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Bristol M.1
The Bristol M.1 Bullet was a British monoplane fighter of the First World War.
Contents
Development
The M.1A prototype was designed by Frank Barnwell in 1916 and built as a private venture by the Bristol Aeroplane Corporation. The War Office ordered four aircraft for evaluation - designated M.1B - which had a single .303 in (7.7 mm) Vickers machine gun mounted on the port wing and a clear-view cut-out in the starboard wing to give the pilot more downward visibility.
Despite excellent performance - it had a maximum speed some 30-50 mph (50-80 km/h) higher than any of the contemporary German Fokker Eindecker monoplanes - it was rejected by the Air Ministry for service on the Western Front, ostensibly because its landing speed was considered too high for small French airfields, but more likely because of a widespread belief that monoplane aircraft were inherently unsafe in combat.
Nevertheless, a production order for 125 aircraft was placed on 3 August 1917. Designated M.1C, this version was fitted with a Le Rhône rotary engine and had a Vickers machine gun centrally-mounted in front of the pilot.
A single M.1, registered G-EAVP was rebuilt as a high-speed testbed for the Bristol Lucifer three cylinder radial engine. This aircraft was designated the M.1D.
Operational history
33 M.1Cs served in the Middle East and the Balkans in 1917-18, while the rest were used by UK-based training units, where they were popular as personal mounts for senior officers[1].
Six were sent to Chile in part payment for two warships being built for Chile in Britain but commandeered for the Royal Navy before completion. One of these, flown by Lt. Godoy, was used to fly from Santiago to Mendoza, Argentina and back on 12 December 1918, the first flight across the Andes mountain chain.[1]
Variants
- M.1A
- Single prototype with 110 hp (80 kW) Clerget rotary engine.
- M.1B
- Four evaluation models.
- M.1C
- Series production model, 125 built.
- M.1D
- Single M.1C rebuilt as testbed for Bristol Lucifer engine.
Operators
Specifications (M.1C)
This aircraft article is missing some (or all) of its specifications. If you have a source, you can help Wikipedia by adding them.Data from Encyclopedia of Military Aircraft[2]
General characteristics
- Crew: one, pilot
- Length: 20 ft 5 in (6.24 m)
- Wingspan: 30 ft 9 in (9.37 m)
- Height: 7 ft 9 in (2.37 m)
- Wing area: 145 ft² [1] (13.6 m²)
- Empty weight: 900 lb [1] (409 kg)
- Loaded weight: 1,348 lb (611 kg)
- Powerplant: 1× Le Rhône 9J rotary engine, 110 hp (82 kW)
Performance
- Maximum speed: 113 knots (130 mph, 209 km/h) at sea level
- Service ceiling: 20,000 ft (6,096 m)
- Endurance: 1 hr 45 mins
Armament
- Guns: 1 × fixed-forward .303 in (7.7 mm) Vickers machine gun
See also
Related lists
Lists relating to aviation | |
|---|---|
| General | Timeline of aviation · Aircraft · Aircraft manufacturers · Aircraft engines · Aircraft engine manufacturers · Airports · Airlines |
| Military | Air forces · Aircraft weapons · Missiles · Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) · Experimental aircraft |
| Notable incidents and accidents | Military aviation · Airliners · General aviation · Famous aviation-related deaths |
| Records | Flight airspeed record · Flight distance record · Flight altitude record · Flight endurance record · Most produced aircraft |
References
External links
- Original aircraft preserved at Minlaton, South Australia
- RAF Museum
- WWI Aviation
- Duxford legends
- Scale plans of the Bristol M.1 Bullet
Lists relating to aviation | |
|---|---|
| General | Timeline of aviation · Aircraft · Aircraft manufacturers · Aircraft engines · Aircraft engine manufacturers · Airports · Airlines |
| Military | Air forces · Aircraft weapons · Missiles · Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) · Experimental aircraft |
| Notable incidents and accidents | Military aviation · Airliners · General aviation · Famous aviation-related deaths |
| Records | Flight airspeed record · Flight distance record · Flight altitude record · Flight endurance record · Most produced aircraft |
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| This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Bristol M.1". |
