Bristol Hydro no.120
Bristol Aeroplane Company · United Kingdom · first flew 1913 · light aircraft
The Hydro no.120 was a Romanian-designed two-seat, single-engine biplane configured as a single-float seaplane. It was built by Bristol in 1913.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | Mid-mounted, straight |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 1 × piston, nose-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | Single wide float under the fuselage with two streamlined wingtip floats |
| T — Tail | Conventional |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- Single-bay biplane with unswept, unstaggered wings
- Single wide float under the fuselage with two streamlined wingtip floats
- Tail with a nearly semicircular fixed horizontal stabiliser and a balanced rudder but no fixed fin
A biplane seaplane with the fuselage mounted between the wings, a single wide mahogany float and a Coanda-style semicircular tailplane.
Specifications
- The Bristol Hydro no.120 has a length of 8.48 m (28 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 11.79 m (39 ft).
- Typical crew: 2.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
Henri Coanda designed it in January 1913 as a private venture, which the Admiralty agreed to buy subject to acceptance trials. It was powered by an 80 hp Gnome rotary engine in a close-fitting cowling.
Variants
Only one was built. It received no Bristol type name and is usually known by its construction number, 120.
Where you'll see it
On 15 April 1913 Harry Busteed took off successfully, but the closely cowled engine overheated and lost power. The heavy emergency landing destroyed the float and the aircraft was lost.
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- Bristol M.1 Monoplane Scout
- Bristol Braemar
- Bristol Scout F
- 504
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- Bristol T.B.8
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