View source for Bristol F.2 Fighter

{{Short description|British fighter aircraft used in World War One}}
{{Use British English|date=May 2012}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2021}}

<!-- This article is a part of [[Wikipedia:WikiProject Aircraft]]. Please see [[Wikipedia:WikiProject Aircraft/page content]] for recommended layout. -->
{{Infobox aircraft
| name = Bristol F.2 Fighter
| image = File:Bristol F2b Fighter ‘D8096 D’ (G-AEPH) (30273241577).jpg
| caption = The Shuttleworth Collection's Bristol F.2B Fighter
| type = [[Biplane]] [[fighter aircraft]]
| manufacturer = [[Bristol Aeroplane Company|British and Colonial Aeroplane Company]]
| designer = [[Frank Barnwell]]
| first_flight = 9 September 1916
| introduction =
| retired = 1930s
| primary_user = [[Royal Flying Corps]]<!--please list only one-->
| more_users = [[Polish Air Force]]<br>[[Honduran Air Force]]
| produced = 1916–1927
| number_built = 5,329
| unit cost = £1,350 (1918)<ref>Minus engine, instruments or guns</ref>
}}
The '''Bristol F.2 Fighter''' is a British [[First World War]] two-seat [[biplane]] [[Fighter aircraft|fighter]] and [[reconnaissance aircraft]] developed by [[Frank Barnwell]] at the [[British and Colonial Aeroplane Company]] later known as the [[Bristol Aeroplane Company]]. It is often simply called the '''Bristol Fighter''', ''"Brisfit"'' or ''"Biff"''.

Although the type was intended initially as a replacement for the pre-war [[Royal Aircraft Factory B.E.2]]c reconnaissance aircraft, the new [[Rolls-Royce Falcon]] [[V12 engine]] gave it the performance of a fighter.

Despite a disastrous start to its career, the definitive '''F.2B''' version 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==
===Origins===
In the Autumn of 1915, the [[Royal Flying Corps]] (RFC) needed a new [[aerial reconnaissance]] and [[artillery|artillery spotting]] aircraft 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.<ref name = "bruce 3">Bruce 1965, p. 3.</ref>

Several new types were developed; the [[Royal Aircraft Factory]] offered its [[Royal Aircraft Factory R.E.8|R.E.8]] design and [[Armstrong Whitworth Aircraft|Armstrong Whitworth]] produced the design that eventually emerged as the [[Armstrong Whitworth F.K.8|F.K.8]].<ref name = "bruce 3"/> In March 1916, [[Frank Barnwell]] of the [[British and Colonial Aeroplane Company]] (later the [[Bristol Aeroplane Company]]), commenced work on a replacement for the B.E.2.<ref name = "bruce 3"/> This initially took two forms, the Type 9 '''R.2A''', to be powered by the [[Beardmore 120 hp|120&nbsp;hp Beardmore]] engine and the similar Type 9A '''R.2B''', powered by the 150&nbsp;hp [[Hispano-Suiza]].<ref name = "B104">Barnes 1970, p. 104.</ref><ref name="Bruce v1 p97">Bruce 1965, p. 97.</ref> Both designs had the fuselage mounted between the wings, with a gap between the lower [[longeron]]s and 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.<ref name = "B104"/><ref name = "bruce 3"/> 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&nbsp;hp (142&nbsp;kW) [[Rolls-Royce Falcon]] [[inline engine (aviation)|inline engine]] became available.<ref name = "bruce 3"/> 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 the [[Royal Aircraft Factory F.E.2|F.E.2d]] and [[Sopwith 1½ Strutter]] two-seat fighters, rather than a competitor with the pedestrian reconnaissance designs that were to replace the B.E.2. The resulting Type 12 '''F.2A''', was a two-bay equal-span biplane, closely based on the R.2A and R.2B designs.

===Prototypes===
[[File:Prototype Bristol Figter.jpg|thumb|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.<ref name = "bruce 3"/> On 9 September 1916, the first prototype performed its [[maiden flight]], powered by a Falcon I engine.<ref name="Barnes p106">Barnes 1964, p. 106.</ref> 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 the [[wing root]]s.<ref name = "HareP.117">Hare 2012, p. 117.</ref> 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 the [[rudder]].<ref name = "bruce 3"/>

It was found that the prototype's [[radiator]] arrangement obscured the pilot's field of view and the nose was redesigned around a new circular-shaped frontal radiator in the cowling.<ref name = "bruce 3"/> 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.<ref name = "bruce 3 4">Bruce 1965, pp. 3–4.</ref> Between 16 and 18 October 1916, the type underwent its official trials at the [[Central Flying School]], [[Upavon]], during which it was tested with a four-bladed 9&nbsp;ft 2 in propeller and a two-bladed 9&nbsp;ft 8 in propeller. By the time of its arrival at the experimental armament station at [[Orfordness]] it had also been fitted with a [[Scarff ring]] mounting over the rear cockpit and an Aldis [[optics|optical sight]].<ref name = "bruce 4">Bruce 1965, p. 4.</ref>

Only 52 F.2A aircraft were manufactured before production began of the definitive model, the '''F.2B''' (retrospectively named Bristol '''Type 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&nbsp;hp (205&nbsp;kW) Falcon III. The additional power gave the F.2B a {{cvt|10|mph|km/h}} advantage in level speed over the F.2A, while it was three minutes faster in a climb to {{cvt|10000|ft|m}}.

===Armament===

[[File:Bristol Fighter on field of Agincourt.jpg|thumb|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: one [[synchronization gear|synchronised]] fixed, forward-firing [[.303 British|.303&nbsp;in (7.7&nbsp;mm)]] [[Vickers machine gun]] (in this case mounted under the cowling to avoid freezing) and a .303&nbsp;in (7.7&nbsp;mm) [[Lewis Gun]] on 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 a [[Foster mounting]] or 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.<ref name="BruceAE35 p43-5">Bruce ''Air Enthusiast'' Thirty-five, pp. 43–45.</ref>

===Alternative engines===
[[Rolls-Royce aircraft piston engines|Rolls-Royce aero engines]] of 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 alternative [[powerplant]] that was both reliable and sufficiently powerful.<ref name = "bruce 6"/> The '''Type 15''' was fitted with a 200&nbsp;hp (150&nbsp;kW) [[Sunbeam Arab]] engine. 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.<ref name = "bruce 6 7"/> The Arab engine was to be fitted to Fighters produced by subcontractors under licence, while Bristol-built Fighters would continue to use the Falcon.<ref name = "bruce 6"/>

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.<ref name = "bruce 6 7">Bruce 1965, pp. 6–7.</ref> The '''Type 16''' was fitted with a 200&nbsp;hp (150&nbsp;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 the [[Royal Aircraft Factory S.E.5|S.E.5a]] and the [[Sopwith Dolphin]]. The 300&nbsp;hp (220&nbsp;kW) version of the Hispano-Suiza, suggested for the '''Type 17''', was not available in quantity before the end of the war.

Other engines tried or suggested for the F.2B were the 200&nbsp;hp (150&nbsp;kW) [[RAF 4]]d, the 180&nbsp;hp (130&nbsp;kW) [[Wolseley Viper]] and the 230&nbsp;hp (170&nbsp;kW) [[Siddeley Puma]].<ref name = "bruce 7 8">Bruce 1965, pp. 7–8.</ref> 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.<ref name = "bruce 8"/> The '''Type 22''' was a proposed version adapted for a [[Radial engine|radial]] or [[rotary engine]], either a 200&nbsp;hp (150&nbsp;kW) [[Salmson]] radial, a 300&nbsp;hp (220&nbsp;kW) [[ABC Dragonfly]] radial (Type 22A) or a 230&nbsp;hp (170&nbsp;kW) [[W. O. Bentley|Bentley]] [[Bentley BR2|B.R.2]] rotary (Type 22B). The type number was eventually used for the [[Bristol F.2C Badger]], a completely new design.

===The ''All-Metal Bristol Fighter''===
The [[Bristol M.R.1]] is 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===
[[File:13th Squadron - Dayton-Wright XB-1A.jpg|thumb|left|13th Squadron (Attack) - Dayton-Wright XB-1A, Kelly Field, Texas, 1921]]
When the US [[American entry into World War I|entered the war]], the [[Aviation Section, U.S. Signal Corps]] of the [[United States Army]] lacked any competitive combat aircraft either in inventory or under construction.<ref name = "bruce 8">Bruce 1965, p. 8.</ref> On 1 August 1917, General [[John J. Pershing|John Pershing]], the commander of the [[American Expeditionary Forces]] on the [[Western Front (World War I)|Western 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.<ref name = "bruce 8"/>

Original proposals for American production had the {{convert|200|hp|kW|abbr=on|0}} Hispano-Suiza engine.<ref name = "bruce 8"/> On 5 September 1917, a F.2B Fighter was delivered to the [[Smithsonian Institution]], [[Washington, D.C.|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 {{convert|400|hp|kW|abbr=on|0}} [[Liberty L-12]] engine. The Liberty was unsuitable for the Bristol, as it was far too heavy and bulky, so that the aircraft was chronically nose-heavy.<ref name="Bruce Flight p591">Bruce 1952, p. 591.</ref><ref name = "bruce 8"/>

A contract for 1,000 aircraft was placed initially with the [[Fisher Body|Fisher Body Corporation]] then cancelled and reallocated to the [[Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Company]].<ref name = "bruce 8"/> On 7 December 1917, the order was doubled to 2,000 aircraft. On 25 January 1918, the first aircraft, which was given the name ''U.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.<ref name = "bruce 8 9">Bruce 1965, pp. 8–9.</ref> 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.<ref name = "bruce 9">Bruce 1965, p. 9.</ref>  Only 27 O-1s were completed.<ref name="guttmannhistory">{{cite web |last=Guttmann |first=Robert |url=https://www.historynet.com/the-fighter-built-for-two/ |title=The Fighter Built for Two |date=19 February 2020 |work=Historynet |access-date=19 February 2023 }}</ref>

Efforts to change the engine of American-built Bristol Fighters to the more suitable Liberty 8 or the {{convert|300|hp|kW|abbr=on|0}} 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.<ref name = "bruce 9"/> 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.<ref name="Bruce Flight p591">Bruce 1952, p. 591.</ref><ref name = "bruce 9"/>

[[File:Dayton Wright XB-1A 64158 P-179.jpg|thumb|left|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.<ref name = "bruce 9"/> Potter's proposal was overlooked; instead it was decided to produce eight aircraft, four being fitted with the Hispano-Suiza engine, as the [[Engineering Division USB-1A]] and four being powered by the [[Liberty L-8]] engine, as the [[Engineering Division USB-1B]]; only one each were built.<ref name="Bruce Flight p591"/><ref name = "bruce 9"/>

In 1918, the [[Dayton-Wright Company]] designed 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.<ref name = "bruce 9"/><ref name="guttmannhistory"/> The XB-1A was armed with a pair of [[Marlin]] machine guns at the pilot's position while the XB-1B was armed with a pair of [[Browning machine gun]]s. These aircraft were reportedly intended for use as night observation aircraft.<ref name = "bruce 9"/> Three prototypes were built by the Engineering division at [[McCook Field]], with a further 44 aircraft built by the Dayton-Wright Company.<ref name="wegg p37-8">Wegg 1990, pp. 37–38.</ref> 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.<ref name = "bruce 9"/> While some of the modified versions of the F.2 were used in the US, no American-built Bristol Fighters reached the [[American Expeditionary Forces]] in France.<ref name="guttmannhistory"/>

===Postwar developments===
Postwar developments of the F.2B included the '''F.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. The '''Type 96 Fighter Mk III''' and '''Type 96A Fighter Mk VI''' were structurally strengthened aircraft, of which 50 were built in 1926–1927. Surplus F.2Bs were modified for civilian use. The '''Bristol Tourer''' was 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 {{cvt|128|mph|km/h}}.

==Operational history==
[[File:Observer, pilot, and Bristol Fighter F2B aircraft.jpg|thumb|A Bristol F.2B Fighter of [[No. 1 Squadron RAAF|1 Squadron]] [[Australian Flying Corps]] flown by [[Ross Macpherson Smith|Ross Smith]] in Palestine, February 1918.]]
Days prior to Christmas 1916, the first deliveries of production F.2A Fighters were completed, [[No. 48 Squadron RAF|48 Squadron]] at [[Rendcomb]] being the first operational unit of the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) to receive the type.<ref name = "bruce 4"/> On 8 March 1917, 48 Squadron was transferred to France in preparation for action on the Western Front; [[Hugh Trenchard, 1st Viscount Trenchard]] was keen to get the F.2A Fighter and other new aircraft ready for the [[Battle of Arras (1917)|Second 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.<ref name = "bruce 4"/>

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.<ref name = "bruce 4"/> The very first F.2A patrol of six aircraft from 48 Squadron RFC, led by [[William Leefe Robinson]] VC, ran into five [[Albatros D.III]]s from [[Jasta 11|''Jasta'' 11]] led by [[Manfred 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.<ref name="Bruce 1952 p588">Bruce 1952, p. 588.</ref><ref name = "bruce 4"/>

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 as [[Bloody April]]; casualties were high throughout the RFC and the Bristol fighter proved to be no exception.<ref name = "bruce 4"/> 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 the [[crossfire]] of the observers' guns to counter enemy fighter aircraft.<ref name = "bruce 4"/>

[[File:Bristol F2B Fighters.jpg|thumb|left|A pair of Bristol Fighters in flight]]


From May 1917 onwards, the definitive F.2B Fighter quickly supplanted the earlier F.2A model.<ref name = "bruce 5">Bruce 1965, p. 5.</ref> In July 1917, the [[War Office]] decided 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.<ref name = "bruce 5 6">Bruce 1965, pp. 5–6.</ref>

Perhaps one of the best known [[flying ace]]s to use the type was Canadian [[Andrew Edward McKeever|Andrew McKeever]], and his regular observer L. F. Powell.<ref name = "bruce 5"/> 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 of [[No. 401 Squadron RCAF|1 Squadron]] of the new [[Royal Canadian Air Force]] (RCAF), where he continued to use the Fighter as his personal aircraft, which was later transferred to Canada.<ref name = "bruce 5"/>

[[File:1stSquadronAustralianFlyingCorps.jpg|thumb|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 of [[radio]] communications; [[No. 11 Squadron RAF|11 Squadron]] was the first such squadron to be equipped.<ref name = "bruce 9"/> 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.<ref name = "bruce 9"/> The Fighter also participated in experiments held by the [[Royal Aircraft Establishment]] (RAE) into the use of [[parachute]]s, 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.<ref name = "bruce 9"/>

In September and October 1917, orders for 1,600 F.2B Fighters were placed; by the end of the First World War, the [[Royal 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.<ref name = "bruce 9"/> In total, 5,329 aircraft were eventually constructed, mostly by Bristol but also by [[Standard Motors]], [[Armstrong Whitworth]] and even the [[Cunard Line|Cunard Steamship Company]].<ref name = "bruce 6">Bruce 1965, p. 6.</ref> According to Bruce, by the time of the [[Armistice of 11 November 1918]], the "Bristol Fighter ended the war supreme in its class".<ref name = "bruce 9"/>

===Postwar===
Following the end of the war, the F.2B Fighter was soon adopted by the RAF as its standard army cooperation machine.<ref name = "bruce 9"/> The type continued to operate in army cooperation and light bombing roles in the [[British 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.<ref name = "bruce 9"/> There had also been considerations made into deploying the Fighter as a [[carrier-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 board {{HMS|Eagle|1918|6}}.<ref name = "bruce 9"/>

It was not until 1932 that the F.2B was withdrawn from RAF service, the last "Brisfit" unit being [[No. 20 Squadron RAF|20 Squadron]] stationed in India.<ref name = "bruce 10"/> The type lasted a further three years in New Zealand. Surplus aircraft were allocated to [[ADC 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.<ref name = "bruce 10">Bruce 1965, p. 10.</ref> 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 strengthened [[landing gear|undercarriages]].<ref name = "bruce 9 10"/>

The F.2B Fighter was adopted by the [[New Zealand Permanent Air Force]] and the [[Royal 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 various [[Commonwealth of Nations|Commonwealth]] nations, greater quantities having been sold to other nations.<ref name = "bruce 10"/> Belgium purchased several from ADC Aircraft, and later arranged to produce the Fighter under licence at [[SABCA|Sociétés Anonyme Belge de Constructions Aéronautiques]] (SABCA).<ref name = "bruce 9 10">Bruce 1965, pp. 9–10.</ref>

In 1920 Poland bought 106 Bristol Fighters (104 with Hispano-Suiza 300&nbsp;hp/220&nbsp;kW engines, two with Falcon IIIs) (other sources claim 107).<ref>Morgała (1997), p.62</ref><ref name=kop/> 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 the [[Polish-Soviet War]] from July 1920, among others in the [[Battle of Warsaw (1920)|Battle of Warsaw]], performing reconnaissance and [[close air support]].<ref name=kop/> 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.<ref name=kop/> Survivors of the conflict continued in Polish service in the reconnaissance and training roles until 1932.<ref name=kop>Kopański 2001, pp. 11–40.</ref>

==Operators==
{{acopmap|Bristol Fighter|Bristol F.2 Fighter operators}}
;{{flag|Afghanistan|1919}}
* [[Afghan Air Force]] operated three aircraft from 1919 and retired them by 1929.
;{{flag|Argentina}}
* [[Argentine Air Force|Argentine Army Aviation Service]] - purchased 28 aircraft from 1920 to 1924, with a further 10 built under license by [[Fabrica Militar de Aviones|FMA]] from 1930 to 1931.<ref>Magnusson 2007, p. 155</ref>{{#tag:ref|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.<ref name="Rivasp9"/>|group=lower-alpha}} Retired in 1932.<ref name="Rivasp9">Rivas 2019, p. 9</ref>
;{{flag|Australia}}
* [[Australian Flying Corps]] operated the Bristol Fighter from 1917 to 1918.
** [[No. 1 Squadron RAAF|No. 1 Squadron]] in Palestine
** [[No. 6 Squadron RAAF|No. 6 (Training) Squadron]] in the United Kingdom
;{{flag|Belgium}}
* [[Belgian Air Force]]<ref name="data p91"/>
;{{flag|Bolivia}}
* [[Bolivian Air Force]]
;{{flag|Canada|1868}}
* [[Canadian Air Board]]
* [[Royal Canadian Air Force]]
;{{flag|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.<ref name="Rivasp67">Rivas 2019, p. 67</ref>
;{{flag|Ireland}}
* [[Irish Air Service]]
* [[Irish Air Corps]]
;{{flag|Greece|old}}
* [[Hellenic Air Force]]
* [[Hellenic Navy]]
;{{flag|Mexico}}
* [[Mexican Air Force]]<ref name="data p91"/>
;{{flag|New Zealand}}
* [[New Zealand Permanent Air Force]] operated seven Bristol F.2B Fighters from 1919 to 1936. During its 16 years of service with the [[NZPAF]], it was used as an army co-operation, aerial-survey and advanced training aircraft.
;{{flag|Norway}}
* [[Norwegian Army Air Service]] purchased five aircraft in 1922.<ref name="data p91"/>
;{{flag|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.<ref name="Rivasp81">Rivas 2019, p. 81</ref>
;{{flag|Poland}}
* [[Polish Air Force]] operated 107 Bristol F.2B Fighters in 1920–1932.<ref name="data p91">Holmes ''Aeroplane'' June 2015, p. 91.</ref>
;{{USSR}}
* [[Soviet Air Force]] operated two aircraft.
;{{flagicon|Spain|1785}} [[Kingdom of Spain]]
* [[Spanish Air Force|''Aeronáutica Militar'']]<ref name="data p91"/>
;{{flag|Sweden}}
* [[Royal Swedish Air Force]] operated one aircraft only
;{{flag|Kingdom of Yugoslavia}}
* [[Royal Yugoslav Air Force]] operated one aircraft only.
;{{flag|United Kingdom}}
* [[Royal Flying Corps]] / [[Royal Air Force]]
{{col-begin}}
{{col-3}}
** [[No. 2 Squadron RAF]]
** [[No. 4 Squadron RAF]]
** [[No. 5 Squadron RAF]]
** [[No. 6 Squadron RAF]]
** [[No. 8 Squadron RAF]]
** [[No. 9 Squadron RAF]]
** [[No. 10 Squadron RAF]]
** [[No. 11 Squadron RAF]]
** [[No. 12 Squadron RAF]]
** [[No. 13 Squadron RAF]]
** [[No. 14 Squadron RAF]]
** [[No. 16 Squadron RAF]]
** [[No. 20 Squadron RAF]]
{{col-3}}
** [[No. 22 Squadron RAF]]
** [[No. 24 Squadron RAF]]
** [[No. 28 Squadron RAF]]
** [[No. 31 Squadron RAF]]
** [[No. 33 Squadron RAF]]
** [[No. 34 Squadron RAF]]
** [[No. 35 Squadron RAF]]
** [[No. 36 Squadron RAF]]
** [[No. 39 Squadron RAF]]
** [[No. 48 Squadron RAF]]
** [[No. 62 Squadron RAF]]
** [[No. 67 Squadron RAF]]
** [[No. 75 Squadron RAF]]
{{col-3}}
** [[No. 76 Squadron RAF]]
** [[No. 81 Squadron RAF]]
** [[No. 88 Squadron RAF]]
** [[No. 100 Squadron RAF]]
** [[No. 105 Squadron RAF]]
** [[No. 111 Squadron RAF]]
** [[No. 114 Squadron RAF]]
** [[No. 138 Squadron RAF]]
** [[No. 139 Squadron RAF]]
** [[No. 140 Squadron RAF]]
** [[No. 141 Squadron RAF]]
** [[No. 186 Squadron RAF]]
** [[No. 208 Squadron RAF]]
{{col-end}}

==Survivors==
There were three airworthy Bristol Fighters in 2007 (and several replicas):
* The [[Shuttleworth Collection]] at Old Warden, Biggleswade, Beds., UK owns F.2B Fighter, serial number ''D8096'', that still flies during the British summer.<ref>[http://www.shuttleworth.org/shuttleworth-collection/aircraft-details.asp?ID=10 Shuttleworth Collection – Bristol F.2B] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130128142707/http://www.shuttleworth.org/shuttleworth-collection/aircraft-details.asp?ID=10 |date=28 January 2013 }} Retrieved: 26 October 2010.</ref>
* The [[Canada Aviation and Space Museum]], in [[Ottawa, Ontario]], Canada, owns a second example, ''D7889''.<ref>[http://www.aviation.technomuses.ca/collections/artifacts/aircraft/BristolF2BFighter/ Canada Aviation and Space Museum – Bristol F.2B] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130217014100/http://www.aviation.technomuses.ca/collections/artifacts/aircraft/BristolF2BFighter/ |date=17 February 2013 }} Retrieved: 26 October 2010.</ref>
* The New Zealand film director [[Peter Jackson]] owns ''D8084'', which flies from the [[Hood Aerodrome]], in [[Masterton, New Zealand|Masterson]]. The [[Omaka Aviation Heritage Centre]], at [[Omaka Aerodrome]], [[Blenheim, New Zealand|Blenheim]] holds a second, original fuselage.

[[File:Bristol F2 Fighter REJS.jpg|thumb|A Bristol F.2 Fighter preserved at the [[Imperial War Museum Duxford]]]]
Substantially original aircraft are on static display at the:
* [[Royal Air Force Museum London]], UK - serial number ''E2466'' (BAPC.165)
* [[Imperial War Museum Duxford]], UK - serial number ''E2581'' 
* [[Museo del Aire (Spain)|Museo del Aire]], Madrid, Spain - serial number ''B.21''
* [[Musée Royal de l'Armée]], Brussels, Belgium - Type 17, ''66''
* [[Polish Aviation Museum]], Kraków - serial number ''H1279'' / 20.48

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.
[[File:Wing structure of Bristol F.2B.JPG|thumb|Wing structure of F.2 at [[RAF Museum London]]]]
[[File:Bristol F2B Shuttleworth 2015.jpg|thumb|F2B of the [[Shuttleworth Collection]] in flight]]

In addition, various replicas are operated or displayed in locations around the world, including a full-scale replica F.2B serialled ''A7288'' (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.<ref>[http://www.bac2010.co.uk/news_and_press.htm "News and Press: Bristol Fighter."] ''bac2010.co.uk''. Retrieved: 21 June 2010.</ref>

==Specifications (F.2B)==

{{Aircraft specs
|ref= ''Aircraft Profile No. 21: The Bristol Fighter''<ref name = "bruce 10, 12">Bruce 1965, pp. 10, 12.</ref>
|prime units?=imp
<!--
        General characteristics
-->
|crew=2
|length ft=25
|length in=10
|length note=
|span ft=39
|span in=3
|span note=
|height ft=9
|height in=9
|height note=
|wing area sqft=405
|wing area note=
|aspect ratio=<!-- sailplanes -->
|airfoil=<!--'''root:''' [[NACA airfoil|NACA]] ; '''tip:''' [[NACA airfoil|NACA]]<ref name="Selig">{{cite web |last1=Lednicer |first1=David |title=The Incomplete Guide to Airfoil Usage |url=https://m-selig.ae.illinois.edu/ads/aircraft.html |website=m-selig.ae.illinois.edu |access-date=16 April 2019}}</ref>-->
|empty weight lb=2145
|empty weight note=
|gross weight lb=
|gross weight note=
|max takeoff weight lb=3243
|max takeoff weight note=
|fuel capacity=
|more general=
<!--
        Powerplant
-->
|eng1 number=1
|eng1 name=[[Rolls-Royce Falcon III]]
|eng1 type=V-12 liquid-cooled piston engine
|eng1 hp=275
|eng1 note=

|prop blade number=2
|prop name=fixed-pitch propeller
|prop dia ft=<!-- propeller aircraft -->
|prop dia in=<!-- propeller aircraft -->
|prop dia note=
<!--
        Performance
-->
|max speed mph=123
|max speed note=
|cruise speed mph=
|cruise speed note=
|stall speed mph=
|stall speed note=
|never exceed speed mph=
|never exceed speed note=
|range miles=369
|range note=
|combat range miles=
|combat range note=
|ferry range miles=
|ferry range note=
|endurance=<!-- if range unknown -->
|ceiling ft=18000
|ceiling note=
|g limits=<!-- aerobatic -->
|roll rate=<!-- aerobatic -->
|climb rate ftmin=889
|climb rate note=
|time to altitude=
|lift to drag=
|wing loading lb/sqft=
|wing loading note=
|fuel consumption lb/mi=
|power/mass=
|more performance=<!--
* '''Take-off run:''' {{cvt||ft|0}}
* '''Take-off distance to {{cvt|50|ft|0}}:''' {{cvt||ft|0}}
* '''Landing run:''' {{cvt||ft|0}}
* '''Landing distance from {{cvt|50|ft|0}}:''' {{cvt||ft|0}}-->
<!--
        Armament
-->
|guns=
** 1 × .303 in (7.7 mm) forward-firing [[Vickers machine gun]] in the upper fuselage
** 1 or 2 × .303 in [[Lewis Gun]]s in the observer's cockpit
|bombs=240 lb (110 kg)
}}

==See also==
{{aircontent
|related=
* [[AME VI]]
* [[Bristol M.R.1]]
* [[Bristol Tourer]]

|similar aircraft=
* [[Packard-Le Père LUSAC-11]]
}}

==References==

===Notes===
{{reflist|group=lower-alpha}}

===Citations===
{{Reflist|30em}}

===Bibliography===
* Barnes, C. H. ''Bristol Aircraft since 1910''. London: Putnam, 1964. {{ISBN|978-0-85177-823-5}}
* Barnes, C. H. ''Bristol Aircraft since 1910'' (2nd ed). London: Putnam, 1970. {{ISBN|0 370 00015 3}}.
* Bruce, J. M. [http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1952/1952%20-%203217.html "The Bristol Fighter".] ''[[Flight International|Flight]]'', 7 November 1952, pp.&nbsp;587–591. {{OCLC|973948249}}
* 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.&nbsp;24–47. {{ISSN|0143-5450}}.
* 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.
* {{cite journal |last1=Cortet|first1=Pierre|title=Rétros du Mois |journal=Avions: Toute l'aéronautique et son histoire |date=November 1998 |issue=80 |page=34 |trans-title=Retros of the Month |language=fr |issn=1243-8650}}
* Gutman, J. ''Bristol F2 Fighter Aces of World War 1''. London: Osprey Publishing, 2007. {{ISBN|978-1-84603-201-1}}.
* Hare, Paul R. ''Fokker Fodder''. United Kingdom: Fonthill, 2012. {{ISBN|978-1-78155-065-6}}.
* Holmes, Tony. "Database: Bristol Fighter". ''[[Aeroplane Monthly|Aeroplane]]'', June 2015, Vol. 43, No. 6. pp.&nbsp;79–93. {{ISSN|0143-7240}}.
* {{cite journal |last1=Klaauw|first1=Bart van der|title=Unexpected Windfalls: Accidentally or Deliberately, More than 100 Aircraft 'arrived' in Dutch Territory During the Great War |journal=Air Enthusiast |date=March–April 1999 |issue=80 |pages=54–59 |issn=0143-5450}}
* Kopański, Tomasz Jan. ''Samoloty brytyjskie w lotnictwie polskim 1918–1930'' (British Aircraft in the Polish Air Force 1918–1930) (in Polish). Bellona, Warsaw: 2001. {{ISBN|83-11-09315-6}}.
* {{cite magazine |last=Magnusson |first=Michael |title=FMA : from 1945: The Story of Fabrica Militar de Aviones, Argentina: Part 1 |magazine=Air-Britain Archive |date=Winter 2007 |pages=155–158 |issn=0262-4923}}
* Morgała, Andrzej. Samoloty wojskowe w Polsce 1918-1924 [Military aircraft in Poland 1918-1924] (in Polish). Warsaw: Lampart, 1997. {{ISBN|83-86776-34-X}}.
* Rivas, Santiago. ''British Combat Aircraft in Latin America''. Manchester, UK: Crécy Publishing, 2019. {{isbn|978-1-90210-957-2}}.
* {{cite journal |last1=Wauthy|first1=Jean-Luc|last2=de Neve|first2=Florian|name-list-style=amp|title=Les aéronefs de la Force Aérienne Belge, deuxième partie 1919–1935|journal=Le Fana de l'Aviation  |date=June 1995 |issue=305 |pages=28–33 |issn=0757-4169|language=fr|trans-title=Aircraft of the Belgian Air Force}}
* Wegg, John. ''General Dynamics Aircraft and Their Predecessors''. London: Putnam, 1990. {{ISBN|0-85177-833-X}}.

==External links==
{{Commons}}
* [http://www.austinmemories.com Austin & Longbridge Aircraft Production]
* [http://www.militaryfactory.com/aircraft/detail.asp?aircraft_id=136 Bristol F.2B – World Military Aircraft]
* [http://1000aircraftphotos.com/Contributions/McKillop/7531.htm Photo of a US version of the Bristol F.2 Fighter – the Dayton-Wright XB-1A]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20100412125339/http://www.field-recording.org.uk/bristol-fighter/ Sound recordings of the Bristol Fighter preserved by the Shuttleworth collection]

{{Bristol aircraft}}
{{Engineering Division aircraft}}
{{Swedish military aircraft designations}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Single-engined tractor aircraft]]
[[Category:Biplanes]]
[[Category:1910s British fighter aircraft]]
[[Category:Bristol Aeroplane Company aircraft|F.2 Fighter]]
[[Category:Military aircraft of World War I]]
[[Category:Aircraft first flown in 1916]]