**ONLY ONE LEFT! THIS ITEM IS NO LONGER IN PRODUCTION**

All Thomas Gunn aircraft are hand carved in mahogany and take around 60 hours to manufacture, each comes with a full interior and all are limited editions.

 Description 

The Bristol Aeroplane Company F.2 Fighter was a two-seat biplane fighter and reconnaissance aircraft and it was without doubt one of the most important and successful British designs to serve during the First World War.

In 1915, the Royal Flying Corps had identified a need to replace their Royal Aircraft Factory B.E.2c’s with an emphasis on self-defence capabilities.

Designed by a team led by Frank Barnwell (who had experience as a frontline RFC pilot), the prototype Bristol Type 12 F.2A (C3303) was first flown on 9th September 1916 at Filton, fitted with a newly available 190 hp Rolls-Royce Falcon I inline engine. The Bristol Aeroplane Company had already received an order for 50 aircraft by the time the second prototype flew on 25th October 1916, this time fitted with a Hispano-Suiza power unit.

The type was a twin-bay biplane, with the fuselage suspended mid-way between the wings in a similar manner to the earlier Gordon England biplanes. The pilot sat forward of the observer / gunner who was equipped with a Scarff-ring mounted machine gun in the rear cockpit. A forward-firing Vickers gun was mounted on the fuselage centreline.

The type was ordered into service with 2 prototypes and 50 production Bristol F.2A, all built before construction was switched to the Bristol Type 14 F.2B when the aircraft became the definitive Bristol Fighter.

Despite a disastrous start to its career, the definitive F.2B version proved to be a manoeuvrable aircraft and pilots soon realised that the Bristol Fighter was a strong and agile aircraft, capable of manoeuvring with single-seat fighters, despite some rumours that the type lacked the structural strength to be flown as a fighter. While its fixed forward-firing machine gun could be used as the primary weapon, the observer could use his flexible, rear-mounted gun to provide protection from attacks from the rear. Flown in this manner, the Bristol Fighter achieved a ‘remarkable’ level of success and proved to be a formidable opponent for German fighters.

Manufacturers: Bristol Aeroplane Company, Standard Motor Company
Top speed: 123 mph
Designers: Frank Barnwell, Edgar Percival
Unit cost: 1,350–1,350 GBP (1918)
First flight: September 9, 1916
Retired: 1930
Number built: 5,329

General characteristics:
Crew: 2
Length: 25 ft 10 in (7.87 m)
Wingspan: 39 ft 3 in (11.96 m)
Height: 9 ft 9 in (2.97 m)
Wing area: 405 sq ft (37.6 m2)
Empty weight: 2,145 lb (973 kg)
Max takeoff weight: 3,243 lb (1,471 kg)
Powerplant: 1 × Rolls-Royce Falcon III V-12 liquid-cooled piston engine, 275 hp (205 kW)
Propellers: 2-bladed fixed-pitch propeller

Performance
Maximum speed: 123 mph (198 km/h, 107 kn)
Range: 369 mi (594 km, 321 nmi)
Service ceiling: 18,000 ft (5,500 m)
Rate of climb: 889 ft/min (4.52 m/s)

Armament
Guns: 1 × .303 in (7.7 mm) forward-firing Vickers machine gun in the upper fuselage
1 or 2 × .303 in Lewis Guns in the observer's cockpit
Bombs: 240 lb (110 kg)

Info: Bristol F.2 The Brisfish, WWI Display Model