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Explore the evolution of aeroplanes in the West of England since 1910, from the iconic Bristol Boxkite to the supersonic Concorde and modern Airbus A380. Witness the innovation and milestones of aviation in this historical journey.
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AVIATION IN THE WEST OF ENGLAND SINCE 1910 AEROPLANES
AEROPLANES • The first complete aeroplane to be designed and built in the West of England was the Bristol Boxkite. • Since then hundreds of different designs and thousands of different aeroplanes have been built here. • The last complete large aeroplane built in the West of England was Concorde. • However, wings for big airliners, like the Airbus A380, are still designed and built here. • You can see some of the famous West of England aircraft in this slide show.
BRISTOL BOXKITE 1910 British & Colonial Aeroplane Company Wingspan: 14.1 metres Weight: 408kg Max speed: 50 mph Engine: Gnome Rotary This photograph shows a Boxkite on Durdham Downs in Bristol. It was taken on 14 November 1910. The man on the right with the bowler hat is Sir George White. He owned the company that made the aeroplane. This was the first time the Boxkite had been seen by the public in Bristol. The Boxkite was the first British aircraft to be sold abroad. The Russians ordered eight of them in 1910.
BRISTOL FIGHTER 1916 British & Colonial Aeroplane Company Wingspan: 11.96 metres Weight: 975kg Max speed: 125 mph Engine: Rolls-Royce Falcon The Bristol Fighter was used in World War One. It carried two people. The pilot sat at the front and the observer sat at the back. From his seat, the observer could fire a machine gun and drop bombs. He was called the observer because he was on the look-out for the enemy. By 1919 over 4,700 Fighters had been built. It was a biplane, like the Boxkite. This means it had two sets of wings, one above the other. The wings were kept rigid by struts and wires which linked the top set to the lower one.
THE RACER 1922 Bristol Aeroplane Company Wingspan: 8.2 metres Weight: 336kg Max speed: 220 mph Engine: ‘Bristol’ Jupiter This is a monoplane. The single wing is held rigid by a rod that goes through the aeroplane from one wing tip to the other. The designers hoped that the Racer would be able to fly at over 200 miles an hour. Only one aeroplane was ever made and it only flew seven times. This was because it was difficult to control. Although it was abandoned, it is still an important aeroplane. It was one of the first aeroplanes built by Bristol Aeroplane Company to have retractable wheels: that means the wheels could be pulled up when it was flying. It was also one of the first aeroplanes to use a Bristol Jupiter engine.
TYPE 138A 1934 Bristol Aeroplane Company Wingspan: 20.11 metres Weight: 1,996kg Max speed: 125 mph Engine: ‘Bristol’ Pegasus The Type 138A was designed to fly at high altitude. It was made from wood to make it light. It was powered by a Bristol Pegasus engine. On 30 June 1937, it flew to the altitude of 16,440 metres. This was a new world record. In those days aeroplanes did not have pressurised cockpits like they have now. The pilot had to wear a special rubber suit to keep him warm and oxygen was pumped into his helmet to help him breathe.
BEAUFIGHTER 1939 Bristol Aeroplane Company Wingspan: 17.6 metres Weight: 6,272.6kg Max speed: 330 mph Engine: ‘Bristol’ Hercules This aeroplane was used in World War Two. It was a long-range fighter. It hadfour cannons and six machine guns. It was one of the first aeroplanes to use radar. This meant it could fight at night. It was used to shoot down enemy bombers and fire torpedoes at ships. By 1945 over 5,500 Beaufighters had been built.
BRABAZON 1949 Bristol Aeroplane Company Wingspan: 70.1 metres Weight: 65,944 kg Max speed: 300 mph Engine: ‘Bristol’ Centaurus This aeroplane was designed to carry 100 passengers and 12 crew across the Atlantic. It was the largest aeroplane ever built in Britain. Part of the village of Charlton in South Gloucestershire had to be demolished to make a big enough runway for it. The aeroplane was a technical success but no-one wanted to buy it. Only one was built. Brabazon was broken up in 1953, but the huge hangar that was specially built for it at Filton is still in use.
BRITANNIA 1952 Bristol Aeroplane Company Wingspan: 43.3 metres Weight: 40,000kg Max speed: 362 mph Engine: ‘Bristol’ Proteus This was the first passenger aeroplane to fly non-stop from the UK to North America across the Atlantic. It was nicknamed the ‘Whispering Giant’ because it was so quiet. Britannias were used by airlines all over the world. Over 80 were built.
CONCORDE 1969 British Aircraft Corporation/ Sud Aviation Wingspan: 25.6 metres Weight: 78,700 kg Max speed: 1,448 mph Engine: Rolls-Royce/ SNECMA Olympus Concorde was the first supersonic passenger aeroplane. Concorde 002 made its first flight from Filton on 9 April 1969. In 1979 the last complete Concorde was assembled at Filton. This was Concorde 216. It returned to Filton on its final flight on 26 November 2003. It is now a visitor attraction.
A380 2005 Company: Airbus Wingspan: 79.8 metres Weight: 276,800 kg Max speed: 634 mph Engine: Rolls-Royce Trent This is the biggest passenger aeroplane in the world. Its wings were designed and partially made at Airbus at Filton. Complete airliners are no longer built in the West of England, but the region is still an important centre for new aeroplane technology.
