Royce Holdings]] and sold in 1997 to current owner [[Magellan Aerospace]].

==Archives==
A small number of records from the early history of this company are held within the papers of Sir George White at [[Bristol Archives]] (Ref. 35810/GW/T) ([http://archives.bristol.gov.uk/TreeBrowse.aspx?key=35810%2fGW%2fT online catalogue]). Other records at Bristol Record Office include the papers of Lionel Harris, an engineer at the Bristol Aeroplane Company in the 1940s (Ref. 42794) ([http://archives.bristol.gov.uk/Record.aspx?id=42794 online catalogue])

== Bristol Engine Company ==
[[File:Bristol-hercules_east-fortune.jpg|thumb|The Bristol Hercules]]
The '''Bristol Engine Company''' was originally a separate entity, [[Cosmos Engineering]], formed from the pre-First World War automobile company [[Brazil Straker|Brazil-Straker]]. In 1917, Cosmos was asked to investigate air-cooled [[radial engine]]s and, under [[Roy Fedden]], produced what became the [[Cosmos Mercury]], a 14-cylinder two-row (helical) radial, which they launched in 1918. This engine saw little use but the simpler nine-cylinder version known as the [[Bristol Jupiter]] was clearly a winning design.

With the post-war rapid contraction of military orders, Cosmos Engineering went [[bankrupt]] and the [[Air Ministry]] let it be known that it would be a good idea if the Bristol Aeroplane Company purchased it. The Jupiter competed with the [[Armstrong Siddeley Jaguar]] through the 1920s but Bristol put more effort into their design and, by 1929, the Jupiter was clearly superior. In the 1930s, and led by Roy Fedden, the company developed the new [[Bristol Perseus]] line of radials based on the [[sleeve valve]] principle, which developed into some of the most powerful piston engines in the world and continued to be sold into the 1960s.

In 1956, the division was renamed '''Bristol Aero Engines''' and then merged with [[Armstrong Siddeley]] in 1958 to form '''[[Bristol Siddeley]]''' as a counterpart of the airframe-producing company mergers that formed BAC.  Bristol retained a 50% share of the new company, with [[Hawker Siddeley]] group holding the other 50%.<ref>[http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1966/1966%20-%201663.html "Rolls/Bristol Merger Discussed."] ''Flight International'', 9 June 1966. p. 496.</ref> In 1966, Bristol Siddeley was purchased by [[Rolls-Royce Limited|Rolls-Royce]], leaving the latter as the only major aero-engine company in Britain. From 1967, Bristol Siddeley's operations became the "Bristol Engine Division" and the "Small Engine Division" of Rolls-Royce, identified separately from Rolls-Royce's existing "Aero Engine Division".<ref>{{citation |title=Farewell to BSE |url=http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1967/1967%20-%201374.html |journal=Flight International |date=28 December 1967 |page=1054}}</ref> A number of Bristol Siddeley engines continued to be developed under Rolls-Royce including the [[Rolls-Royce Olympus|Olympus]] turbojet – including the joint development Bristol started with [[Snecma]] for [[Concorde]] – and the [[Rolls-Royce Pegasus|Pegasus]]. The [[Astronomy|astronomical]] names favoured by Bristol indicated their heritage in a Rolls-Royce lineup named after [[Rivers of the United Kingdom|British rivers]].

== Helicopter Division ==
[[File:BEA Bristol 171 Sycamore at London Gatwick.jpg|thumb|The Bristol 171]]
The Bristol Aeroplane Company's '''Helicopter Division''' had its roots in 1944, when the helicopter designer [[Raoul Hafner]], released from the [[Airborne Forces Experimental Establishment]] (AFEE), came to Bristol along with some members of his team.<ref name="aa_heli">{{cite web |url=http://www.aviationarchive.org.uk/stories/pages.php?enum=GE127&pnum=0&maxp=2 |title=Helicopter Production at the Bristol Aeroplane Company |work=Aviation Archive |access-date=5 August 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110927061151/http://www.aviationarchive.org.uk/stories/pages.php?enum=GE127&pnum=0&maxp=2 |archive-date=27 September 2011 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Under Hafner's direction, the division produced two successful designs that were sold in quantity. The first, designated the [[Bristol Sycamore|Type 171]], had a shaky start after the wooden [[Helicopter rotor|rotor blade]]s of the second prototype failed on its first flight in 1949.<ref name="aa_heli"/> Nevertheless, the Type 171, called Sycamore in military service, was sold to air forces around the world and 178 were built in total.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.filton.flyer.co.uk/bristol/prod171.html |title=Bristol Type 171 Sycamore Production List |work=Filton Flyer |access-date=5 August 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120306130050/http://www.filton.flyer.co.uk/bristol/prod171.html |archive-date=6 March 2012 }}</ref>

After the Type 171, the Bristol Helicopter Division started work on a [[tandem rotor]] civil helicopter. The result was the 13-seat [[Bristol Type 173|Type 173]], which made its first flight in Filton in 1952. Five examples were built for evaluation purposes.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.filton.flyer.co.uk/bristol/prod173.html|title=Bristol Type 173 Production List|work=Filton Flyer|access-date=5 August 2011|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://archive.today/20020513044345/http://www.filton.flyer.co.uk/bristol/prod173.html|archive-date=13 May 2002}}</ref> Although no airlines ordered the Type 173, it led to military designs, of which the Type 192 went into service with the [[RAF]] as the [[Bristol Belvedere|Belvedere]]. First flying in 1958, 26 were built in total.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.filton.flyer.co.uk/bristol/prod192.html |title=Bristol Type 192 Production List |work=Filton Flyer |access-date=5 August 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20020823142342/http://www.filton.flyer.co.uk/bristol/prod192.html |archive-date=23 August 2002  }}</ref>

Pursuing the idea of a civil tandem rotor helicopter, Hafner and his team developed a much larger design, the Type 194.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.transportarchive.org.uk/getobject.php?rnum=G2490&searchitem=helicopter&mtv=G1&pnum=4 |title=Type 194 |work=Aviation Archive |access-date=5 August 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110928124214/http://www.transportarchive.org.uk/getobject.php?rnum=G2490&searchitem=helicopter&mtv=G1&pnum=4 |archive-date=28 September 2011 |url-status=dead }}</ref> This was in an advanced state of design when the Bristol Helicopter Division was merged, as a result of government influence, with the helicopter interests of other British aircraft manufacturers ([[Westland Aircraft|Westland]], [[Fairey Aviation|Fairey]] and [[Saunders-Roe]]) to form [[Westland Helicopters]] in 1960. When the competing [[Westland Westminster]] was cancelled, the management of the combined company allowed development of the Type 194 to continue, but it too failed to find a market.<ref>Penrose, Harald; ''Adventure with Fate: An Autobiography'', Airlife, 1984, p.324.</ref><ref>Oughton, James D.; ''Bristol: An Aircraft Album'', Ian Allan, 1973, p.108.</ref>

The Helicopter Division started out at the main Bristol Aeroplane Company site in Filton, but from 1955 it was moved to the Oldmixon factory in [[Weston-Super-Mare]], which had built Blenheims during the War.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bristolaero.com/exaircraft.htm |title=Exhibits |work=Bristol Aero Collection |access-date=5 August 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110819213343/http://www.bristolaero.com/exaircraft.htm |archive-date=19 August 2011  }}</ref> The factory is now the site of [[The Helicopter Museum (Weston)|The Helicopter Museum]].

==Products==
Bristol did not systematically assign project type numbers until 1923, starting with the Type 90 Berkeley.  In that year, they also retrospectively assigned type numbers in chronological order to all projects, built or not, from August 1914 onwards.  Thus the Scouts A and B did not get a type number but the Scout C did and was the Type 1.  The final Bristol project, numbered Type 225, was an unbuilt 1962 STOL transport.  Of these 225 Types, 117 were built.<ref>{{Harvnb|Barnes|1964|p=384}}</ref> This list does not include the unbuilt "paper aeroplanes"; it does include the pre-August 1914 aircraft.

===Aircraft===
[[File:britannia.red.750pix.jpg|thumb|UK Ministry of Defence Bristol Britannia makes a visit to the maker's factory at Filton in 1983. As a civil airliner it had flown for BOAC, British Eagle, and Air Spain.]]
[[File:Belvedere helicopter at Filton, Bristol, England.jpg|thumb|The [[Bristol Belvedere]] twin-rotor helicopter, designed as a general-purpose land-based helicopter for the Royal Air Force. Twenty-six were built.]]

<!-- Please do not add the unbuilt "paper aeroplanes" to the list. They will be reverted. Only production aircraft and completed prototypes should be added.-->

====Pre-World War I====
*[[Bristol Boxkite]]
*[[Bristol Glider]]
*[[Bristol Racing Biplane]]
*[[Bristol Biplane Type 'T']]
*[[Bristol Monoplane]]
*[[Bristol Prier monoplane]] - monoplanes designed by Pierre Prier
*[[Bristol-Burney seaplanes]] - hydroplanes built to ideas by [[Dennistoun Burney]] 
*[[Bristol Coanda Monoplanes]] -series of monoplane trainers designed by Henri Coanda from 1912
*[[Bristol Gordon England biplanes]] - series of biplane designed by Eric Gordon England from 1912
*[[Bristol B.R.7]]
*[[Bristol Hydro no.120]]
*[[Bristol T.B.8|Bristol G.B.75]] - derivative of TB.8 for Romania
*[[Bristol T.B.8]] - derivative of Bristol Coanda Monoplane as biplane
*[[Bristol P.B.8]]
*[[Bristol S.S.A.]] - armoured biplane scout for France, first flight 1914, one built

====World War I====
*[[Bristol Scout|Bristol Types 1–5 Scout A-D]]
*[[Bristol T.T.A|Bristol Type 6 T.T.A.]]
*[[Bristol F.3A|Bristol Type 7 F.3A]]
*[[Bristol S.2A|Bristol Type 8 S.2A]]
*[[Bristol M.1|Bristol Types 10, 11, 20, and 77 M.1 Monoplane Scout]]
*[[Bristol F.2B|Bristol Types 12, 14–17, and 22 F.2 Fighter]]
*[[Bristol M.R.1|Bristol Type 13 M.R.1]]
*[[Bristol Scout E|Bristol Type 18 Scout E]]
*[[Bristol Scout F|Bristol Type 21 Scout F]]

====Inter-war====
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*[[Bristol Badger|Bristol Type 23 Badger]]
*[[Bristol Braemar|Bristol Types 24 Braemar and 25 Braemar II]] - triplane heavy bomber, 2 built
*[[Bristol Pullman|Bristol Type 26 Pullman]] - passender derivative of Braemar, 1 built
*[[Bristol Tourer|Bristol Types 27–29, 47, and 48 Tourer]]
*[[Bristol Babe|Bristol Types 30 and 46 Babe]]
*[[Bristol Grampus|Bristol Type 31 Grampus]] - unbuilt passenger aircraft
*[[Bristol Bullet|Bristol Type 32 Bullet]] - biplane racer, one built
*[[Bristol Seely|Bristol Type 36 Seely]] - short takeoff and slow landing speed competition entrant
*[[Bristol Tramp|Bristol Type 37 Tramp]] - steam powered passenger derivative of Pullman, 2 built but not flown
*[[Bristol Bullfinch|Bristol Types 52 and 53 Bullfinch]] - convertible monoplane/biplane. prototypes only
*[[Bristol Ten-seater|Bristol Type 62 and 75 Ten-Seater and Type 79 Brandon]]
*[[Bristol Racer|Bristol Type 72 Racer]]
*[[Bristol Jupiter Fighter|Bristol Type 76 Jupiter Fighter]] - conversion of F.2 fighter to use Jupiter engine
*[[Bristol Primary Trainer|Bristol Type 73 Taxiplane and Type 83/183 Primary Trainer]]
*[[Bristol Type 84 Bloodhound]] -  two-seat reconnaissance/fighter, 4 prototypes built
*[[Bristol Berkeley|Bristol Type 90 Berkeley]]
*[[Bristol Brownie|Bristol Type 91 Brownie]]
*[[Bristol Type 92]] 'Laboratory' biplane
*[[Bristol Boarhound|Bristol Types 93 Boarhound and 93A Beaver]]
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*[[Bristol Bagshot|Bristol Type 95 Bagshot]]
*[[Bristol Badminton|Bristol Type 99 Badminton]]
*[[Bristol Type 101]]
*[[Bristol Bulldog|Bristol Type 105 Bulldog]]
*[[Bristol Bullpup|Bristol Type 107 Bullpup]]
*[[Bristol Type 109]]
*[[Bristol Type 110A]]
*[[Bristol Type 118]]
*[[Bristol Type 118|Bristol Type 120]]
*[[Bristol Type 123]]
*[[Bristol Bombay|Bristol Type 130 Bombay]] -  troop transport-medium bomber for use in Middle East and India
*[[Bristol Type 133]]
*[[Bristol Type 138]] -  high-altitude monoplane research aircraft, 1 built
*[[Bristol Blenheim#Origins|Bristol Type 142]] 'Britain First' - high speed passenger aircraft
*[[Bristol Type 143]] - parallel development of Type 142 with Aquila engine
*[[Bristol Type 146]]
*[[Bristol Type 148]]
*[[Bristol Blenheim|Bristol Types 142M, 149, and 160 Blenheim]]
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====World War II====
[[File:Blenheim - Duxford (17782655268).jpg|thumb|right|The only flying Blenheim (Mk.1 L6739) displaying at Duxford in 2015]]
*[[Bristol Fairchild Bolingbroke|Bristol Fairchild Type 149 Bolingbroke]]  - licence built Blenheim
*[[Bristol Beaufort|Bristol Type 152 Beaufort]] - torpedo bomber
*[[Bristol Beaufighter|Bristol Type 156 Beaufighter]] - two engine fighter, and torpedo bomber
*[[Bristol Type 159]]  - four engine heavy bomber, not built
*[[Bristol Buckingham|Bristol Type 163 Buckingham]] - medium bomber
*[[Bristol Brigand|Bristol Type 164 Brigand]]
*[[Bristol Buckmaster|Bristol Type 166 Buckmaster]]

====Post-WWII====
[[File:Britannia.arp.750pix.jpg|thumb|right|1964 Royal Air Force Bristol Britannia ''Spica'']]
*[[Bristol Brabazon|Bristol Type 167 Brabazon]] - very large airliner, one built
*[[Bristol Freighter|Bristol Type 170 Freighter and Wayfarer]]
*[[Bristol Superfreighter]]
*[[Bristol Britannia|Bristol Type 175 Britannia]]
*[[Bristol 188|Bristol Type 188]] high speed research aircraft

===Helicopters===
*[[Bristol Sycamore|Type 171 Sycamore]]
*[[Bristol Type 173|Type 173]] - twin rotor
*[[Bristol Belvedere|Type 192 Belvedere]] - twin rotor

===Engines===
Bristol Engine designs include:
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''Original series:''
*[[Bristol Cherub|Cherub]]
*[[Bristol Lucifer|Lucifer]]
*[[Bristol Jupiter|Jupiter]]
*[[Bristol Titan|Titan]]
*[[Bristol Mercury|Mercury]]
*[[Bristol Neptune|Neptune]]
*[[Bristol Pegasus|Pegasus]]
*[[Bristol Phoenix|Phoenix]]
*[[Bristol Hydra|Hydra]]
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Sleeve-valve engines:
*[[Bristol Perseus|Perseus]]
*[[Bristol Aquila|Aquila]]
*[[Bristol Taurus|Taurus]]
*[[Bristol Hercules|Hercules]]
*[[Bristol Centaurus|Centaurus]]
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Turbines'
[[File:Bristol-pegasus-brooklands.jpg|thumb|The Bristol Pegasus]]
*[[Bristol Theseus|Theseus]] turboprop with heat exchanger
*[[Bristol Proteus|Proteus]] two-shaft turboprop
*[[Rolls-Royce Olympus|Olympus]] two-spool turbojet
*[[Bristol Orpheus|Orpheus]] single-spool turbojet
*[[Bristol Orion|Orion]] two-shaft turboprop
*[[Rolls-Royce Pegasus|Pegasus]] two-spool vectored thrust turbofan
*[[Bristol Siddeley Cumulus|Cumulus]] APU for TSR-2
* [[Bristol Janus]] small<ref>[http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1949/1949%20-%201549.html "Bristol Theseus."] ''Flight'', 8 September 1949. p. 313.</ref> free-power turbine engine for [[Bristol Type 173]] helicopter
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''Ramjet types:''
*[[Bristol BRJ.801|BRJ.801]]
*[[Bristol Thor|Thor]]
*[[Bristol Odin|Odin]]

===Missiles and rockets===
[[File:Bloodhound SAM at the RAF Museum.jpg|thumb|The Bristol Bloodhound]]
Bristol missile designs include:
*[[Blue Envoy]] – project for a [[surface-to-air missile]] to meet Operational Requirement 1140; did not enter production
*[[Bristol Bloodhound|Bloodhound]] – large surface-to-air missile
*[[Fulmar (rocket)|Fulmar]] – research rocket
*[[Skua (rocket)|Skua]] – [[sounding rocket]]
*Bristol 182 for the specification [[UB.109T]], also known by MoS codename "Blue Rapier"

=== Aircraft turrets ===
Bristol began producing gun turrets with its Bristol Type 120 submission for an Air Ministry specification. The turret was a glazed cupola over a Scarff ring mounted Lewis light machine gun. Although it had to be rotated manually, it provided protection from the slipstream for the air gunner.<ref>Clarke 1993  p26</ref> and similar turrets were fitted to the Bristol Bombay.
The first powered turrets by Bristol used hydraulics. In the B.II nose turret and B.III tail turret, a [[Vickers K machine gun]] mounted in a narrow horizontal strip was linked to gunsight. A ram rotated the strip and hence the gun horizontally, the glazing remaining stationary.

The Bristol Type B.1 was more typical of later gun turret designs; the gun elevating through a slot in the glazing which rotated. The Type B.1 had two distinct features; the cupola could be lowered reducing drag and, though the single gun was centrally aligned, the gun cradle could be pivoted independently of the turret. The latter meant that the turret could be turned with sufficient offset that the gunner could fire along the side of the rudder and engage targets directly astern.<ref>Clarke 1993 p30-31</ref> The Type B.1 was fitted to Bristol Blenheim and Beaufort, and to the [[Avro Anson]] and [[Fairey Battle]] (with two Browning machine guns) when they were used as gunnery trainers.

The Type B.IV was a lightweight (66 kg) turret designed specifically for the Beaufort mid-upper position with one (B.IV Mk 1) or two (B.IV Mk 1E) Vickers K machine guns

Type X was a two 0.303-in Browning machine gun turret for the Blenheim Mk V.to replace the earlier design.

The Type B.11 was a four gun turret developed in 1940. It was intended for a dorsal position on a Beaufighter but the design was not put into position though it was also considered for the Douglas Boston and de Havilland Mosquito too.

The Type B.12 was another four gun dorsal turret, this time designed for the Bristol Buckingham. A particular requirement was that when not in use, crew could pass through the turret space to reach the bombardier position. It was successfully tested then redesigned to take two 0.5-inch Browning heavy machine guns as the Mark II variant. The Mark IV had two 0.303 guns. 

The B.12 "Mark III" was a test of using electrical rather than hydraulic system to operate the turret; the system proved effective was adopted on the later B.16, B.17, B.18 and B.30 turrets.

A second turret was developed for the Buckingham to cover the rear below the aircraft. It was mounted at the back of the gondola type bomb aimer position under the fuselage and fitted with two Browning machine guns.

The "B.14" designation was used for a four gun remote controlled nose mounting rather than a turret. Another design intended for the Buckingham it was included on the pre-production mockup but not developed further.


== See also ==
{{Portal|Aviation}}
*[[Aerospace industry in the United Kingdom]]
*[[Bristol Aerospace]], Canadian subsidiary
*[[Roy Fedden]], engine designer
*[[Harry Ricardo]], engine designer
*[[Bristol Aeroplane Company F.C.]], the works football team

==References==

===Citations===
{{Reflist}}

===Bibliography===
{{Refbegin}}
* {{cite book |last=Barnes |first=C.H. |title=Bristol Aircraft Since 1910 |place=London |publisher=Putnam |year=1964 |isbn=0-370-00015-3 }}
*{{cite book |title= British Aircraft Armament |last=Clarke |first= R. Wallace |date= 1993 |publisher = Patrick Stephens }}
* {{cite book |last=Gray |first=Tony |title=The Road to Success: Alfred McAlpine 1935 – 1985 |publisher=Rainbird Publishing |year=1987}}
* {{cite book |last=James |first=Derek N. |title=The Bristol Aeroplane Company |place=Stroud |publisher=Tempus |year=2001 |isbn=0-7524-1754-1}}
* {{cite book |last=Mason |first=Francis K. |title=The British Fighter since 1912 |place= London |publisher= Putnam |year=1992 |ISBN=0-85177-852-6}}
* {{cite book |last=Pudney |first=John |title=Bristol Fashion |place=London |publisher= Putnam |year=1960}}
* {{cite book |last=Russell |first=Sir Archibald |title=A Span of Wings |place=Shrewsbury |publisher=Airlife |year=1992 |isbn=1-85310-234-2 |url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/spanofwingsmemoi0000russ }}
* {{cite magazine |url=http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1950/1950%20-%200323.html |title=Bristol cavalcade A Retrospect of Aircraft, Engine, and Armament Development Over Forty Years |magazine= [[Flight International|Flight]] |date=16 February 1950 |pages=213–227 }}
* {{citation |magazine =Flight |url=http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1960/1960%20-%200205.html |title=Fifty Bristol Years |last= Wansborough-White |first=G  |date=12 February 1960 |publisher=flightglobal.com}}
* {{cite magazine |url=http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1950/1950%20-%200338.html |title=Projects from the past |magazine= Flight |date=16 February 1950 |access-date=17 October 2015 |page=228}}

{{Refend}}

== External links ==
{{Commons category|Bristol Aeroplane Company}}

* {{cite web|url=http://www.britishaircraft.co.uk/companypage.php?ID=9 |publisher=British Aircraft Directory |title=Bristol Aeroplane Company|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040620114236/http://www.britishaircraft.co.uk/companypage.php?ID=9 |archive-date=20 June 2004|access-date=17 October 2015}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20110412113518/http://www.bristol-aeroplane.com/ The Bristol Aeroplane Company], the founder's family's website
* {{cite web | url=http://www.1903to2003.gov/essay/Aerospace/Bristol/Aero50.htm |title=Bristol aircraft and engines|publisher=US Centennial of Flight Commission |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050305125450/http://www.1903to2003.gov/essay/Aerospace/Bristol/Aero50.htm |archive-date=5 March 2005|access-date=17 October 2015}}
* [http://www.stobbe.dk/library/engines/bristol/bristol.asp Bristol aircraft engines]
* {{PM20|FID=co/050295|TEXT=Documents and clippings about}}

{{Bristol aircraft}}
{{BristolAeroengines}}
{{BAE Systems evolution}}
{{Aerospace industry in the United Kingdom}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Bristol Aeroplane Company| ]]
[[Category:Defunct aircraft manufacturers of England]]
[[Category:Defunct companies based in Bristol]]
[[Category:Defunct helicopter manufacturers of the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:Former defence companies of the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:Manufacturing companies established in 1910]]
[[Category:Filton]]
[[Category:20th century in Bristol]]
[[Category:1910 establishments in England]]
[[Category:History of Bristol]]