Bristol Type 143

Last updated

Type 143
RoleLight transport
Manufacturer Bristol Aeroplane Company
Designer Frank Barnwell
First flight 1936
Number built1

The Bristol Type 143 was a British twin-engine monoplane aircraft designed by Frank Barnwell of the Bristol Aeroplane Company.

Contents

Developed alongside the more famous Bristol Type 142, which was developed into the Blenheim light bomber, it used the same wing design and employed the same advanced (for the day) design features such as stressed skin, flaps, and retractable undercarriage. The engine it was designed to use never entered production and only a single prototype was manufactured,

Design and development

Like the better-known Type 142 the Type 143 arose from the unbuilt Bristol Type 135 proposal for a civil twin-engine light transport aircraft. This was a low-wing twin-engined monoplane, seating six people and a crew of two, first sketched out by Frank Barnwell, with the intention of using the smaller of the two engines then being developed by Roy Fedden, the Aquila I. Although the manufacture of a second Aquila was authorised, nothing was done about the construction of an actual airframe. [1] Meanwhile, in early 1934 Lord Rothermere announced his intention to have 'the fastest civil aircraft in Europe' built for him. [1] Barnwell proposed an aircraft based on the type 135 but using the more powerful Mercury engine in place of the Aquila, and this was accepted by Rothermere, the aircraft being ordered on 26 March 1934 and first flying on 12 April 1935. [2]

The Type 143 was very similar to the Type 135 design, although the cabin was enlarged to seat eight and some detail changes were made to optimise the use of common components with the Type 142: over 70% of components were shared. [3] The prototype 143 was accordingly built alongside the Type 142, receiving the civil registration G-ADEK on 22 March 1935 but had to wait until the end of the year before the engines had completed trials. It was first flown on 20 January 1936 without registration but bearing the mark R 14. [4] Further flying continued at Filton, mainly as a testbed for the Aquila. It was put into storage when Aquila development was abandoned in 1938 and subsequently scrapped. [5]

Specifications (Type 143)

Bristol 143 F 3-view drawing from NACA-SR-26 Bristol 143 F 3-view NACA-SR-26.jpg
Bristol 143 F 3-view drawing from NACA-SR-26

Data from Bristol Aircraft since 1910 [6]

General characteristics

Performance

See also

Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bristol Aeroplane Company</span> 1910–1959 aerospace manufacturer in the United Kingdom

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 airframes and aircraft engines. Notable aircraft produced by the company include the 'Boxkite', the Bristol Fighter, the Bulldog, the Blenheim, the Beaufighter, and the 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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bristol Blenheim</span> British light bomber in World War II

The Bristol Blenheim is a British light bomber designed and built by the Bristol Aeroplane Company, which was used extensively in the first two years of the Second World War, with examples still being used as trainers until the end of the war. Development began with the Type 142, a civil airliner, after a challenge from the newspaper proprietor Lord Rothermere to produce the fastest commercial aircraft in Europe. The Type 142 first flew in April 1935, and the Air Ministry, ordered a modified design as the Type 142M for the Royal Air Force (RAF) as a bomber.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bristol Bombay</span> British WWII troop transport aircraft

The Bristol Bombay was a British troop transport aircraft adaptable for use as a medium bomber flown by the Royal Air Force (RAF) during the Second World War.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bristol Buckmaster</span> Twin-engine British training aircraft, 1944

The Bristol Buckmaster was an advanced British training aircraft operated by the Royal Air Force during the 1950s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bristol Bulldog</span> 1927 fighter aircraft family by Bristol

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bristol F.2 Fighter</span> British fighter aircraft used in World War One

The Bristol F.2 Fighter is a British First World War two-seat biplane fighter and reconnaissance aircraft developed by Frank Barnwell at the British and Colonial Aeroplane Company later known as the Bristol Aeroplane Company. It is often simply called the Bristol Fighter, "Brisfit" or "Biff".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bristol Braemar</span> Type of aircraft

The Bristol Braemar was a British heavy bomber aircraft developed at the end of the First World War for the Royal Air Force. Only two prototypes were constructed.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bristol Pullman</span> Type of aircraft

The Bristol Pullman was a British prototype passenger aircraft developed from the Braemar triplane heavy bomber.

The Bristol Tramp was a British steam-powered passenger and airmail transport aircraft designed by the Bristol Aeroplane Company. It was built but never flew.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bristol Type 138</span> British high-altitude research aircraft

The Bristol Type 138 High Altitude Monoplane was a British high-altitude single-engine, low-wing monoplane research aircraft developed and produced by the Bristol Aeroplane Company during the 1930s. It set nine world altitude records, with the maximum altitude achieved being 53,937 ft (16,440 m) on 30 June 1937, during a 2¼-hour flight.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bristol M.1</span> Type of aircraft

The Bristol M.1 Monoplane Scout was a British monoplane fighter of the First World War. It holds the distinction of being the only British monoplane fighter to reach production during the conflict.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bristol Ten-seater</span> Type of aircraft

The Bristol Ten-seater and Bristol Brandon were British single-engine biplane transport aircraft built by the Bristol Aeroplane Company in the early 1920s. Only three were built, two of which were used as civil transports and one of which served with the Royal Air Force.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bristol Type 84 Bloodhound</span> Type of aircraft

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.

The Bristol Type 91 Brownie was a light sports aircraft produced in the United Kingdom by the Bristol Aeroplane Company in 1924. It was a low-wing cantilever monoplane aircraft of conventional configuration with fixed tailskid undercarriage. The pilot and passenger sat in tandem open cockpits. It won the £1,000 pound prize for second place at the Lympne light aircraft trials in October 1924.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bristol Bullfinch</span> Type of aircraft

The Bristol Bullfinch was an experimental British military aircraft first flown in 1922. Variants were built as both parasol wing monoplanes and biplanes, but both versions proved unsuccessful, and only the three prototypes were built.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bristol Bullpup</span> Type of aircraft

The Bristol Type 107 Bullpup was a British fighter aircraft built in the 1920s. It was not selected for squadron service and only the single prototype was built

Sir Archibald Russell, CBE, FRS was a British aerospace engineer who worked most of his career at the Bristol Aeroplane Company, before becoming managing director of the Filton Division when Bristol merged into British Aircraft Corporation in 1960. He also served as the vice-chairman of the BAC-Sud Aviation Concorde Committee that produced the Concorde, working alongside Morien Morgan. His designs include the Blenheim, Britannia, Type 188 and many others. He was known throughout his career as a perfectionist, as well as his criticism for those who did not measure up – criticisms that included ministers, civil servants, the Brabazon Committee and BOAC.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bristol Babe</span> British sport aircraft

The Bristol Babe was a British-built light single-seat biplane, intended for the private flyer and produced immediately after the First World War. Only two flew.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bristol B.R.7</span> Type of aircraft

The Bristol B.R.7 was a Romanian-designed single-engine two-seat biplane built by Bristol to a Spanish government order in 1913. It failed to meet its specifications and the order was cancelled.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bristol Scout F</span> Type of aircraft

The Bristol Scout E and F were a British single-seat biplane fighters built in 1916 to use newer and more powerful engines. It was initially powered by the Sunbeam Arab, but the third prototype was used as a testbed for the Cosmos Mercury, marking the start of Roy Fedden's association with the Bristol Aeroplane Company. The Armistice ended hopes of production.

References

Citations

  1. 1 2 Barnes 1964, p. 257.
  2. Barnes 1964, pp. 257–258.
  3. Barnes 1964, p. 258.
  4. Barnes 1964, pp. 259–260.
  5. Barnes 1964, pp. 260–261.
  6. Barnes 1964, p.261.

Bibliography