Bristol Bulldog
| Bristol Bulldog | | |
| Description |
|---|
| Role | Fighter |
| Crew | One |
| First flight | January 21, 1928 |
| Entered service | May, 1929 |
| Manufacturer | Bristol Aeroplane Co. Ltd, Filton, Bristol |
| Dimensions |
|---|
| Length | 24 ft 8 in | 7.54 m |
| Wingspan | 34 ft 0 in | 10.36 m |
| Height | 9 ft 10 in | m |
| Wing area | ft² | m² |
| Weights |
|---|
| Empty | 2,200 lb | kg |
| Loaded | lb | kg |
| Maximum takeoff | 3252lb | 1475 kg |
| Capacity | - | Powerplant |
|---|
| Engines | One, Bristol Jupiter VIIF Radial Piston Engine |
| Power | 490 hp | kW |
| Performance |
|---|
| Maximum speed | 186 mph | 300 km/h |
| Combat range | miles | km |
| Ferry range | miles | km |
| Service ceiling | 27,000 ft | m |
| Rate of climb | ft/min | m/min |
| Avionics |
|---|
| Avionics | - | Armament |
|---|
| Guns | Two 0.303 in (7.7 mm) Vickers machine guns |
| Bombs | Four 20 lb (9 kg) bombs |
|
The
Bristol Bulldog was a
Royal Air Force (RAF) single-seat
biplane fighter designed during the
1920s by the
Bristol Aeroplane Company, with over three hundred
Bulldogs produced, that arguably became the most famous aircraft during the RAF's inter-war period.
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. The prototype, the
Bulldog I, 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; the Bulldog Mk. I took to the skies in May
1927.
The full-production Bulldog came in the form of the
Mk.II, which had a modified structure but in every other respects 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 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 contribution during the
Second World War. The Bristol Bulldog's career was not over though, for the type continued to serve with other air forces.
The Bulldog never saw combat service with the RAF, though during the
Abyssinian 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. The 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 a number of kills, the types being the
Polikarpov I-16 and
Tupolev SB-2, both of which were quite superior in terms of technology compared to the Bulldog. The Bulldog continued in service during the subsequent
Continuation War, again, against the Soviet Union.
* 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. 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
* Royal Australian Air Force
**
No. 1 Squadron RAAF - Bulldog Mk. IIA
**
No. 2 Squadron RAAF - Bulldog Mk. IIA
