Bristol Type 138 A

I note that my posts #5 and #7 refer to subtly different aspects of the Flight Global resource for the Bristol 138A 🙂

While you’re on this frequency JDK I noted some RAAF photos you put on WIX
http://www.warbirdinformationexchange.org/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=17715&view=previous

I think they’re all taken in the Near East (Syria/Lebanon) where the Australian led force defeated the Vichy French garrison. The tall white control tower top pic I think is Rayak

I also found this interesting set by digging around on Google images for ‘Farman aeropostale’
from ‘tutu’ on aviation-ancienne site
(there’s an interned Beaufighter in there!)
http://aviation-ancienne.forumactif.com/front-mediterraneen-afrique-f70/armee-air-afn-1942-t6000.htm

and these
http://www.bibert.fr/Joseph_Bibert_fichiers/Depart_Levant.htm

and from the pilot-prives site
http://pilotes-prives.biz/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=5587&st=0&sk=t&sd=a&start=45

plus l’armee de l’aire
http://www.traditions-air.fr/

That’s your days viewing , chaps…..longshot

Oops! Sorry! I didn’t re-read the thread, and no, I’d only searched out my previous refs the last time I looked through this.

In my defence, better thwice (or thrice!) than not at all…

Regards,

I found this goldmine of Flight’s Bristol 138 shots, including with a Huck’s starter, that I’d not seen before.

Have you not been clicking my links again James, post #6;)
But it’s ok, Longshot’s done the same thing:D

-Bump-

While looking for prototype Defiant shots on another thread, I found this goldmine of Flight’s Bristol 138 shots, including with a Huck’s starter, that I’d not seen before.

Here.

The pressure suit of either Sqd Ldr Swain of Flt Lt Adam (53,937ft in June ’37)was at RAFM Hendon, unsure if it is still there or now gone to Cosford?

I am fairly sure the sure the suit is back in the Museum store at Stafford. It is apparently in a very fragile state, not surprising as it was mainly constructed using a rubber coated fabric.

Planemike

When I researched the 138 for the Aircrew feature in March 2010 Aeroplane magazine, I found a number of less obvious online items which may be of interest.

The RAeS has some photos, a couple of which are shown on this PDF and not widely seen, I think: http://www.raes.org.uk/pdfs/mar2006additions.pdf

You can see and hear Sqn Ldr Swain himself telling the story of the flight on Pathé newsreel film at www.britishpathe.com/record.php?id=6925, and there is more footage at http://www.britishpathe.com/record.php?id=6929

I vaguely recall finding references to wartime scrapping, but I can’t re-find them immediately, sorry.

As the machine was a special one-off and by W.W.II obsolete and with a mixed construction with major wooden elements, I’d suggest as it didn’t get donated to the Science Museum in 1937/8, it was doomed thereafter.

Incidentally while I was in Italy, I saw some Italian newsreel footage of Lt Col Mario Pezzi and the Caproni 161 at an excellent exhibition in Rome. They also made a great fuss of the records, and they beat the Bristol’s achievement not once, but twice, holding it into W.W.II – and for piston-engine aircraft, I believe the Italian record still stands. Sadly the Caproni also failed to be preserved – a slightly more historic machine than the 138.

Regards,

According to Air-Britain’s ‘The K File’, the Bristol 138A, K4879 first flew on 11 May 1936. After it had broken the world altitude record of 53,937 ft on 30 June 1937, it force landed at Tangmere on 2 August 1938 consequently going back to Bristols at Filton on 26 August. It then went back to the RAE on 17 September 1938. On 21 June 1940, it was sent to 10 SoTT at Kirkham as 1951M, later being allocated 2393M on 11 December 1940 and then 2739M on 10 October 1941.

I can only presume that it was scrapped at Kirkham sometime after that. I would sat that the reason that it wasn’t preserved was that we had other things to think about at the time…..such as World War 2. 🙂

I hope that this helps.

FC

That would be the first of the Fairey Long-range Monoplanes, J9479, crashed near Tunis.

Which one crashed in the Atlas mountains on a flight to the Cape(?) from what I know of the Atlas range it is cold and dry so perfect for the preservation of an airframe.

Checkout the pages before and after this one

http://www.flightglobal.com/airspace/media/historical1930smilitary/default.aspx?PageIndex=4

http://www.flightglobalimages.com/prints-16661/experimental-prototypes-gallery.html?pn=4&so=1&sci=1289246203&gid=16661&PHPSESSID=3isropvfg51i8tote3f4v1tpj7#gridtop

Just found this superb gallery showing both the 138 and the Long-Range Monoplane.

Type 138A photos on Flightglobal

http://tinyurl.com/3an4chs

Didn’t it go to a Air Training Corps squadron and got burnt in the end? I think I read once.

Dave

Thanks

Yes I’d forgotten about the fairy long range- still can’t find out what happened to this historic aircraft more research required thanks for the reply

Good question, and along with the Fairey Long-Range monoplane, it would be great to see this aircraft around now.
The pressure suit of either Sqd Ldr Swain of Flt Lt Adam (53,937ft in June ’37)was at RAFM Hendon, unsure if it is still there or now gone to Cosford?