Bristol Bullet

Type 32 Bullet

National origin: United Kingdom
Manufacturer: Bristol Aeroplane Company
First flight: 1920
Introduced: 1920
Retired: 1924
Number built: 1

The Bristol Type 32 Bullet was a British biplane racing aircraft. It was designed as a testbed and demonstrator aircraft for the company's Bristol Jupiter engine. It was a single-seat aircraft with single-bay wings with thin low drag aerofoils. It first flew in June 1920, being entered in the Aerial Derby of July that year.

The Bullet performance at the 1920 Aerial Derby was disappointing, and the aircraft was subject to a series of modifications, including a new cowling and reducing the wing area. Thus modified, the aircraft demonstrated increased performance, finishing fourth in the 1921 Aerial Derby in an average speed of 141 mph (227 km/h)

A more powerful 380 hp (280 kW) Jupiter II engine was fitted, and, piloted by Rollo A. de Haga Haig, came in second place in the 1922 Aerial Derby at an average speed of 145 mph (233 km/h), beaten only by the Gloster Mars (which had also won the 1921 race The aircraft was scrapped in 1924.

Specifications (Jupiter I engine)

Data from

General characteristics

Crew: 1
Length: 24 ft 1 in (7.34 m)
Wingspan: 31 ft 2 in (9.51 m)
Height: 9 ft 8 in (2.95 m)
Wing area: 295 ft² (27.41 m²)
Empty weight: 1,800 lb (816 kg)
Gross weight: 2,200 lb (998 kg)
Powerplant: 1 x— Bristol Jupiter radial piston, 450 hp (336 kW)

Performance

Maximum speed: 155 mph (249 km/h)

Barnes, C.H. (1964). Bristol Aircraft Since 1910 (First Edition ed.). London: Putnam.
James, Derek N. (1971). Gloster Aircraft since 1917. London: Putnam. ISBN 0 370 00084 6.
Sharpe, Michael (2000). Biplanes, Triplanes, and Seaplanes. London: Friedman/Fairfax Books. pp. 103. ISBN 1-58663-300-7.

Bristol Bullet Pictures

Living Warbirds: The best warbirds DVD series.

Source: WikiPedia