The Bristol Biplane Type 'T', sometimes called the Challenger-Dickson Biplane, was a derivative of the
Bristol Boxkite
The Boxkite (officially the Bristol Biplane) was the first aircraft produced by the British and Colonial Aeroplane Company (later known as the Bristol Aeroplane Company). A pusher biplane based on the successful Farman III, it was one of the ...
. It was built in 1911 by the
British and Colonial Aeroplane Company and was designed as a cross-country racing aircraft for
Maurice Tabuteau.
Development
The Type 'T' was not a development of the Bristol Boxkite but did use some of the experience gained with the Boxkite. It was designed by
George Challenger, with the assistance of practical advice from Captain
Bertram Dickson, a prominent pilot of the day. It had the same "
Farman" configuration as the Boxkite, differing principally in having an enclosed
nacelle
A nacelle ( ) is a streamlined container for aircraft parts such as Aircraft engine, engines, fuel or equipment. When attached entirely outside the airframe, it is sometimes called a pod, in which case it is attached with a Hardpoint#Pylon, pylo ...
to house the pilot. The structure bearing the front elevator also differed substantially: the elevator was mounted lower down, level with the lower wing, and the undercarriage skids were continued forward and upwards to form part of the elevator mounting. The rear-mounted twin rudders were balanced, unlike those of the Boxkite.
The first aircraft (Bristol No. 45) was built to compete in the 1911
''Circuit de l'Europe'' race, with
Maurice Tabuteau as pilot, and was powered by a
Gnome Gamma rotary engine
The rotary engine is an early type of internal combustion engine, usually designed with an odd number of cylinders per row in a radial configuration. The engine's crankshaft remained stationary in operation, while the entire crankcase and its ...
. Tabateau put up a creditable performance, and completed all of the race's nine stages.
Four more aircraft were built for
1911 Daily Mail Circuit of Britain Air Race. These differed from the design of No. 45 in having a modified nacelle and rudders placed further out, away from the slipstream of the engine.
*No. 51 was to be flown by
Graham Gilmour in the race but he was unable to compete because his licence had been suspended. After the race the aircraft was fitted with a 50 hp Gnome and sold to Gerald Napier but on 2 August 1911 it crashed at Brooklands, killing Napier.
*No. 52 had a 70 hp Gnome engine and was flown by
Collyns Pizey.
*No. 53 had a 70 hp Gnome engine and was flown by
Gordon England, and was withdrawn with engine problems.
*No. 54 had a 60 hp Renault engine and was to be flown by
Howard Pixton
Cecil Howard Pixton (14 December 1885 – 7 February 1972) was a British aeronautical engineer, test pilot and air racing pilot who was most famous for winning the 1914 Schneider Trophy seaplane race.
Early life
Howard Pixton was the youngest ...
, who crashed during the race and did not finish.
Maurice Tabuteau also entered the race in the original Type T No. 45 but none of Type Ts finished the race. After the crash of No. 51 none of the Type Ts were flown again. An additional machine, No. 59, was modified by Gordon England as the Challenger-England biplane. One more aircraft, No. 78, was to be fitted with a 100 hp Gnome engine but was never completed.
The Challenger-England biplane
Under the direction of
Gordon England one aircraft was later converted to a
tractor configuration
In aviation, a tractor configuration is a propeller-driven fixed-wing aircraft with its engine mounted with the propeller in front, so that the aircraft is "pulled" through the air. This is the usual configuration; the pusher configuration ...
, powered by a
E.N.V. Type F water-cooled V-8 engine.
Specifications (Type 'T')
See also
References
External links
Bristol Aircraft since 1910- photograph in ''Flight'' 1950
{{Bristol aircraft
Biplanes
Single-engined pusher aircraft
1910s British civil aircraft
Biplane Type T
Rotary-engined aircraft
Aircraft first flown in 1911