Bristol Bulldog Mk.IIA

This legendary aircraft has three scheme options to choose from, so you can decorate your 1:48 scale model kit in a variety of ways.

History

A gleaming silver steed to be flown by the most capable and intrepid young men Britain could call upon, the Bristol Bulldog was one of the most important British aircraft of the inter-war period, when powerful biplane fighters unquestionably ruled the skies.

Initially developed as a private venture by Bristol Aeroplane Company, the Bulldog was the brainchild of accomplished aircraft designer Frank Barnwell, the man behind the successful Bristol F.2B Fighter of the Great War. It was a light, all-metal, fabric-covered fighter, powered by a 440hp Bristol Jupiter engine.

The Bulldog was armed with a pair of forward-firing Vickers 0.303 in machine guns mounted either side of the cockpit, but ultimately never fired its guns in anger during a relatively short seven-year period serving with Fighter Command.

Although it was the most capable fighter of the day, the Bulldog was more closely associated with challenging formation flying and spectacular aerobatics, with the Royal Air Force thrilling huge crowds at airshows and pageants around the country, as they demonstrated the effectiveness of a modernising air force.