The Bristol Bulldog is a British

Royal Air Force The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the Air force, air and space force of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. It was formed towards the end of the World War I, First World War on 1 April 1918, on the merger of t ...

single-seat

biplane A biplane is a fixed-wing aircraft with two main wings stacked one above the other. The first powered, controlled aeroplane to fly, the Wright Flyer, used a biplane wing arrangement, as did many aircraft in the early years of aviation. While ...

fighter designed during the 1920s by the

Bristol Aeroplane Company 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 ...

. 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.

Background

The design of the Bulldog was the outcome of a series of design studies for fighters undertaken by Frank Barnwell during the 1920s. In 1924 Barnwell had started work on a fighter powered by the

Rolls-Royce Falcon The Rolls-Royce Falcon is an aircraft engine, aero engine developed in 1915. It was a smaller version of the Rolls-Royce Eagle, a liquid-cooled V-12 of 867 Cubic inch, cu in (14.2 Litre, L) Engine displacement, capacity. Fitted to many British ...

to meet the requirements of specification F.17/24. The project was shelved since Bristol preferred to use its own engine designs, but was revived in 1926 when Barnwell started work on a design, designated the Bristol 102, to meet either F.9/26 for a day-and-night fighter or N.21/26 for a shipborne fighter. The Type 105 designation was first applied to a subsequent proposal for another aircraft to meet F.9/26 powered by the Mercury engine then under development at Bristol. These proposals looked promising enough for a pair of mockups to be constructed for inspection by the

Air Ministry The Air Ministry was a department of the Government of the United Kingdom with the responsibility of managing the affairs of the Royal Air Force and civil aviation that existed from 1918 to 1964. It was under the political authority of the ...

in February 1927. The two aircraft were similar in design, the

interceptor Interceptor may refer to: Arts and entertainment Film and television * ''The Interceptor'', a British drama series on BBC One * Interceptor (game show), ''Interceptor'' (game show), a British television game show that ran during 1989 * Interc ...

to specification F.17/24 design being slightly smaller and lighter and not equipped with radio. As a result, Bristol was asked to revise the design so that it met a later interceptor specification, F.20/27. Subsequently, a

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 prototyping, software programming. A prototype ...

aircraft, now designated the Type 107 Bullpup was ordered for evaluation, but the other design did not gain official backing. Nevertheless, Bristol considered it promising enough to build a prototype to be entered for the F.9/26 trials as a private venture, powered by a

Bristol Jupiter The Bristol Jupiter is a British nine-cylinder single-row piston radial engine that was built by the Bristol Aeroplane Company. Originally designed late in World War I and known as the Cosmos Jupiter, a lengthy series of upgrades and developme ...

because the supply of Mercurys was expected to be limited.Barnes 1964, p. 212.

Design and development

The Type 105 was an unequal span single bay biplane powered by a supercharged Bristol Jupiter VII air-cooled radial engine driving a two-bladed propeller. The structure was all-metal with a fabric covering, using members built up from rolled high-tensile steel strips riveted together. In order to ensure the maximum field of view there was a large semi-circular cut-out in the trailing edge of the upper wing and the inboard section of the lower was of reduced chord.

Frise aileron An aileron (French for "little wing" or "fin") is a hinged flight control surface usually forming part of the trailing edge of each wing of a fixed-wing aircraft. Ailerons are used in pairs to control the aircraft in Flight dynamics, roll (or ...

s were fitted to the top wing only. It was armed with a pair of Vickers machine guns mounted one either side of the cockpit.Lumsden ''Aeroplane Monthly'' August 1991, pp. 460–461.Barnes 1964, pp. 212–213. The prototype Bulldog first flew on 17 May 1927. Initial testing was entirely satisfactory and it was delivered to

RAF Martlesham Heath Royal Air Force Martlesham Heath or more simply RAF Martlesham Heath is a former Royal Air Force station located southwest of Woodbridge, Suffolk, England. It was active between 1917 and 1963, and played an important role in the development o ...

in June.Mason 1992, p. 193. After consideration of all the types entered to meet the specification, the Bulldog and the Hawker Hawfinch were selected for more detailed evaluation. The manoeuvrability and strength of the Bulldog were praised by the RAF. It had poor spin recovery characteristics, which were remedied by fitting an enlarged fin and rudder but this led to difficulties in taxiing in a crosswind.Barnes 1964, p. 213. A second prototype with a lengthened rear fuselage was ordered for further evaluation in comparison with the Hawfinch. In this form, the Type 105A or Bulldog Mk. II, it was first flown by Cyril Uwins on 21 January 1928 and shortly afterwards delivered to Martlesham Heath. Performance was so close to that of the Hawfinch that a decision was deferred until the aircraft had been evaluated by service pilots; the eventual choice of the Bulldog was made largely because it was easier to maintain.Mason 1992, p. 194.Barnes 1964, p. 214 An initial contract for 25 aircraft was placed: Bristol accordingly laid down 26 airframes, the extra one being intended as a company demonstration aircraft. The first of these were delivered on 8 May 1929 and deliveries were complete by 10 October. Later production aircraft were of a refined version, the Mk. IIA with revised wing spars and a stronger fuselage, powered by the uprated Jupiter VII F. One production aircraft was modified for use as an advanced trainer: after evaluation by the

Central Flying School The Central Flying School (CFS) is the Royal Air Force's primary institution for the training of military flying instructors. Established in 1912 at the Upavon Aerodrome, it is the longest existing flying training school in the world. The sch ...

at Upavon this was ordered by the RAF, the production aircraft differing from the prototype in having slightly swept wings and an enlarged fin to improve spin recovery.

Operational history

The Bulldog never saw combat with the RAF, although during the

Abyssinia Crisis The Abyssinia Crisis, also known in Italy as the Walwal incident, was an international crisis in 1935 that originated in a dispute over the town of Walwal, which then turned into a conflict between Fascist Italy and the Ethiopian Empire (then co ...

of 1935–36, Bristol Bulldogs were sent to the

Sudan Sudan, officially the Republic of the Sudan, is a country in Northeast Africa. It borders the Central African Republic to the southwest, Chad to the west, Libya to the northwest, Egypt to the north, the Red Sea to the east, Eritrea and Ethiopi ...

to reinforce

Middle East Command Middle East Command, later Middle East Land Forces, was a British Army Command established prior to the Second World War in Egypt. Its primary role was to command British land forces and co-ordinate with the relevant naval and air commands to ...

Douglas Bader Group Captain Sir Douglas Robert Steuart Bader, (; 21 February 1910 – 5 September 1982) was a Royal Air Force flying ace during the Second World War. He was credited with 22 aerial victories, four shared victories, six probables, one shared ...

, better known for his Second World War actions, lost both of his legs when he crashed his Bristol Bulldog while he was performing unauthorised

aerobatics Aerobatics is the practice of flying maneuvers involving aircraft attitudes that are not used in conventional passenger-carrying flights. The term is a portmanteau of "aeroplane" and "acrobatics". Aerobatics are performed in aeroplanes and gl ...

at Woodley airfield near Reading. The Bulldog was withdrawn from

RAF Fighter Command RAF Fighter Command was one of the commands of the Royal Air Force. It was formed in 1936 to allow more specialised control of fighter aircraft. It operated throughout the Second World War, winning fame during the Battle of Britain in 1940. The ...

in July 1937, being primarily replaced by the

Gloster Gauntlet The Gloster Gauntlet was a single-seat biplane fighter designed and produced by the British aeroplane manufacturer Gloster Aircraft in the 1930s. It was the last fighter to be operated by the Royal Air Force (RAF) to have an open cockpit, and ...

.Delve 2008, pp. 248–253, but continued to serve the RAF for a few years with Service Flying Training Schools. The Bulldog was exported to foreign air forces, seeing service with

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...

Denmark Denmark is a Nordic countries, Nordic country in Northern Europe. It is the metropole and most populous constituent of the Kingdom of Denmark,, . also known as the Danish Realm, a constitutionally unitary state that includes the Autonomous a ...

Estonia Estonia, officially the Republic of Estonia, is a country in Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland across from Finland, to the west by the Baltic Sea across from Sweden, to the south by Latvia, and to the east by Ru ...

Finland Finland, officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It borders Sweden to the northwest, Norway to the north, and Russia to the east, with the Gulf of Bothnia to the west and the Gulf of Finland to the south, ...

Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...

Latvia Latvia, officially the Republic of Latvia, is a country in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is one of the three Baltic states, along with Estonia to the north and Lithuania to the south. It borders Russia to the east and Belarus to t ...

Siam Thailand, officially the Kingdom of Thailand and historically known as Siam (the official name until 1939), is a country in Southeast Asia on the Mainland Southeast Asia, Indochinese Peninsula. With a population of almost 66 million, it spa ...

and

Sweden Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. It borders Norway to the west and north, and Finland to the east. At , Sweden is the largest Nordic count ...

.''Air Enthusiast'' February 1973, pp. 91–92. In 1936, Latvia, intent on replacing its Bulldogs with more modern aircraft, sold 11 Bulldogs to Basque nationalist forces. These became part of the

Spanish Republican Air Force The Spanish Republican Air Force was the air arm of the Armed Forces of the Second Spanish Republic, the legally established government of Spain between 1931 and 1939. Initially divided into two branches: Military Aeronautics () and Naval Aeron ...

in the

Spanish Civil War The Spanish Civil War () was a military conflict fought from 1936 to 1939 between the Republican faction (Spanish Civil War), Republicans and the Nationalist faction (Spanish Civil War), Nationalists. Republicans were loyal to the Left-wing p ...

; remaining in use until the Battle of Santander. Ten Bulldogs saw combat as part of the

Finnish Air Force The Finnish Air Force (FAF or FiAF; ; ) is one of the branches of the Finnish Defence Forces. Its peacetime tasks are airspace surveillance, identification flights, and production of readiness formations for wartime conditions. The Finnish Air ...

during the

Winter War The Winter War was a war between the Soviet Union and Finland. It began with a Soviet invasion of Finland on 30 November 1939, three months after the outbreak of World War II, and ended three and a half months later with the Moscow Peac ...

against the

Soviet Union The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...

, which began in 1939. The Bulldogs fought against their Soviet opponent, gaining two kills by two pilots for the loss of one of their own, the types shot down being one

Polikarpov I-16 The Polikarpov I-16 () is a Soviet single-engine single-seat fighter aircraft of revolutionary design; it is a low-wing cantilever monoplane fighter with retractable landing gear, and the first such aircraft to attain operational status. It "in ...

and one

Tupolev SB The Tupolev ANT-40, also known by its service name Tupolev SB ( – ''Skorostnoi Bombardirovschik'' – high speed bomber) and development co-name TsAGI-40, was a high speed twin-engined three-seat monoplane bomber, first flown in 1934. The Tup ...

, both of which were superior in terms of technology compared to the Bulldog. The first aerial victory of the Finnish Air Force was achieved by a Bulldog piloted by SSgt Toivo Uuttu on 1 December 1939,Gustavsson, Håkan
"Ylikersantti Toivo Antero Uuttu."
''Biplane fighter aces: Finland'', 4 October 2007. Retrieved: 27 June 2009. over an I-16. The Bulldogs were used in advanced training during the subsequent

Continuation War The Continuation War, also known as the Second Soviet–Finnish War, was a conflict fought by Finland and Nazi Germany against the Soviet Union during World War II. It began with a Finnish declaration of war on 25 June 1941 and ended on 19 ...

against the Soviet Union.

Variants

;Bulldog Mk. I :Single-seat day-and-night fighter prototype; two built. ;High-altitude Bulldog :Modification of first prototype with enlarged wings intended for an attempt on the world altitude record. ;Bulldog Mk. II :Second prototype and initial production version. Powered by a 440 hp (330 kW) Bristol Jupiter VII radial piston engine; 92 built by Bristol. ;Bulldog Mk. IIA : Powered by a 490 hp (370 kW) Bristol Jupiter VIIF radial piston engine and revised detail design; 268 built by Bristol. ;Bulldog Mk. IIIA :Development powered by a Bristol Mercury IV enclosed within a

Townend ring A Townend ring is a narrow-chord (aircraft), chord cowling ring fitted around the cylinders of an aircraft radial engine to reduce drag and improve cooling. It was patented in 1929, and found use on various aircraft of the 1930s and into the 1940s ...

with a revised wings and stronger fuselage. Only two built, one of which was converted to become the prototype Mk. IV. ;Bulldog Mk. IVA :Development of the Mk.III to meet specification F.7/30 for a four-gun day-and-night fighter. Not ordered by the RAF but 17 sold to Finland, armed with two 7.7 mm Vickers guns; 18 built by Bristol. ;Bulldog TM (Type 124) :Two-seat training version; 59 built. Powered by an Armstrong Siddeley Cheetah IX of . ;"J.S.S.F." (Japanese Single-Seat Fighter) :Two aircraft license-built by Nakajima Aircraft Works,

. ;B.Kh.6 :() Royal Siamese Air Force designation for the Bulldog Mk. II.

Operators

; *

Royal Australian Air Force The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) is the principal Air force, aerial warfare force of Australia, a part of the Australian Defence Force (ADF) along with the Royal Australian Navy and the Australian Army. Constitutionally the Governor-Gener ...

** No. 1 Squadron RAAF – Bulldog Mk. IIA ** No. 2 Squadron RAAF – Bulldog Mk. IIA ; *

Royal Danish Air Force The Royal Danish Air Force () (RDAF) is the aerial warfare force of the Kingdom of Denmark and one of the four branches of the Danish Armed Forces. Initially being components of the Army and the Navy, it was made a separate service in 1950. I ...

; *

Estonian Air Force The Estonian Air Force (, ) is the aviation branch of the Estonian Defence Forces. The air force traces its history to 1918, and was re-established in its current form in 1991. As of 2025, the Estonian Air Force has a strength of ~1,600 personn ...

; *

– Bulldog Mk. IVA ; *

Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service The (IJNAS) was the air arm of the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN). The organization was responsible for the operation of naval aircraft and the conduct of aerial warfare in the Pacific War. The Japanese military acquired its first aircraft in ...

; *

Latvian Air Force Latvian Air Force () is the aviation branch of the Military of Latvia, National Armed Forces. The first air force (AF) units were established in 1919 and re-established in 1992. It has no air combat capability, thus the defense of Latvian air spa ...

; (now

Thailand Thailand, officially the Kingdom of Thailand and historically known as Siam (the official name until 1939), is a country in Southeast Asia on the Mainland Southeast Asia, Indochinese Peninsula. With a population of almost 66 million, it spa ...

) * Royal Siamese Air Force Two bought for comparison purposes ; *

; * Royal Swedish Air Force Two remaining Bulldog Mk. IIA donated to Finland 1939 ; *

** No. 3 Squadron RAF – May 1929 to July 1937Thetford ''Aeroplane Monthly'' September 1991, p. 527 ** No. 17 Squadron RAF – October 1929 to August 1936 **

No. 19 Squadron RAF No. 19 Squadron (sometimes written as No. XIX Squadron) is a Squadron (aviation), squadron of the Royal Air Force. It was the first squadron to operate the Supermarine Spitfire. It currently operates the UK's Control and Reporting Centre from RAF ...

– September 1931 to January 1935 ** No. 23 Squadron RAF – July 1931 to April 1933Thetford ''Aeroplane Monthly'' September 1991, p. 528 **

No. 24 Squadron RAF No. 24 Squadron (also known as No. XXIV Squadron) of the Royal Air Force is the Air Mobility Operational Conversion Unit (AM OCU). Based at RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire, 24 Squadron is responsible for aircrew training on Airbus A400M Atlas, A ...

– One two-seat Bulldog was used by No. 24 (Communications) Squadron. ** No. 29 Squadron RAF – June 1932 to April 1935 ** No. 32 Squadron RAF – January 1931 to July 1936 ** No. 41 Squadron RAF – October 1931 to August 1934 ** No. 54 Squadron RAF – April 1930 to September 1936 ** No. 56 Squadron RAF – October 1932 to May 1936 **

No. 111 Squadron RAF Number 111 (Fighter) Squadron, also known as No. CXI (F) Squadron and nicknamed ''Treble One'', was a squadron of the Royal Air Force. It was formed in 1917 in the Middle East as No. 111 Squadron of the Royal Flying Corps during the reorganisati ...

– January 1931 to July 1934 ** No. 1 Flying Training School ** No. 3 Flying Training School ** No. 5 Flying Training School ** Central Flying School RAF ** RAF College, Cranwell ; *

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the naval warfare, maritime military branch, service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is the world's most powerful navy with the largest Displacement (ship), displacement, at 4.5 millio ...

– The U.S. Navy purchased two aircraft between 1929–1930. The aircraft were used for test and trials. During trial on 25 November 1929, one crashed near

Bolling Field The origins of the surname Bolling: English language, English: from a nickname for someone with close-cropped hair or a large head, Middle English bolling "pollard", or for a heavy drinker, from Middle English bolling "excessive drinking". German ...

, killing its pilot, Lieutenant George T. Cuddihy.

Surviving aircraft

;Finland * BU-59 – Bulldog IVA on static display at the

Hallinportti Aviation Museum The Hallinportti Aviation Museum () is an aviation museum, located at Halli Airport in Kuorevesi, Jämsä, Finland. Aircraft * MiG-15 UTI * IVL D.26 Haukka II * Bristol Bulldog IV * Aero A-11 * Rumpler 6B The Rumpler 6B was a German floatpla ...

in Kuorevesi, Jämsä.Keskinen et al 1981, p. 27. ;United Kingdom * G-ABBB – Bulldog IIA on static display at the

Royal Air Force Museum London The Royal Air Force Museum London (also commonly known as the RAF Museum) is located on the former Hendon Aerodrome, in North London's Borough of Barnet. It includes five buildings and hangars showing the history of aviation and the Royal Air ...

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

. This aircraft was the civilian demonstrator and is painted as ''K2227''. It was severely damaged in a crash in 1964 at the

Farnborough Airshow The Farnborough International Airshow is a trade exhibition for the aerospace and defence industries, where civilian and military aircraft are demonstrated to potential customers and investors in Farnborough, Hampshire. Since its first show in ...

and repaired in the late 1990s. In addition an airworthy replica was constructed by Ed Storo of

Tillamook, Oregon The city of Tillamook ( ) serves as the county seat of Tillamook County, Oregon, United States. The city is located on the southeast end of Tillamook Bay on the Pacific Ocean. The population was 5,231 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. ...

between 2000 and 2022. It is powered by a

Pratt & Whitney R-1340 Wasp The Pratt & Whitney R-1340 Wasp is an aircraft engine of the reciprocating type that was widely used in American aircraft from the 1920s onward. It was the Pratt & Whitney aircraft company's first engine, and the first of the famed Wasp seri ...

due to the scarcity of the original Bristol Jupiter engine.Orphan, Graham. "The Last Bulldog!", Classic Wings vol.24 no.1, p.34-38.

Specifications (Bulldog IIa)

Notes

Bibliography

* Andrews, C.F. ''The Bristol Bulldog (Aircraft in Profile No.6)''. Leatherhead, Surrey, UK: Profile Publications Ltd., 1965. * Barnes, C.H. ''Bristol Aircraft Since 1910''. London: Putnam, 1964. * "The Bulldog Breed" Part II. ''

Air Enthusiast ''Air Enthusiast'' was a British, bi-monthly, aviation magazine, published by the Key Publishing group. Initially begun in 1974 as ''Air Enthusiast Quarterly'', the magazine was conceived as a historical adjunct to ''Air International'' magaz ...

'', Vol. 4, No. 2, February 1973, pp. 91–95. Bromley, UK: Fine Scroll. * Crawford. Alex. ''Bristol Bulldog, Gloster Gauntlet''. Sandomierz, Poland/Redbourn, UK: Mushroom Model Publications, 2005. . * Delve, Ken
''Fighter Command 1936–1968: An Operational and Historical Record.''
Barnsley, South Yorkshire, UK: Pen & Sword, 2008. . * Gerdessen, Frederik. "Estonian Air Power 1918 – 1945". ''

'', No. 18, April – July 1982. pp. 61–76. . * Granger, Alfred. ''The Bristol Bulldog'' (Data Plan No. 2). Hamburg, Germany: Taurus Press, 1973. * Keskinen, Kalevi, Niska, Klaus, Stenman Kari and Geust, Carl-Frederik. ''Suomen museolentokoneet (Museum Aircraft in Finland)''. Espoo, Tietoteos, 1981. . * López, Rafael A. Permuy and Artemio Mortera Pérez. ''Bristol "Bulldog" (I) (Perfiles Aeronáuticos: La Máquina y la Historia 8)'' (in Spanish). Valladolid, Spain: Quiron Ediciones, 2006. . * López, Rafael A. Permuy and Artemio Mortera Pérez. ''Bristol "Bulldog" (II) (Perfiles Aeronáuticos: La Máquina y la Historia 9)'' (in Spanish). Valladolid, Spain: Quiron Ediciones, 2006. . * Lumsden, Alec. "On Silver Wings – Part 11". ''

Aeroplane Monthly ''Aeroplane'' (formerly ''Aeroplane Monthly'') is a British magazine devoted to aviation, with a focus on aviation history and preservation. __TOC__ ''Aeroplane Monthly'' Issue 1 of ''Aeroplane Monthly'' was published in May 1973 at a cov ...

'', Vol 19 No 8, August 1991. pp. 458–463. * Mason, Francis K. ''The British Fighter since 1912''. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press, 1992. . * Thetford, Owen. "On Silver Wings – Part 12". ''Aeroplane Monthly'', Vol 19 No 9, September 1991. pp. 522–528.

External links

Sweden: J 7 – Bristol Bulldog Mk IIA (1930–1940)

RAF Museum Bristol Bulldog Mk IIA
{{Authority control Biplanes Single-engined tractor aircraft 1920s British fighter aircraft

Bulldog The Bulldog is a British breed of dog of mastiff type. It may also be known as the English Bulldog or British Bulldog. It is a stocky, muscular dog of medium size, with a large head, thick folds of skin around the face and shoulders and a rel ...

Aircraft first flown in 1927