Bristol Scout

The Bristol Scout was a pre-war racing design with simple and handsome lines. For clarity, the prototype was given the name Bristol Scout A. The first two production machines, named the Bristol Scout B, were sent to France as quickly as they cleared testing, they differed in only minor ways from the original.

The next order of twelve scouts for the RFC and twenty-four for the RNAS became the Bristol Scout C, and after the first batch was delivered in March 1915, a second order for seventy-five was placed. They differed little from the Type B -- the main visible change being the removal of stiffening ribs from the engine cowl. As was common at the time, the were scattered among many squadrons in small numbers and mixed with other scouts and two-seaters.

Eighty Bristol Scout Ds were ordered by the RFC in late 1915 for the RFC. The Type D had shorter ailerons and increased dihedral and the Le Rhône engine. Late production Type Ds used the 100hp Gnome Monosoupape engine, but vibration problems forced the final twenty RNAS Type Ds to revert to the 80hp Gnome.

While most Scouts were delivered unarmed, various jury-rigged guns were mounted, and Scouts built for the RFC in 1916 used a synchronized Vickers machine-gun.

Eighty Scouts were sent to France in total, and they served through summer 1916, after which they were repurposed as trainers.

Card Links

 * Hawker
 * Hawker
 * 6 Sqn - Hawker
 * 6 Sqn - Hawker

1:144 Scale

 * Shapeways: Kampfflieger
 * Metal kit:

1:285/6mm/1:288 Scale

 * Shapeways: Kampfflieger
 * Metal Cast: (C)