Bristol Fighter G-ACAC

To break it down further, 43 former RFC/RAF Fighters made it on to the UK register. In the period from 1920 to 1923, they were mostly via AirDisCo. Of these, a batch of 15 were sold to the Belgian Air Force, being delivered between October 1921 and July 1922. This was in addition to 2 Fighters that were delivered the Belgian Royal Flight in 1920 (G-EASU and G-EASV). G-EBIO was retained by AirDisCo as a demonstrator, and sold in 1931. When the F2B was finally withdrawn from RAF service in the early 1930s, more ended up on the UK civil register. Some interesting examples were G-ABXA, which was to be used as an air-to-air refueller for the aviatrix Mildred Bruce (aka the Hon Mrs Victor Bruce) in her unsuccessful attempts to set endurance records in a Saro Windover (she also owned F2B G-ACFP); G-ABYT, which was used by the Cinque Ports Flying Club at Lympne and came third in the 1933 Folkestone Aero Trophy Race; between 1933 and 1936 four were used by Commercial Airways at Loughton Air Park in Essex in their flying school (G-ACFK, G-ACFL, G-ACFN, G-ACFO); G-ADJR and G-AEPH were owned by Capt. Christopher Ogilvie, and sold to London Film productions in 1938, being used as airborne camera platforms. The latter was ‘rediscovered’ at Elstree in 1946, restored by the Bristol Aeroplane Company at Filton, flew again in 1951 and has been flying for the Shuttleworth Collection ever since. In addition to these 43, two ‘rebuilds’ have completed in recent years, both based on frames that were used in the construction of a farm building in Weston-on-the-Green and recovered in the mid-1960s: G-ACAA (using components from and taking the identity of the original G-ACAA, ex F4516) built by Skysport Engineering and flying in 1998, and G-AANM, built by the Historic Aircraft Collection, flying in 2006.

The Bristol Tourer, Coupe and Seeley were all purpose-built civil aircraft based on the F2B frame, and were either two-seaters or three-seaters, with or without a hood. about 9 had UK civil registrations, usually pre-delivery. Five Puma-powered Fighters were built in 1923, all for use as trainers for the Bristol Flying School at Filton (G-EAXA – a former Tourer, G-EBFR, G-EBFS, G-EBFT, G-EBFU). Three Jupiter-powered Fighters were built in 1923: One crashed after a couple of months (G-EBGF), one went to Sweden (G-EBHG), and another was retained (G-EBHH). This resulted in the dual-control Jupiter Trainer (aka Advanced Training Machine), of which 24 were built for the Bristol Flying School and the Beardmore Flying School at Renfrew.

So a quick tot-up makes 86 Bristol Fighter or Fighter-derivatives that have appeared on the UK civil register.

Andrew

I wonder how many Brisfits there were on the civil register between the wars?
Adrian

A quick skim through the reggies suggests there were sixty-odd Brisfits (including later developments like the Tourer and the various Trainers) on the British register at some point between the wars. The majority will have been registered to the manufacturer (or ADC) and registered for test flying or sales purposes, then quickly vanished to somewhere foreign. Maybe eight or ten had a ‘life’ with a British reggie.

LOl Yes Adrian, absolutely,
Know what you mean too Sopwith. On the M-24 Website the history section says that Wal Handley was friends with Bert Perrigo and he was BSA’s Top man for many years. It says they both flew aircraft in 1930’s so being “Brummies” that must have been Elmdon Airport, I spent many visits there in 1950’s. met Bert Perrigo and others in 1978 at a GSOC Meeting at Coventry, they loved my WD BSA M-20 and I was very proud of that and impressed with them. (Sold years ago). That DBD Scrambler would be worth a few £thousands now. (Just to cheer you up–lol !! )
Paul,— Yardley cemetery was just up the road from where I lived but till now, I never knew all that time that Wal Handley was buried there, I certainly knew about him though. Will have to make a pilgrimage there. Thanks guys for great input, appreciated. Mike –we got a Hooton Connection.

Bill T.

CWGC has

HANDLEY, WALTER LESLIE Captain 15/11/1941 39 Air Transport Auxiliary United Kingdom Grave 4741. BIRMINGHAM (YARDLEY) CEMETERY

Thanks Bill T, yes it is well worth getting the book an excellent read and thanks for the link. I had a DBD34 Goldie scrambler about 40 years ago, gave £45:00 for it, wish I had it now. Wal Handley is buried in Yardley according to the book, but where exactly it doesn’t say.

At one bang per telegraph pole, I bet the Gold Star covered the distance between poles mighty sharpish!

I wonder how many Brisfits there were on the civil register between the wars? I know Maitland Emmett had one in Oxford (indeed, I have a photograph that may have been taken from it), it sounds as though there were several.

Adrian

Every once in a while this forum comes up with some stunning stuff Sopwith and you have here. Wal Handley was THE man who on June 30Th. 1937 entered a Modified BSA “Empire Star” 500cc Iron Barrelled Model M-23 Roadster Motorcycle into the Races at Brooklands track and won a much coveted Brooklands “Gold Star”. And from that the most famous of British racing legendary Motorcycles was born, The BSA “Gold Star”. As a Lad I lived in Birmingham and used to regularly cycle over to Armoury Road (BSA works) and watch the riders testing the scramblers on their test track and the Testers bringing out the new built “Goldies” for the big test run up Armoury road, over the railway bridge and away, lovely exhaust sound.

Check out this M-24 Gold Star Website history:- http://www.bsa-m24.com/id1.html

I personally had no idea how Wal died or that he even owned a Bristol fighter Aircraft, and that it was scrapped at Hooton Park in 1936. ( Close links to Hooton) Wow !!! Got to get that Book. Any idea where Wal Handley is Buried in “Brum ” ?

Thanks Sopwith, brilliant!!!

Bill T.

Thank you Paul, interesting link. That book looks good.

My question is does anyone know what happened to it?

Says Scrapped in 1936 here

http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=aKQsAwAAQBAJ&pg=PT87&lpg=PT87&dq=Bristol+Fighter+G-ACAC&source=bl&ots=EtVurCZa9Y&sig=ya9CBswh7txXTTXdGADwlRr15i0&hl=en&sa=X&ei=EyNzU-L8EZCy7AbSqYFg&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=Bristol%20Fighter%20G-ACAC&f=false

BTW Captain Walter Leslie Handley ATA, killed 15/11/1941 in Airacobra I, serial AH598 of 3 FPP, when it’s engine cut and stalled and the aircraft dived into ground near Fingland Cumbria. He is buried in Birmingham

Given what else was then available, I’d guess it was bought fairly cheap in 1932. By 1936 the F.2B must have been decidedly outclassed. Also, despite the type’s use by the ‘tween-the-wars RAF and others, not to mention the Bristol Tourer (mostly) civil derivative, I can’t imagine Bristol were terrifically interested in providing spares support, nor Rolls or whoever for the engine. It must have simply outlived it’s useful life.

Thanks Lazy8,for the rapid response and the interesting link. Wonder why it was scrapped. I appreciate that in those days they weren’t valued but it does seem an awful shame looking back at things.

Third one down on here:
http://mail.afleetingpeace.org/index.php/aeroplanes/15-aeroplanes/77-register-gb-g-ac.