The Bristol Braemar was a British

heavy bomber Heavy bombers are bomber aircraft capable of delivering the largest payload of air-to-ground weaponry (usually bombs) and longest range ( takeoff to landing) of their era. Archetypal heavy bombers have therefore usually been among the larg ...

aircraft developed at the end of the

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...

for the

Royal Air Force The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's air and space force. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) an ...

. Only two

prototype A prototype is an early sample, model, or release of a product built to test a concept or process. It is a term used in a variety of contexts, including semantics, design, electronics, and software programming. A prototype is generally used to ...

s were constructed.

Development

The prototype Braemar was developed in response to the establishment of the

Independent Air Force The Independent Air Force (IAF), also known as the Independent Force or the Independent Bombing Force and later known as the Inter-Allied Independent Air Force, was a First World War strategic bombing force which was part of Britain's Royal Air ...

in October 1917, as a

bomber A bomber is a military combat aircraft designed to attack ground and naval targets by dropping air-to-ground weaponry (such as bombs), launching torpedoes, or deploying air-launched cruise missiles. The first use of bombs dropped from an air ...

capable of the long-range bombing of

Berlin Berlin ( , ) is the capital and largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's most populous city, according to population within city limits. One of Germany's sixteen constitu ...

if necessary. A large

triplane A triplane is a fixed-wing aircraft equipped with three vertically stacked wing planes. Tailplanes and canard foreplanes are not normally included in this count, although they occasionally are. Design principles The triplane arrangement ma ...

, it had internal stowage for up to six 250 lb (110 kg) bombs. The initial design featured an unusual engine installation with a central engine room housing all four engines. These were to be geared in pairs and power taken from the engines to the four propellers by power shafts. This design was abandoned early in development, and both the completed Braemars had a conventional engine installation, with the engines in inline tandem pairs, driving pusher and tractor propellers. However, the engine-room design was resurrected later in the Braemar's development life, for the proposed steam-powered

Tramp A tramp is a long-term homeless person who travels from place to place as a vagrant, traditionally walking all year round. Etymology Tramp is derived from a Middle English verb meaning to "walk with heavy footsteps" (''cf.'' modern English ''t ...

. A contract from the Air Board for three prototypes was awarded to Bristol & Colonial on 26 February 1918. The first prototype Braemar flew on 13 August 1918, with four Siddeley Puma engines. The prototype showed generally good performance with a top speed of , but there were complaints from the test pilots about the view from the cockpit and the controls,The pilots were no longer able to feel sideslip through the wind on their faces
''Flight'' 12 February 1960 p208
and so the next aircraft produced was an improved version designated Braemar Mk.II. The Mk.II received considerably more power from its four

Liberty L-12 The Liberty L-12 is an American water-cooled 45° V-12 aircraft engine displacing and making designed for a high power-to-weight ratio and ease of mass production. It saw wide use in aero applications, and, once marinized, in marine use both ...

engines, which gave it an improved speed of . The Braemar never entered service with the RAF, and the two prototypes were the only Braemars built. The third prototype was completed as a Pullman 14-passenger civil transport.

Variants

;Type 24 Braemar I :Prototype with four Siddeley Puma engines, one built first flown 13 March 1918. ;Type 25 Braemer II :Prototype with four

engines, one built first flown 18 February 1919. ; Type 26 Pullman :14-passenger civil transport variant with Liberty L-12 engines, one built first flown in May 1920.

Specifications (Braemar Mk.II)

References

Citations

Bibliography

* * {{Bristol aircraft Cancelled military aircraft projects of the United Kingdom

Braemar Braemar is a village in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, around west of Aberdeen in the Highlands. It is the closest significantly-sized settlement to the upper course of the River Dee sitting at an elevation of . The Gaelic ''Bràigh Mhàrr'' pr ...