Bristol Type 118
Bristol Aeroplane Company · United Kingdom · first flew 1931 · reconnaissance aircraft
The Bristol Type 118 was a two-seat general-purpose military biplane built by the Bristol Aeroplane Company in the early 1930s and powered by a Bristol Mercury radial engine.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | Mid-mounted, straight |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 1 × piston, nose-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | 10.36 m fuselage |
| T — Tail | Conventional |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- Clean single-bay biplane with staggered, unequal-span wings
- Frise-type ailerons on the upper wings only
- Pilot's cockpit below a cut-out in the trailing edge of the upper wing, with the observer behind
Frank Barnwell's design had a fabric-covered metal fuselage like the Bulldog, horn-balanced rudder and elevators, a cantilever tailplane and a pilot's Vickers gun in a trough on the port side.
Specifications
- The Bristol Type 118 has a length of 10.36 m (34 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 12.4 m (41 ft).
- Typical crew: 2.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
It was a Bristol private venture intended for foreign air forces that could not afford a range of specialised aircraft, able to act as a fighter, bomber, reconnaissance or casualty-extraction machine. It first flew on 22 January 1931.
Variants
The Type 120 was a Pegasus-engined variant that first flew on 29 January 1932, entered in an Air Ministry competition and later used for armament tests. Two aircraft were built.
Where you'll see it
It was not ordered. The observer's cockpit could be used for a rear gunner, bomb aimer, photographer or radio operator, or for a stretcher.
Related aircraft
- Bristol Type 110A
- Bristol Bullpup
- Bristol Type 109
- Bristol Type 123
- Amiot 110-S
- Amiot 130
- ANF Les Mureaux 120
- Focke-Wulf Fw 47 Höhengeier
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