Bristol Brigand

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Snautzer01

Honourably banned
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Mar 26, 2007
Bristol Brigand_01.JPG
 
Would I lie to you Vick?

Tis a Brigand mate, registration RH798, circa 1947/48.

Edit...

Here's another underside shot to "emphasize the size" - this time RH746

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G'day Vick! :)

The landing gear is too far back in the engine nacelle. Yes?

Good to see ya sticking to ya guns on this mate - but I'm gonna disagree. Everything smacks of Brigand to me, especially considering the source, caption and the registration which can be Goggled.

I focused on the area in question, and to my eyes - it looks like a two-wheeled trolley (and the wheel shown is too small) in the background, with a long handle. The main gear is out of the photo on the far left.

Thoughts?

29w32af.jpg
 
Yep, it's a Brigand, in the post-war overall black, with mid-grey upper-surfaces. The wheel seen in the pic is that of the 'Trolley Ac', the accumulator battery starter trolley, ready to be plugged into the starboard engine - the power cable is still in the stored position. Here's a pic of a similar Trolley Ac, this one with steel wheels.
Here's another pic of a Brigand, which gives some idea of its size. With a span of 72 feet 4 inches, and a length of 46 feet 5 inches, it was rather large. They replaced the Beaufighter in operational service, and saw action in the Malaya emergency in the early 1950's.
 

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The Brigand followed on from the Bristol Beaufighter and was similarly aimed at the torpedo-carrying fighter and strike aircraft role. Primarily designed for an ant-shipping / ground attack aircraft it was also utilised as a dive-bomber. Designed by Leslie J Frise against specification H.7/42, it was concieved as a faster edition of the Beaufighter utilising the wings, tail and underacrriage designs from the Buckingham.
The Brigand was a three-crew aircraft and was configured to carry a torpedo and rocket projectiles. Ultimately, most were deployed (B.1) in a light bomber / strike role with bombs, four forward-firing cannons and rocket projectiles.
The Brigand prototype (MX988) was first flown on 4th December 1944.
Four prototypes and 143 production aircraft were built of which 118 were completed as TF.Mk.1 or B.Mk.1 and 16 as Met.Mk.3 (for meteorological flights). The remainder were T.Mk.4 and T.Mk.5 Operational Trainers and many early Mark 1 aircraft were also subsequently converted to these latter roles.
The type served operationally in the Malaya campaign, where the aircraft was found to be both popular and robust until it was eventually superseded by the De Havilland Hornet and the English Electric Canberra in February 1953.
Specification (B.Mk.1)
Powerplant (2) Two 2,470 hp Centaurus 57 with Methanol injection
Span 72 ft 4 in
Maximum Weight 39,000 lb
Capacity and armament Three crew. Four 20 mm Hispano cannon, 2,000 lb bomb load, or 500 lb bombs plus 8 60 lb rocket projectiles
Maximum Speed 358 mph
Endurance / Range 2,000 miles (2,800 miles with drop tanks)
Variants
Type 164 Brigand
4 built
Prototype with Centarus VII engines
Brigand TF.1
11 built
Production variant Torpedo Bomber
Brigand B.1
106 built, 11 conversions
Bomber variant
Brigand MET.3
16 built
Unarmed reconnaissance variant
Brigand T.4
9 built
Trainer variant with airborne interception radar
Brigand T.5
9 conversions
Improved Trainer variant
 

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