Bristol Type 148
Bristol · United Kingdom · first flew 1937 · reconnaissance aircraft
The Bristol Type 148 was a two-seat, single-engine low-wing monoplane built in 1937 to an Air Ministry specification for an army cooperation aircraft. Two prototypes were built.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | Low-mounted, straight |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 1 × piston, nose-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | 9.55 m fuselage |
| T — Tail | Conventional |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- Cantilever low-wing monoplane with constant-chord wings and rounded tips
- Pilot and observer in tandem cockpits under a continuous canopy
- Main undercarriage retracting inwards into the centre section, with a fixed spatted tailwheel
It is a low-wing monoplane with constant-chord wings, split flaps and connected wingtip slots. Two machine guns were mounted in the port wing.
Specifications
- The Bristol Type 148 has a length of 9.55 m (31 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 12.19 m (40 ft).
- Its maximum speed is 467 km/h (290 mph).
- Typical crew: 2.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
It was built to Air Ministry specification A.39/34 to replace the Hawker Audax and Hector. It first flew on 15 October 1937 with a Mercury IX engine and was re-engined with a Perseus XII after a landing accident.
Variants
The second prototype, the Type 148B, flew in May 1938 with a Bristol Taurus II engine. The two machines were used to compare and evaluate the two engine types.
Where you'll see it
It lost the competition to the Westland Lysander and did not progress past the two prototypes. The Lysander high wing and fixed undercarriage won it the order.
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- Bristol Blenheim I
- Bristol Type 101
- Bristol Berkeley
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- Blohm & Voss BV 138
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