Bristol Brigand

For the car produced by Bristol Cars from 1982 to 1994, see Bristol Type 603.
Type 164 Brigand
Official photograph: Bristol Brigand T Mk 4, 5 February 1948, IWM ATP 16512B
Role anti-shipping torpedo bomber, ground attack/dive bomber
Manufacturer Bristol Aeroplane Company
First flight 4 December 1944
Introduction June 1946
Retired 1958
Primary user Royal Air Force
Number built 147
Developed from Bristol Buckingham

The Bristol Brigand was a British anti-shipping/ground attack/dive bomber aircraft, developed by the Bristol Aeroplane Company as a replacement for the Beaufighter. A total of 147 were built and were used by the Royal Air Force in Malaya during the Malayan Emergency and Kenya until replaced by the de Havilland Hornet in Malaya and the English Electric Canberra jet bomber elsewhere.

Design and development

The Bristol Type 164 was the outcome of the 1942 Air Ministry specification H.7/42 calling for a faster edition of the Beaufighter for long-range torpedo work and anti-shipping strikes.[1]

The Bristol design team under Leslie J. Frise, used the wings, tail and undercarriage of the Buckingham with a new fuselage of oval cross-section. The pilot, navigator/bomb aimer and radio-operator/gunner were grouped in the forward cockpit. In spite of the official change in its role to a bomber, the first eleven Brigands off the production line were completed as torpedo bombers.[2] These early aircraft served with RAF Coastal Command from 1946–1947 before being converted to bombers.

Operational history

The first unit to convert from Beaufighters to the Brigand was 45 Squadron, based at RAF Station Tengah on the Island of Singapore, operating in support of British forces against the Communist Guerrillas, engaged in an insurgency in Malaya. The first Brigand was flown to Tengah from RAF St Athan in November 1949, a 16-day trip. After test flights, the first combat operation was conducted by the Brigand, piloted by Flight Lieutenant Dalton Golding and crewed by radio/radar operator Peter Weston, together with four Beaufighters of No. 45 Squadron against CT targets in the jungle west of Kluang, Malaya on 19 December 1949. The Brigand carried three rockets, one 500 lb (230 kg) and two 1,000 lb (450 kg) bombs. The operation was successful and No. 45 Squadron soon completed its conversion to the Brigand.

Brigands of 45 Squadron and soon 84 Squadron were routinely engaged in strikes against Communist Insurgent targets throughout Malaya, direct and in close support of ground forces, as well as providing air cover as needed to convoys on the ground, against possible ambushes.

Problems with the Brigand became apparent during its operations in Malaya, with undercarriages failing to lower. This was traced to rubber seals in the hydraulic jacks deteriorating in the hot, humid climate.[3] Just as this problem was being resolved another problem arose, more serious because it led to fatalities; a propensity for aircraft damage and loss, during strafing runs employing the four 20 mm cannon. An accumulation of gases in the long cannon blast tubes, which ran under the cockpit, were igniting through use of high-explosive shells. This in turn severed hydraulic lines, which would burn, so that in effect the Brigands were shooting themselves down. This was cured by drastically reducing ammunition loads and using only ball rounds.[4] The Brigand also had a propensity to shed one propeller blade leading to complete propeller failure, which in turn would lead to the engine being wrenched off the wing and an inevitable crash. This was found to be caused by corrosion in the propeller locking rings. More frequent maintenance helped alleviate this problem.[5]

When everything was working properly the Brigand was considered by its pilots to be a good aircraft:

The Brigand was pleasant to fly, having nicely balanced flying controls and a wide range of power in the two Bristol Centaurus engines. These features made the aircraft splendid for formation flying, which was important to our method of operation. The aircraft also had sufficient range to reach targets all over Malaya from the Squadron's new base at Tengah, on Singapore Island.
— Squadron Leader A. C. Blythe[6]

As the Brigand became hedged in with more restrictions, both unit commanders had serious doubts about continued use of the aircraft. It was decided to keep on operating them, since as long as thorough maintenance was carried out it was felt that nothing else could go wrong.[3] Another design flaw arose in the leather bellows used to deploy the air brakes during dives. In the tropical climate, the leather would rot away, causing the brakes to fail. This led to Brigands losing wings in dives due to excessive airspeed or rotation as only one brake deployed. When this problem was discovered, the air brakes of all Brigands were wired shut, decreasing the aircraft's dive bombing capabilities.

No. 45 Squadron converted to de Havilland Hornets in January 1952 while 84 Squadron was disbanded in February 1953. Soon after this, the Brigands were grounded and withdrawn from service.

Brigands were also used operationally over Aden by 8 Squadron from 1950 to 1952, when it was found that the Brigand mainspars were suspect; the Brigands were replaced by de Havilland Vampires.[7]

Variants

The first to be built was the Brigand I or Brigand TF 1 and these entered service with RAF Coastal Command No. 36 Squadron and No. 42 Squadron. They were subsequently rebuilt to become the Brigand B 1, notable as both the first purpose-built multi-role bomber for the RAF and its last piston-engined bomber. It could carry either a 22 in (560 mm) torpedo under the fuselage with two 500 lb (230 kg) bombs beneath the wings, one 2,000 lb (910 kg) or two 1,000 lb (450 kg) bombs beneath the fuselage and had underwing racks for 16 RP-3 60 lb (30 kg) rocket projectiles.

Type 164 Brigand
Four prototypes originally with Centarus VII engines.
Brigand TF.1
Production torpedo-bomber variant, 11 built later converted to B.I.
Brigand B.1
Bomber variant, rear gun removed and external bomb racks and rails for rockets added, 106 built and 11 conversions from TF.1
Brigand MET.3 of 1301 Flight RAF at RAF Luqa, Malta, in June 1949
Type 165 Brigand II
Proposed training variant with dual controls, not built as the Buckmaster, used for Brigand training instead.
Brigand MET.3
Unarmed meteorological reconnaissance variant, 16 built.
Brigand T.4
Trainer variant, used to train airborne interception (AI) radar operators, nine built, survivors to T.5 standard.
Brigand T.5
Improved training version, which like the T.4 before it, was used to train airborne interception (AI) radar operators, conversions from B.1 and T.4.

Operators

 Pakistan
 United Kingdom

Specifications (Brigand)

Data from Jane's All The World's Aircraft 1951–52[8]

General characteristics

Performance

Armament

See also


Related lists

References

Notes

  1. ↑ Mondey 1994, p. 69.
  2. ↑ Taylor 1969, p. 335.
  3. 1 2 Blythe 1977, p. 228.
  4. ↑ Blythe 1977, pp. 233, 235.
  5. ↑ Blythe 1977, p. 236.
  6. ↑ Squadron Leader A. C. Blythe DFC, commander 45 Squadron.
  7. ↑ Mulvagh 1995, pp. 16–19.
  8. ↑ Bridgman 1951, pp. 36c–67c.

Bibliography

  • Blythe, A. C. (Group Captain). "Brigands over Malaya". Aeroplane Monthly Volume 5, Number 5, May 1977.
  • Bridgeman, Leonard. Jane's All The World's Aircraft 1951–52. London: Sampson Low, Marston & Company, Ltd, 1951.
  • Campden, Vic et al. "Bristol Brigand in Focus". FlyPast, Number 343, February 2010.
  • Crouchman, Alan F. "Last of the 'Colonial Policemen'? Bristol's Occasionally Self-Destructive Brigand". Air Enthusiast No. 83, September/October 1999, pp. 22–29.
  • Mondey, David. The Hamlyn Concise Guide to British Aircraft of World War II. London: Chancellor Press, 1994. ISBN 1-85152-668-4.
  • Mulvagh, Brendan. "Brigands over Aden". Aeroplane Monthly, Volume 23, Number 9, September 1995.
  • Taylor, John W.R. "Bristol Brigand." Combat Aircraft of the World from 1909 to the present. New York: G. P. Putnam's Sons, 1969. ISBN 0-425-03633-2.
  • Trimble, Robert L. "Bristol's Multi-mission Bomber." Air Classics, Vol. 18, no. 8, August 1982.
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