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Bristol F.2 Fighter

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Bristol F.2 Fighter
The Shuttleworth Collection's Bristol F.2B Fighter
Role Biplanefighter aircraft
Manufacturer British and Colonial Aeroplane Company
Designer Frank Barnwell
First flight 9 September 1916
Retired 1930s
Primary users Royal Flying Corps
Polish Air Force
Honduran Air Force
Produced 1916–1927
Number built 5,329

TheBristol F.2 Fighteris a BritishFirst World Wartwo-seatbiplanefighterandreconnaissance aircraftdeveloped byFrank Barnwellat theBritish and Colonial Aeroplane Companylater known as theBristol Aeroplane Company.It is often simply called theBristol Fighter,"Brisfit"or"Biff".

Although the type was intended initially as a replacement for the pre-warRoyal Aircraft Factory B.E.2creconnaissance aircraft, the newRolls-Royce FalconV12 enginegave it the performance of a fighter.

Despite a disastrous start to its career, the definitiveF.2Bversion proved to be a manoeuvrable aircraft that was able to hold its own against single-seat fighters while its robust design ensured that it remained in military service into the early 1930s. Some war-surplus aircraft were registered for civilian use and versions with passenger cabins were converted.

Development[edit]

Origins[edit]

In the Autumn of 1915, theRoyal Flying Corps(RFC) needed a newaerial reconnaissanceandartillery spottingaircraft to replace the pre-war Royal Aircraft Factory B.E.2c. Among other attributes and performance requirements, emphasis was placed upon the ability to defend itself in aerial combat.[1]

Several new types were developed; theRoyal Aircraft Factoryoffered itsR.E.8design andArmstrong Whitworthproduced the design that eventually emerged as theF.K.8.[1]In March 1916,Frank Barnwellof theBritish and Colonial Aeroplane Company(later theBristol Aeroplane Company), commenced work on a replacement for the B.E.2.[1]This initially took two forms, the Type 9R.2A,to be powered by the120 hp Beardmoreengine and the similar Type 9AR.2B,powered by the 150 hpHispano-Suiza.[2][3]Both designs had the fuselage mounted between the wings, with a gap between the lowerlongeronsand the wing, along with a substantial part of the fin beneath the fuselage. These features were intended to improve the field of fire for the observer; the positioning of the fuselage also resulted in the upper wing obscuring less of the pilot's field of view.[2][1]The crew positions were placed as close together as possible, to help communication between the pilot and observer.

Before either the R.2A or R.2B could be built, the new 190 hp (142 kW)Rolls-Royce Falconinline enginebecame available.[1]Barnwell drafted a third revision of his design around the new engine, with its decidedly superior power/weight ratio. The anticipated improvement in performance changed the emphasis in its intended operational use; it was now seen as a replacement for theF.E.2dandSopwith 1½ Struttertwo-seat fighters, rather than a competitor with the pedestrian reconnaissance designs that were to replace the B.E.2. The resulting Type 12F.2A,was a two-bay equal-span biplane, closely based on the R.2A and R.2B designs.

Prototypes[edit]

Bristol Fighter prototype with B.E.2d wings. Note column radiators on fuselage sides, forward of the wings.

In July 1916, work commenced on the construction of a pair of prototypes; on 28 August 1916, an initial contract was awarded for fifty production aircraft.[1]On 9 September 1916, the first prototype performed itsmaiden flight,powered by a Falcon I engine.[4]It was fitted with B.E.2d wings (Bristol were major contractors for the type) to save time; its lower wings were attached to an open wing-anchorage frame and had end-plates at thewing roots.[5]On 25 October 1916, the second prototype was completed, powered by a Hispano-Suiza engine and differing from the first prototype in its tail-skid, which was integrated into the base of therudder.[1]

It was found that the prototype'sradiatorarrangement obscured the pilot's field of view and the nose was redesigned around a new circular-shaped frontal radiator in the cowling.[1]Other changes made to the first prototype during flight testing included the elimination of the end-plates from the lower wing roots and the addition of a shallow coaming around the cockpits.[6]Between 16 and 18 October 1916, the type underwent its official trials at theCentral Flying School,Upavon,during which it was tested with a four-bladed 9 ft 2 in propeller and a two-bladed 9 ft 8 in propeller. By the time of its arrival at the experimental armament station atOrfordnessit had also been fitted with aScarff ringmounting over the rear cockpit and an Aldisoptical sight.[7]

Only 52 F.2A aircraft were manufactured before production began of the definitive model, theF.2B(retrospectively named BristolType 14), which first flew on 25 October 1916. The first 150 or so F.2Bs were powered by either the Falcon I or Falcon II engine but the remainder were equipped with the 275 hp (205 kW) Falcon III. The additional power gave the F.2B a 10 mph (16 km/h) advantage in level speed over the F.2A, while it was three minutes faster in a climb to 10,000 ft (3,000 m).

Armament[edit]

Bristol Fighter with Foster-mounted Lewis gun

The Bristol F.2 Fighter was armed in what had by then become standard for a British two-seater military aircraft: onesynchronisedfixed, forward-firing.303 in (7.7 mm)Vickers machine gun(in this case mounted under the cowling to avoid freezing) and a.303 in (7.7 mm)Lewis Gunon a Scarff ring over the observer's rear cockpit. The F.2B often carried a second Lewis gun on the rear cockpit mounting, although observers found the weight of the twin Lewis gun mounting difficult to handle in the high altitudes at which combat increasingly took place in the last year of the war, many preferring one gun. Attempts were made to add a forward-firing Lewis gun on aFoster mountingor similar on the upper wing either instead of (or with) the Vickers gun. Among other problems this caused interference with the pilot's compass, which was mounted on the trailing edge of the upper wing: to minimise this effect the Lewis gun was offset to starboard.[8]

Alternative engines[edit]

Rolls-Royce aero enginesof all types were in short supply, which frustrated plans to increase production to enable the F.2B to become the standard British two-seater, replacing the R.E.8 and F.K.8. Efforts were made to find an available alternativepowerplantthat was both reliable and sufficiently powerful.[9]TheType 15was fitted with a 200 hp (150 kW)Sunbeam Arabengine. In expectation of a reduction in performance with the less powerful engine, it was planned to supply the Arab-powered Fighters to the "corps" reconnaissance squadrons, reserving Falcon-powered examples for fighter–reconnaissance operations.[10]The Arab engine was to be fitted to Fighters produced by subcontractors under licence, while Bristol-built Fighters would continue to use the Falcon.[9]

In the event the Arab engine was not a success; it was found to suffer from serious weaknesses in cylinder and crank-chamber design that led, among other faults, to chronic and severe vibration, while the cooling system also required repeated modification. The "Arab Bristol" was never to become a viable combination, in spite of prolonged development. A few Arab-engined Bristols were at the front late in the war but the British reconnaissance squadrons had to soldier on with the R.E.8 and F.K.8 until the end of hostilities.[10]TheType 16was fitted with a 200 hp (150 kW) Hispano-Suiza engine. This worked better than the Arab but there was already a severe shortage of Hispano-Suizas for other types, such as theS.E.5aand theSopwith Dolphin.The 300 hp (220 kW) version of the Hispano-Suiza, suggested for theType 17,was not available in quantity before the end of the war.

Other engines tried or suggested for the F.2B were the 200 hp (150 kW)RAF 4d,the 180 hp (130 kW)Wolseley Viperand the 230 hp (170 kW)Siddeley Puma.[11]Trials of the Puma engine were carried out in February 1918; it was found to confer marginally better performance than the Hispano-Suiza and Arab engines but was difficult to install and unreliable. In September 1918, trials of a high-compression model of the Puma were carried out but it was found to have no significant performance benefit and this avenue was not pursued.[12]TheType 22was a proposed version adapted for aradialorrotary engine,either a 200 hp (150 kW)Salmsonradial, a 300 hp (220 kW)ABC Dragonflyradial (Type 22A) or a 230 hp (170 kW)BentleyB.R.2rotary (Type 22B). The type number was eventually used for theBristol F.2C Badger,a completely new design.

TheAll-Metal Bristol Fighter[edit]

TheBristol M.R.1is often described as an all-metal version of the F.2B but was a new design, although its fuselage was positioned between the upper and lower wing as with the F.2B. Two prototypes were built; the first flew on 23 October 1917, but the M.R.1 never entered mass production.

American versions[edit]

13th Squadron (Attack) - Dayton-Wright XB-1A, Kelly Field, Texas, 1921

When the USentered the war,theAviation Section, U.S. Signal Corpsof theUnited States Armylacked any competitive combat aircraft either in inventory or under construction.[12]On 1 August 1917, GeneralJohn Pershing,the commander of theAmerican Expeditionary Forceson theWestern Front,issued his personal recommendation for the Bristol Fighter to be built in the United States, leading to plans for the development and production of an American version of the Fighter by the United States Army Engineering Division.[12]

Original proposals for American production had the 200 hp (149 kW) Hispano-Suiza engine.[12]On 5 September 1917, a F.2B Fighter was delivered to theSmithsonian Institution,Washington,United States. Attempts to begin production in the United States floundered due to the decision by Colonel V. E. Clark of the Bolling Commission to redesign the Fighter to be powered by the 400 hp (298 kW)Liberty L-12engine. The Liberty was unsuitable for the Bristol, as it was far too heavy and bulky, so that the aircraft was chronically nose-heavy.[13][12]

A contract for 1,000 aircraft was placed initially with theFisher Body Corporationthen cancelled and reallocated to theCurtiss Aeroplane and Motor Company.[12]On 7 December 1917, the order was doubled to 2,000 aircraft. On 25 January 1918, the first aircraft, which was given the nameU.S.A 0-1,was completed, despite the misgivings of Barnwell, who was not satisfied with some of the modifications made, particularly in the use of the Liberty L-12 engine.[14]According to Bruce, misdirections attributed to Major E. J. Hall of the U.S. Signals Corps had led to roughly 1,400 production drawings produced by Curtiss being rendered obsolete. The reputation of the type was also tarnished by three early crashes, although one had been attributed to pilot error and the other two to faulty workmanship.[15]Only 27 O-1s were completed.[16]

Efforts to change the engine of American-built Bristol Fighters to the more suitable Liberty 8 or the 300 hp (224 kW) Wright-Hisso came up against political as well as technical problems. By July 1918, the only specimen of the American-built Hispano-Suiza engine had been installed in a Fighter; the combination soon gained the favour of the U.S. Air Board, which suggested to Curtiss that all work on the 400 hp Liberty L-12 version of the aircraft be abandoned in favour of the Hispano-Suiza version.[15]In spite of protests by Curtiss, the contracts for the U.S.A. 0-1 were terminated, leading to only a pair of prototypes and 25 production aircraft out of the planned 2,000 aircraft being constructed.[13][15]

XB-1A 64158/P-179 at McCook Field, Ohio

W. C. Potter, Assistant Director of Aircraft Production, suggested that the original Bristol Fighter should be produced exactly as per Barnwell's original design, save for the use of either the Liberty 8 or Hispano-Suiza engine.[15]Potter's proposal was overlooked; instead it was decided to produce eight aircraft, four being fitted with the Hispano-Suiza engine, as theEngineering Division USB-1Aand four being powered by theLiberty L-8engine, as theEngineering Division USB-1B;only one each were built.[13][15]

In 1918, theDayton-Wright Companydesigned a modified version, designated as the B-1A or XB-1A which used a 330 hp Wright-Hispano engine in a "new fuselage of wood-veneer monocoque construction". A later version was designated as the XB-1B and was equipped with the same engine.[15][16]The XB-1A was armed with a pair ofMarlinmachine guns at the pilot's position while the XB-1B was armed with a pair ofBrowning machine guns.These aircraft were reportedly intended for use as night observation aircraft.[15]Three prototypes were built by the Engineering division atMcCook Field,with a further 44 aircraft built by the Dayton-Wright Company.[17]According to Bruce, despite substantial efforts to differentiate and modify the aircraft's design, none of the American-built Fighters performed any better than the original Bristol.[15]While some of the modified versions of the F.2 were used in the US, no American-built Bristol Fighters reached theAmerican Expeditionary Forcesin France.[16]

Postwar developments[edit]

Postwar developments of the F.2B included theF.2B Mk II,a two-seat army co-operation biplane, fitted with desert equipment and a tropical cooling system, which first flew in December 1919, of which 435 were built. TheType 96 Fighter Mk IIIandType 96A Fighter Mk VIwere structurally strengthened aircraft, of which 50 were built in 1926–1927. Surplus F.2Bs were modified for civilian use. TheBristol Tourerwas an F.2B fitted with a Siddeley Puma engine in place of the Falcon and with canopies over the cockpits; The Tourer had a maximum speed of 128 mph (206 km/h).

Operational history[edit]

A Bristol F.2B Fighter of1 SquadronAustralian Flying Corpsflown byRoss Smithin Palestine, February 1918.

Days prior to Christmas 1916, the first deliveries of production F.2A Fighters were completed,48 SquadronatRendcombbeing the first operational unit of the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) to receive the type.[7]On 8 March 1917, 48 Squadron was transferred to France in preparation for action on the Western Front;Hugh Trenchard, 1st Viscount Trenchardwas keen to get the F.2A Fighter and other new aircraft ready for theSecond Battle of Arras,aiming to surprise German forces with a new type, and this led to restriction on its deployment prior to the battle to avoid alerting the Germans.[7]

The first offensive action that involved the F.2A Fighter crossing the frontline occurred on 5 April 1917, which had been timed to coincide with the British offensive at Arras.[7]The very first F.2A patrol of six aircraft from 48 Squadron RFC, led byWilliam Leefe RobinsonVC, ran into fiveAlbatros D.IIIsfromJasta11led byManfred von Richthofen.Four out of the six F.2As were shot down – including that of Robinson, who was captured – and a fifth was badly damaged.[18][7]

Other early experiences with the F.2A Fighter contributed to doubts over its effectiveness. The month in which the type had been introduced to offensive operations became known asBloody April;casualties were high throughout the RFC and the Bristol fighter proved to be no exception.[7]Contemporary two-seater aircraft were far less nimble than fighter aircraft, and many types lacked the structural strength to carry out the aggressive manoeuvres needed for dogfighting. The first "Brisfit" aircrews were accustomed to the standard doctrine of maintaining formation and using thecrossfireof the observers' guns to counter enemy fighter aircraft.[7]

A pair of Bristol Fighters in flight

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.[7]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.[7]

From May 1917 onwards, the definitive F.2B Fighter quickly supplanted the earlier F.2A model.[19]In July 1917, theWar Officedecided to adopt the F.2B Fighter as the equipment of all fighter-reconnaissance squadrons, leading to a significant increase in production. Despite the issuing of contracts for further large batches of aircraft, it was apparent that the rate of production could not keep up with demand for the type.[20]

Perhaps one of the best knownflying acesto use the type was CanadianAndrew McKeever,and his regular observer L. F. Powell.[19]By the end of 1917 McKeever had accumulated 30 victories and Powell had achieved eight, while operating the Fighter. McKeever later became a flying instructor stationed in England before becoming the commanding officer of1 Squadronof the newRoyal Canadian Air Force(RCAF), where he continued to use the Fighter as his personal aircraft, which was later transferred to Canada.[19]

Bristol F2B fighters: A7194 in an overall aluminium ( "silver" ) dope and B1150 in standard khaki-green. No. 1 Squadron, Australian Flying Corps. Mejdel Jaffa Area, Palestine in 1918

Near the end of the war, the Bristol Fighter was used in a pioneering new capability in the form ofradiocommunications;11 Squadronwas the first such squadron to be equipped.[15]Only the flight commander's Fighter would be equipped with a transmitter while others were outfitted with receivers, allowing for one-way communication of orders; as the trailing aerials employed needed to be wound in prior to aerial combat, this requirement reduced the usefulness of the system.[15]The Fighter also participated in experiments held by theRoyal Aircraft Establishment(RAE) into the use ofparachutes,resulting in several aircraft being modified to carry static-line parachutes within the underside of the fuselage; these trials continued following the signing of the Armistice.[15]

In September and October 1917, orders for 1,600 F.2B Fighters were placed; by the end of the First World War, theRoyal Air Force(RAF) had a total of 1,583 F.2Bs in squadron service; it was in service with six reconnaissance squadrons stationed in France and five Home Defence squadrons, while further squadrons operated the type in the Middle East and Italy.[15]In total, 5,329 aircraft were eventually constructed, mostly by Bristol but also byStandard Motors,Armstrong Whitworthand even theCunard Steamship Company.[9]According to Bruce, by the time of theArmistice of 11 November 1918,the "Bristol Fighter ended the war supreme in its class".[15]

Postwar[edit]

Following the end of the war, the F.2B Fighter was soon adopted by the RAF as its standard army cooperation machine.[15]The type continued to operate in army cooperation and light bombing roles in theBritish Empire,in particular the Middle East and India. In line with this role, which led to its use in a hot climate, Bristol introduced models of the Fighter equipped with 'tropical' radiators and provision for desert equipment.[15]There had also been considerations made into deploying the Fighter as acarrier-based aircraft,which led to an engineless airframe participating in immersion trials in November 1918 and an aircraft being used in deck landing tests, reportedly on boardHMSEagle.[15]

It was not until 1932 that the F.2B was withdrawn from RAF service, the last "Brisfit" unit being20 Squadronstationed in India.[21]The type lasted a further three years in New Zealand. Surplus aircraft were allocated toADC Aircraft,a British company established to act as a seller for wartime aircraft, which passed on large quantities of Fighters to other nations, normally to military operators.[21]Bristol also continued to manufacture and refurbish the type for some time. During the 1920s Bristol proceeded to develop and introduce numerous variants and derivatives of the Fighter, typically capable of carrying higher loads, with revised tail units and strengthenedundercarriages.[22]

The F.2B Fighter was adopted by theNew Zealand Permanent Air Forceand theRoyal Australian Air Force(RAAF), as well as by the air forces of Belgium, Canada, Ireland, Greece, Mexico, Norway, Peru, Spain and Sweden. According to Bruce, relatively few Fighters entered service with the air forces of the variousCommonwealthnations, greater quantities having been sold to other nations.[21]Belgium purchased several from ADC Aircraft, and later arranged to produce the Fighter under licence atSociétés Anonyme Belge de Constructions Aéronautiques(SABCA).[22]

In 1920 Poland bought 106 Bristol Fighters (104 with Hispano-Suiza 300 hp/220 kW engines, two with Falcon IIIs) (other sources claim 107).[23][24]Thus it became the second largest user of this type. It was also one of the most numerous Polish aircraft at that time. Forty Fighters were used during thePolish-Soviet Warfrom July 1920, among others in theBattle of Warsaw,performing reconnaissance andclose air support.[24]The rest of the order became operational only after the end of hostilities. During the war, a pair were shot down by ground fire, while another was captured by the Soviets and several more were lost in crashes.[24]Survivors of the conflict continued in Polish service in the reconnaissance and training roles until 1932.[24]

Operators[edit]

Bristol F.2 Fighter operators
Afghanistan
Argentina
Australia
Belgium
Bolivia
Canada
Honduras
  • Honduran Air Force- Honduras received a single F2.B in 1921, its first military aircraft. It was burned during an attempted revolution in 1924.[28]
Ireland
Greece
Mexico
New Zealand
  • New Zealand Permanent Air Forceoperated seven Bristol F.2B Fighters from 1919 to 1936. During its 16 years of service with theNZPAF,it was used as an army co-operation, aerial-survey and advanced training aircraft.
Norway
Peru
  • Peruvian Air Force- Three F.2Bs were purchased in 1921. They were grounded by engine problems and a lack of spare parts in 1923 and scrapped.[29]
Poland
Soviet Union
SpainKingdom of Spain
Sweden
Kingdom of Yugoslavia
United Kingdom

Survivors[edit]

There were three airworthy Bristol Fighters in 2007 (and several replicas):

A Bristol F.2 Fighter preserved at theImperial War Museum Duxford

Substantially original aircraft are on static display at the:

Restorations of original airframes include:

  • A fuselage being rebuilt into a flyable aircraft by the Ross Walton Family Collection, Bardstown, Kentucky, USA.
  • In 2016,Aerospace Bristol,Filton Airfield, Bristol, UK, purchased an airframe (BAPC.386) from a private collection in the US for restoration and display in its new museum. This sale was erroneously reported to be from Ross Walton.
Wing structure of F.2 atRAF Museum London
F2B of theShuttleworth Collectionin flight

In addition, various replicas are operated or displayed in locations around the world, including a full-scale replica F.2B serialledA7288(BAPC.387) built by engineers at Rolls-Royce, Airbus and GKN Aerospace-Filton in 2010 in celebration of 100 years of aircraft manufacture at Filton, Bristol, where the original Fighters were designed and built.[32]

Specifications (F.2B)[edit]

Data fromAircraft Profile No. 21: The Bristol Fighter[33]

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 IIIV-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-firingVickers machine gunin the upper fuselage
    • 1 or 2 ×.303 inLewis Gunsin the observer's cockpit
  • Bombs:240 lb (110 kg)

See also[edit]

Related development

Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era

References[edit]

Notes[edit]

  1. ^According to Rivas, while Argentina acquired a license to build the F.2B, these 10 aircraft were rebuilt from existing Argentine F.2Bs that had been written off in accidents.[26]

Citations[edit]

  1. ^abcdefghBruce 1965, p. 3.
  2. ^abBarnes 1970, p. 104.
  3. ^Bruce 1965, p. 97.
  4. ^Barnes 1964, p. 106.
  5. ^Hare 2012, p. 117.
  6. ^Bruce 1965, pp. 3–4.
  7. ^abcdefghiBruce 1965, p. 4.
  8. ^BruceAir EnthusiastThirty-five, pp. 43–45.
  9. ^abcBruce 1965, p. 6.
  10. ^abBruce 1965, pp. 6–7.
  11. ^Bruce 1965, pp. 7–8.
  12. ^abcdefBruce 1965, p. 8.
  13. ^abcBruce 1952, p. 591.
  14. ^Bruce 1965, pp. 8–9.
  15. ^abcdefghijklmnopBruce 1965, p. 9.
  16. ^abcGuttmann, Robert (19 February 2020)."The Fighter Built for Two".Historynet.Retrieved19 February2023.
  17. ^Wegg 1990, pp. 37–38.
  18. ^Bruce 1952, p. 588.
  19. ^abcBruce 1965, p. 5.
  20. ^Bruce 1965, pp. 5–6.
  21. ^abcBruce 1965, p. 10.
  22. ^abBruce 1965, pp. 9–10.
  23. ^Morgała (1997), p.62
  24. ^abcdKopański 2001, pp. 11–40.
  25. ^Magnusson 2007, p. 155
  26. ^abRivas 2019, p. 9
  27. ^abcdeHolmesAeroplaneJune 2015, p. 91.
  28. ^Rivas 2019, p. 67
  29. ^Rivas 2019, p. 81
  30. ^Shuttleworth Collection – Bristol F.2BArchived28 January 2013 at theWayback MachineRetrieved: 26 October 2010.
  31. ^Canada Aviation and Space Museum – Bristol F.2BArchived17 February 2013 at theWayback MachineRetrieved: 26 October 2010.
  32. ^"News and Press: Bristol Fighter."bac2010.co.uk.Retrieved: 21 June 2010.
  33. ^Bruce 1965, pp. 10, 12.

Bibliography[edit]

  • Barnes, C. H.Bristol Aircraft since 1910.London: Putnam, 1964.ISBN978-0-85177-823-5
  • Barnes, C. H.Bristol Aircraft since 1910(2nd ed). London: Putnam, 1970.ISBN0 370 00015 3.
  • Bruce, J. M."The Bristol Fighter".Flight,7 November 1952, pp. 587–591.OCLC973948249
  • Bruce, J. M. "Aircraft Profile No. 21: The Bristol Fighter".Profile Publications Ltd,1965.
  • Bruce, J. M. "Bristol's Fighter Par Excellence".Air Enthusiast,Thirty-five, January–April 1988. pp. 24–47.ISSN0143-5450.
  • Bruce, J. M.Warplanes of the First World War, Vol. 1.London: Macdonald, 1965.
  • Cheesman, E. F. (ed).Fighter Aircraft of the 1914–1918 War.Letchworth, Harleyford, UK: Aero Publishers, Inc., 1960.
  • Cortet, Pierre (November 1998). "Rétros du Mois" [Retros of the Month].Avions: Toute l'aéronautique et son histoire(in French) (80): 34.ISSN1243-8650.
  • Gutman, J.Bristol F2 Fighter Aces of World War 1.London: Osprey Publishing, 2007.ISBN978-1-84603-201-1.
  • Hare, Paul R.Fokker Fodder.United Kingdom: Fonthill, 2012.ISBN978-1-78155-065-6.
  • Holmes, Tony. "Database: Bristol Fighter".Aeroplane,June 2015, Vol. 43, No. 6. pp. 79–93.ISSN0143-7240.
  • Klaauw, Bart van der (March–April 1999). "Unexpected Windfalls: Accidentally or Deliberately, More than 100 Aircraft 'arrived' in Dutch Territory During the Great War".Air Enthusiast(80): 54–59.ISSN0143-5450.
  • Kopański, Tomasz Jan.Samoloty brytyjskie w lotnictwie polskim 1918–1930(British Aircraft in the Polish Air Force 1918–1930) (in Polish). Bellona, Warsaw: 2001.ISBN83-11-09315-6.
  • Magnusson, Michael (Winter 2007). "FMA: from 1945: The Story of Fabrica Militar de Aviones, Argentina: Part 1".Air-Britain Archive.pp. 155–158.ISSN0262-4923.
  • Morgała, Andrzej. Samoloty wojskowe w Polsce 1918-1924 [Military aircraft in Poland 1918-1924] (in Polish). Warsaw: Lampart, 1997.ISBN83-86776-34-X.
  • Rivas, Santiago.British Combat Aircraft in Latin America.Manchester, UK: Crécy Publishing, 2019.ISBN978-1-90210-957-2.
  • Wauthy, Jean-Luc & de Neve, Florian (June 1995). "Les aéronefs de la Force Aérienne Belge, deuxième partie 1919–1935" [Aircraft of the Belgian Air Force].Le Fana de l'Aviation(in French) (305): 28–33.ISSN0757-4169.
  • Wegg, John.General Dynamics Aircraft and Their Predecessors.London: Putnam, 1990.ISBN0-85177-833-X.

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