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British and Colonial Aeroplane Company incorporated
British and Colonial Aeroplane Company incorporated in Bristol. -
First flight of the Bristol Boxkite
First flight of the Bristol Boxkite, at Larkhill, by Edmond -
First British military aircraft sortie
A Bristol Boxkite, flown by Captain Bertram Dickson, was used in the Autumn Manoeuvres on Salisbury Plain. Working for the Red Force, his task was to spot the Blue Force. With their position noted, he landed in a field in Wylye to telephone the information back to Red Force, but was 'captured' and taken to Blue HQ. This exercise proved the worth of aerial reconaissance in war, and prompted the British military to expand into aeroplanes. -
First radio signal transmitted from an aircraft.
During the Autumn manoeuvers on Salisbury Plain, a message was transmitted from an aeroplane for the first time. The pilot of the Bristol Boxkite, Robert Loraine, used a morse transmitter strapped to leg to send a signal to the Bristol shed at Larkhill, reporting on his obeservations on troop movements. -
First government contract for a British aeroplane
The first government contract for a British aircraft took place on this date, when Russia ordered eight Bristol Boxkites. This order was for the Military version, which had enlarged tanks and three rudders. All eight were delivered to St. Petersburg in April 1911. -
First flight in Singapore
The first aeroplane to fly in Singapore was a Bristol Boxkite, flown by Joseph Christians. He flew his Boxkite from the race course at Farrer Park, offering joy rides for $50. -
First hydrofoil-equipped seaplane
The design for a seaplane with Hydrofoils was started in secret at Filton in January 1912. In May the prototype was taken to Milford Haven for trials. Known as X.2, it had air and water propellers that were powered by the same engine, using a clutch to switch between them. After initial problems during taxi trials, the X.2 was towed by a torpedo boat. It lifted off the water on this date, but stalled and crashed into the water. Trials continued with second flying boat, X3. -
First purpose-built bomber
The world's first purpose-built bomber, Bristol T.B.8 No.198, made its first flight towards the end of 1913, and was delivered to the Admiralty as '153' on this date. It was equipped with a prismatic bomb sight and a rotating bomb rack with 12 bombs, with a release trigger in the cockpit. -
Start of First World War
Of the British pilots available to fly at the outbreak of the first world war, 80 per cent of them had been trained on Bristol aircraft. By 1914, 308 of the 664 Royal Aero Club certificates issued had been gained at the "Bristol" flying schools at Larkhill and Brooklands. -
First VC awarded to a pilot
The first Victoria Cross awarded for aerial combat was given to Captain Lanoe G. Hawker of No.6 Squadron RFC, for downing three enemy aircraft in a single mission over Belgium on this date. Hawker was flying a Bristol Scout C, No.1611, at the time. -
First flight from an aircraft carrier
The world's first flight from an aircraft carrier took place on this date, when a Bristol Scout C bi-plane took off from the deck of HMS Vindex. Although seaplanes had been launched from ocean-going ships, this was the first occurance of a landplane taking off in a conventional manner. The only modification to the airframe was additional gear to allow it to be hoisted from a crane. -
First composite aircraft
The first flighrt of a composite aircraft, where one aircraft is launched from another aircraft in flight, took place on this date, when a Bristol Scout C was launched from the upper wing of a Felixstowe Porte Baby flying boat. -
First British carrier-borne home defence operation
A Bristol Scout took off from HMS Vindex on this date, the first home defence operation from a British carrier. Flt. Lt. C. T. Freeman intercepted a Zeppelin and dropped his load of 24 Ranken explosive darts on the airship. Only one struck, but did little damage. Without enough fuel to make it to land, Freeman ditched the Scout in the sea and was rescued by a passing ship. -
Formation of the Royal Air Force
The first aircraft airborne on the day that the Royal Air Force was formed was a Bristol F2B Fighter. -
First flight of the Bristol Braemar four-engined bomber
First flight of the Bristol Braemar four-engined bomber. The long range bomber was designed to reach Berlin, but was too late for service in the First World War and did not enter production. -
First bench run of Jupiter engine
The Cosmos Jupiter (later Bristol Jupiter) radial piston engine was widely used in the 1920s and 1930s. It was flown in 262 different types of aircraft, and built under licence across the world. The initial version of the nine cylinder engine produced 400hp, but later versions produced up to 580hp. It was so reliable that it was chosen to powered many of the large airliners of the 1920s. -
First flight across the Andes
On this day Lt. Godoy of the Chilean Air Force flew a Bristol M.1C monplane from Santiago in Chile to Mendoza in Argenentina, This was the first ever flight across the Andes in South America. Godoy flew at over 20,000 feet, without oxygen or heating. -
First post-WW1 commercial flight
The ban on civil flying in Britain was lifted on 1st May 1919, and new regulations came into force. The first successful civil flight on that day was from Filton, when Bristol's chief test pilot Cyril Uwins flew Herbert Thomas, the Filton Works Manager, to Hounslow in Bristol Coupe H1460. This was a Bristol Fighter with a hinged coupe-style cover over the rear seat. -
First flight of the Bristol Pullman
The Bristol Pullman made its first flight from Filton in early May 1920. It was one of the worlds first airliners, and was the first aircraft to have an enclosed cabin for passengers (14) and crew (2). It did not go into production, probably because it was ahead of its time, as there was no perceived need for such a large transport aircraft. -
First flight of the Bristol Jupiter Racer
The Jupiter-powered Bristol Racer, made its first flight from Filton in early July 1922. Nicknamed the Barrel Racer, it was the first British aircraft to have retractable undercarriage. It was also the world's first aircraft to have a monocoque structure with fully cowled engine and retractable landing gear. -
Uwins wins the Aerial Derby
Bristol's Chief test pilot, Cyril Uwins, wins the 1922 Aerial Derby in the Bristol M1D monplane. The M1D, with registration G-EAVP, was an 1918-built M1C monoplane fitted with a Bristol Lucifer engine. -
First purpose built Air Ambulance in Britain
The first flight of the Bristol Type 79 Brandon. This was the first British purpose-built air ambulance. -
First flight of the Bristol Bulldog
The first flight of the Bristol Type 105 Bulldog took place at Filton on this day. It became the RAF's front line fighter of the early 1930s, and was sold to many air forces around the world. -
First flight of Bristol Bagshot
The Bristol Type 95 Bagshot made its first flight on this date, from Filton. Its canilevered wing caused the wings to twist in flight, resulting control reversal, and the project was abandoned. However, it led to intensive research into wing design for the Type 130 Bombay. This research has ultimately led to Filton becoming one of the world's leading centres for aircraft wing design, right up to the Airbus 380 and A400M today. -
World altitude record
A world altitiude record is set by a Bristol engine-powered aircraft. A Junkers W.34 powered by a Bristol Jupiter VII and flown by Willi Neuenhofen reaches 41,790 ft (12,739 metres). -
First rotating enclosed gun turret
The Bristol Type 120 first flew on this day, from Filton Airfield. The Type 120 was a derivative of the Type 118 two-seat general-purpose biplane. The aircraft had a rotating enclosed transparent gun turret, which protected the gunner from the slipstream. This was the first aircraft in the world to fly with this arrangement. The rotating enclosed turret went on to be the standard defence on most large bomber and transport aircraft during the Second World War. -
world altitiude record
Bristol's chief test pilot, Cyril Uwins, sets a world altitiude record in a Bristol Pegasus-powered Vickers Vespa. A height of 43,976 ft (13,404 m) in a flight from Filton. -
First flight over Mount Everest
First ever flight over Mount Everest, by two aircraft powered by Bristol Pegasus engines. -
First flight of the Bristol Type 142 'Britain First'
First flight of the Bristol Type 142, forerunner of the Blenheim. The Type 142 was the first 'modern' British aircraft - all-metal stressed skin, retractable undercarriage, flaps, fully cowled engines. It was significantly faster than any fighter in the RAF at the time. It was commissioned by Lord Rothermere, proprietor of the Daily Mail, as a high speed 6-passenger transport aircraft. -
First Flight of Bristol Bombay
The Bristol Type 130 Bombay made its first flight on this day, from Filton. The Bombay was the first Bristol aircraft to use an aluminium alloy construction. -
First flight of the Bristol 143
First flight of the Bristol Type 143 eight passenger airliner, at Filton. -
World altitude record
Squadron Leader Francis Ronald Swain sets a world altitude record in the Bristol Type 138, powered by a Bristol Pegasus engine. A height of 49,967 ft (15,230 m) is reached on a flight from Farnborough. -
World altitude record
Flight Lieutenant M,J.Adam sets a world altitude record in a Bristol Type 138, powered by a Bristol Pegasus engine. A height of 53,937 ft (16,440 m) was reached in a flight from Farnborough. -
World distance record
World distance record of 7,158 miles set by three RAF Vickers Wellesleys powered by Bristol Pegasus XXII.LR engines with Rotol constant speed airscrews. The non-stop flight from Ismailia in Egypt to Darwin in Australia took 48 hours. One of the three aircraft was forced to land in West Timor, 500 miles short, but still broke the record. This record remains unbroken to this day for a single-engined aircraft. -
First flight of the Bristol Beaufighter
The Bristol Type 156 Beaufighter made its first flight on this date, from Filton. Designed as a night fighter, based on the Bristol Beaufort torpedo bomber, it was also used as a fighter-bomber. Nearly 6,000 were built in Britain and Australia, the most built of any Bristol designed aircraft. -
Britain declares war on Germany
The first RAF aircraft to fly on the declaration of war with Germany were Bristol Blenheims, on a photo reconaissance mission of the German fleet at Kiel. -
First radar-controlled interception
A Bristol Blenheim is the first aircraft ever to perform a radar-controlled interception. -
Blenheim becomes first RAF aircraft to sink a German U-Boat
A Bristol Blenheim becomes the first RAF aircraft to sink a German U-Boat -
First flight of Bristol 160 Blenheim V
First flight of the Bristol Type 160 Blenheim Mark V -
Beaufighter flies over Paris
In an unusual morale boosting mission, FIt Lt A. K. Gatward flew a Coastal Command Bristol Beaufighter to occupied Paris at very low level, dropped two French Tricolore flags on the parading German troops on the Champs Elysee, and straffed the Kriegsmarine HQ before returning home safely. -
Last mission of WW2
The last offensive missions flown during the Second World War were made by Bristol Beauforts of the Royal Australian Air Force. On this day, 30 Beauforts bombed and straffed enemy targets on Muschu Island, New Guinea. Later that day, they dropped leaflets announcing the Japanese surrender.
