Bristol Bullet Scout (oz884)

About this Plan

Bristol Bullet Scout Type D (Bristol Scout). 1/12 scale 1914 scout biplane, for rubber power.

Quote: "Designed by Capt Frank Barrnwell in 1914, the Bristol Scout was the first single seater scout to go into production during the 1914-18 war. It went into service with the RFC towards the end of 1914.

Simplicity of construction has been the keynote in the design of this machine, and it therefore an ideal subject for the newcomer to the ranks of scale flying biplane enthusiasts. The only parts which are likely to cause any difficulty are the engine cowling and dummy rotary engine, which like the wheels, are built up from paper-mache pressings. In any case, the builder can very soon substitute components made from balsa if he is unfamiliar with this method of construction.

The weight of the model complete with an eight-strand motor 27 in long is 11-1/2 oz. CG should occur at a point 0.8 in aft of the lower plane front spar, and in order to attain this it was found necessary to attach 1-3/4 oz of ballast to the underside of the engine mounting structure.

With two hundred turns on the airscrew the model was pushed off from a stretch of runway and became airborne after a 20 ft run. Rising to a height of about 18 in, it flew the length of a large hanger before touching down. For normal hand-launched flight I found it was advisable to increase the tailplane incidence by 1/8 in at the leading edge.

In an attempt to reduce the amount of ballast required, I decided to fit a Moore Diaphragm with the following results..."

Update 08/05/12: Added page of text and pics detailing conversion from rubber to diesel for this model, courtesy of BrianCox.

Update 01/06/2017: Added article, thanks to RFJ.

Supplementary file notes

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