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The versatile Bristol Fighter was a maneuverable, heavily armed two-seater biplane designed by Frank S. Barnwell. One of the most successful fighters of the war, it got off to a poor start during "Bloody April" when it was introduced to the Western Front by the inexperienced pilots and observers of 48 Squadron. In the mistaken belief that the aircraft was structurally weak, pilots were instructed to avoid violent maneuvers during combat. Heeding this advice, the pilots of six B.F.2a fighters encountered Manfred von Richthofen and his flight of five Albatros D.IIIs near Douai. In a fight that lasted almost 30 minutes, four of the Bristol Fighters were shot down. The fight with Jasta 11 almost convinced the British to withdraw this aircraft from service.
Canadian ace Andrew McKeever achieved the highest score with the Bristol Fighter, downing 31 enemy planes.
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| Bristol F.2b Fighter Specifications |
| Country: |
Great Britain |
| Manufacturer: |
The British and Colonial Aeroplane Company |
| Type: |
Fighter/Bomber |
| Entered Service: |
5 April 1917 |
| Number Built: |
3,101 |
| Engine(s): |
Rolls-Royce Falcon III, 12 cylinder, liquid
cooled inline V, 270 hp |
| Wing Span: |
39 ft 3 in (11.96 m) |
| Length: |
25 ft 10 in (7.87 m) |
| Height: |
9 ft 9 in (2.97 m) |
| Empty Weight: |
1,934 lb (877 kg) |
| Gross Weight: |
2,779 lb (1,261 kg) |
| Max Speed: |
123 mph (198 km/h) at 5,000 ft (1,524 m) |
| Ceiling: |
21,500 ft (6,553 m) |
| Endurance: |
3 hours |
| Crew: |
2 |
| Armament: |
1 Vickers machine gun, synchronized, forward
firing
2-3 Lewis machine guns on a Scarff ring, rear cockpit
240 lb (108.9 kg) of bombs |
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| Units |
| Australian Flying Corps: |
1, 7 |
| Royal Air Force: |
139 |
| Royal Flying Corps: |
11, 20, 22, 23, 28, 36, 39, 48, 62, 88, 111 |
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| Bristol Fighter Aces (246) |
| 1 |
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Gass, Charles George |
39 |
| 2 |
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McKeever, Andrew Edward |
31 |
| 3 |
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Thompson, Samuel Frederick Henry |
30 |
| 4 |
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Atkey, Alfred Clayburn |
29 |
| 5 |
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Gurdon, John Everard |
28 |
| 6 |
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Latimer, Dennis |
28 |
| 7 |
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Middleton, Thomas Percy |
27 |
| 8 |
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Fletcher, Ronald Malcolm |
26 |
| 9 |
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Harvey, William Frederick James |
26 |
| 10 |
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Staton, William Ernest |
26 |
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