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| The versatile Bristol Fighter was a maneuverable, heavily armed two-seater biplane designed by Frank S. Barnwell. One of the most successful fighters of the war, it got off to a poor start during "Bloody April" when it was introduced to the Western Front by the inexperienced pilots and observers of 48 Squadron. In the mistaken belief that the Brisfit was structurally weak, pilots were instructed to avoid violent maneuvers during combat. Heeding this advice, the pilots of six Bristol F.2a Fighters encountered Manfred von Richthofen and his flight of five Albatros D.III's near Douai. In a fight that lasted almost 30 minutes, four of the Brisfits were shot down. The fight with Jasta 11 almost convinced the British to withdraw this aircraft from service. The highest scoring ace for this aircraft was Canadian ace Andrew McKeever with 31 victories. |
| | Country: | Great Britain | Manufacturer: | The British and Colonial Aeroplane Company | Type: | Fighter/Bomber | Entered Service: | 5 April 1917 | Number Built: | 3,101 | Engine(s): | Rolls-Royce Falcon III, 12 cylinder, liquid cooled inline V, 270 hp | Wing Span: | 39 ft 3 in [11.96 m] | Length: | 25 ft 10 in [7.87 m] | Height: | 9 ft 9 in [2.97 m] | Empty Weight: | | Gross Weight: | 2,779 lb [1,261 kg] | Max Speed: | 123 mph [198 km/h] at 5,000 ft [1,524 m] | Ceiling: | 21,500 ft [6,553 m] | Endurance: | 3 hours | Crew: | 2 | Armament: | 1 Vickers machine gun, synchronized, forward firing 2-3 Lewis machine guns on a Scarff ring, rear cockpit 240 lb [108.9 kg] of bombs |
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