| Fantome |
24th Nov 2018 03:48 |
BRISTOL BULLDOG
Ed Storo of Oregon (ex-FedEx pilot) is building a Bulldog as detailed in the latest Classic Wings (Issue 109 Vol. 24 No.1).
He is after a pair of nav. lights of the type fitted to English service aircraft of the late twenties or early thirties. The RAAF had eight Bulldogs, but if any part of any of those is still in existence it'd be a wonder. Still, who knows what some collector has tucked away in his shed?
"The prototype Bristol Bulldog first flew in 1927, and Bulldog Mk II entered the Royal Air Force in 1929. The aircraft became the most widely-used day and night fighter of its time, and attracted the attention of Latvia, Japan, Siam, Sweden, Estonia, Finland and America.
"In February 1930, eight Bulldog IIs arrived in Australia in the SS Fordsdale, and acceptance tests were carried out at Point Cook in May. On 9 May, Flying Officer C. Henry won the Victorian Aerial Derby at 183 mph, and a few days later, Flying Officer W. G. Rae escaped by parachute when the wing of a Bulldog collapsed while he was performing an outside loop. The Bulldog soon became a firm favourite at aerial pageants, where its aerobatic prowess was capably demonstrated by pilots of the calibre of Flight Lieutenant F.R. Scherger, later to become RAAF Chief of Air Staff.
During the early thirties, the Bulldogs formed the fighter squadron at Point Cook. In March 1932, a flight of Bulldogs flew to Darwin to co-operate with the RAF flying boats of No 205 Squadron from Singapore.
In 1940, the three surviving RAAF Bulldogs were converted to instructional airframes, and were scrapped during World War II." (RAAF Museum website.)
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