Hej Mike, did we have an appointment in Copenhagen to day 13.9.2014? I was home but the door telephone apparently was not function. I heared you ring, but was too late down at the dor.
Call me.
Mike Williams, e-mail, 07.05.2014 13:07
Hello. I live in Sweden and have a propeller that I think may have come from a Bristol Bulldog. It has metal tags with the date of 1937 and WATTS MERCURY with some other numbers. It is about ten feet long. Any help would be appreciated.
Frank Marshall, e-mail, 06.12.2013 18:17
When I was an Engineering Apprentice at the Bristol Aeroplane Company I was tasked, at the age of 18-19 (1963/4), with assisting with the rebuild of the last remaining Bulldog. This work was located in a corner of one of the vast Brabazon Hangers. To my eyes it was an extremely beautiful aircraft with fine lines and I'd already fallen in love with it in the much viewed 'Reach for the Sky' film.
One of the design features I remember about the aircraft was the VERY ingenious use of formed and rolled steel sheet and strip. VERY thin gauge, probably around 30-36gauge. The main spar was formed and fabricated from rolled steel sheet as were all the wing ribs. I could still sketch the construction now! There was a single steel rivet attaching the rolled and formed steel rib truss to the rolled steel rib caps! In fact the vast majority of the airframe was steel. Beautifully conceived, and pushing the limits of the production engineers as with the much later Type 188.
I was furious with the demonstration pilot, Williamson, (Backup to Godfrey Auty, Concorde test pilot) who crashed it shortly afterwards. He was doing aerobatics at an altitude which didn't leave any room for recovery following an engine failure.
We've lost FAR too many historic aircraft due to pilots not giving anything like enough consideration to the age, value and rarity of their steeds or their unique responsibility.....but that’s another story.
Sgt.KAR98, 14.01.2009 20:18
What about finnish Bulldogs?Were they the ones that were delivered for Sweden?
dromo, e-mail, 22.09.2008 23:29
I found one of these tucked away in a corner of the museum at RAf Henlow in the 1960s. Couldn't resist climbing in the cockpit. Best known as the plane in which WWII ace Douglas Bader lost both his legs.
Jennifer Trencham, e-mail, 04.02.2007 06:11
Was this aircraft used by the Royal Navy on carriers? or any of the Bristol aircraft. I am interested to know the aircraft that landed in Hong Kong from a carrier. The first airstrip there was built by the Royal Navy I believe in 1920's.Any info most welcome please. thank you
