Bristol Scout C
Bristol · United Kingdom · first flew 1915 · fighter
The Bristol Scout was one of the RFC's earliest single-seat fighter-scouts, used for home defence and offensive patrols in the early years of the First World War. Its speed made it a promising platform, though the lack of a synchronised gun was a significant limitation.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | Mid-mounted, tapered |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 1 × piston, nose-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | Small single-seat biplane with rounded fuselage |
| T — Tail | Conventional |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- Small single-seat biplane with rounded fuselage
- Rotary engine with minimal cowling
- No fixed armament in early versions; guns mounted at various angles
The compact rounded fuselage, small biplane wings with equal span, minimal cowling around the rotary engine, and absence of any gun fairing in the Scout C distinguish it from later purpose-designed fighters.
Specifications
- The Bristol Scout C has a length of 6.3 m (21 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 7.49 m (25 ft).
- Typical crew: 1.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
The Bristol Scout first flew in 1914 and the C variant entered RFC and RNAS service in 1915-16. Without a reliable interrupter gear, pilots improvised armament by fitting Lewis guns at oblique angles to fire outside the propeller arc. Lanoe Hawker flew a Scout C to win the first Victoria Cross for aerial combat in July 1915.
Variants
The Scout A and B were early pre-production forms; the Scout C was the main RFC variant; the Scout D introduced a more powerful engine and was used in greater numbers.
Where you'll see it
Scouts served on the Western Front and were also operated from ships, with some flown from platforms on warships in early experiments with ship-borne aviation.
Related aircraft
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