Bristol Scout F

Bristol Aeroplane Company · United Kingdom · first flew 1918 · fighter

The Bristol Scout F was the final development of the Bristol Scout family, a late-war single-seat fighter that appeared just as the armistice ended the need for new types.

Recognition (WEFT)

W — Wings	Mid-mounted, straight
E — Engines	1 × piston, nose-mounted
F — Fuselage	6.1 m fuselage
T — Tail	Conventional

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Spot it by:

sesquiplane layout with much smaller lower wing
close-cowled rotary or radial engine
compact single-seat scout biplane

The Scout F's sesquiplane layout — a normal upper wing paired with a much smaller lower wing — distinguishes it from earlier full-biplane Scouts. The close-cowled engine and small, rounded fuselage give it a neat, compact appearance typical of late-war scouts.

Specifications

The Bristol Scout F has a length of 6.1 m (20 ft).
It has a wingspan of 7.79 m (26 ft).
Its maximum speed is 233 km/h (145 mph).
Typical crew: 1.

Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.

History

The Bristol Scout series, from the Scout A of 1914 through to the Scout F of 1918, traces the evolution of the single-seat fighter from unarmed scouts to capable combat aircraft. The Scout F introduced a sesquiplane layout and was intended as an interceptor, but it arrived too late to see combat. Bristol's design team moved on to the F.2 Fighter, which eclipsed the Scout in production.

Variants

The Scout line ran from A to F; the Scout D was the main production version; the Scout F was a final, limited development.

Where you'll see it

No operational combat service; evaluated by the RFC/RAF late in the war but the armistice intervened.

Related aircraft

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