Bristol Belvedere

Bristol Belvedere

Infobox Aircraft
name=Type 192 Belvedere


caption=The Bristol Type 192 Belvedere tandem rotor helicopter.
type=Cargo helicopter
manufacturer=Bristol Aeroplane Company
designer=
first flight=1958-07-05
introduced=1961
retired=1969
status=
primary user=RAF
more users=
produced=
number built=26
unit cost=
variants with their own articles=
The Bristol Type 192 Belvedere is a British twin-engined, tandem rotor military helicopter built by the Bristol Aeroplane Company. It was designed for a variety of transport roles including troop transport, supply dropping and casualty evacuation. It was operated by the Royal Air Force (RAF) from 1961 to 1969.

Design and development

The Belvedere was based on the Bristol Type 173 10-seat (later 16-seat) civil helicopter which first flew on 3 January 1952. The 173 project was cancelled in 1956 and Bristol spent time on the Type 191 and Type 193 to Royal Navy and Canadian specifications. The RAF expressed an interest in the aircraft and the Type 192 Belvedere was created. The first Type 192 prototype "XG447" flew on 5 July 1958 with tandem wooden rotor blades, a completely manual control system and a castored, fixed quadricycle undercarriage. From the fifth prototype, the rotors fitted were all-metal, 4 bladed units. Production model controls and instruments allowed night operations.

Twenty-six Belvederes were built entering service as the Belvedere HC Mark 1 The Belvederes were originally designed for naval use but were later adapted to carry eighteen fully equipped troops with a total load capacity of 6,000 lb. The two rotors were synchronised through a shaft allowing the aircraft to operate through only one engine in the event of an emergency.

Operational history

The first prototype Belvedere went to the Belvedere Trials Unit at RAF Odiham, which was subsequently reformed as 66 Squadron RAF in 1961. Engine starter problems caused trouble early on but operational deployment continued. The prototype saw service in Europe, Africa, South Arabia and Borneo. "XG447" was broken up at Boscombe Down on 7 August 1966.

As well as 66 Squadron, the type was deployed to 72 Squadron in 1961 and 26 Squadron in 1962 all at RAF Odiham. 26 Squadron later transferred to RAF Khormaskar where it disbanded in November 1965. The helicopters were transferred by HMS "Albion" to Singapore to join 66 Squadron until the squadron was disbanded in 1969. 72 Squadron kept its Belvederes until August 1964 when it exchanged them for Westland Wessex. [ Jefford, "RAF Squadrons"]

Variants

;Type 173 Mk 1: First prototype. ;Type 173 Mk 2: Second prototype. ;Type 173 Mk 3: Three more prototypes. ;Type 191: Projected naval version. Never built.;Type 192: Military transport helicopter for the Royal Air Force, under designation 'Belvedere HC.Mk 1.

Operators

Civil operators

;UK
*British European Airways - (Bristol Type 173)

Military operators

;UK
*Royal Air Force
**No. 26 Squadron RAF
**No. 66 Squadron RAF
**No. 72 Squadron RAF

urvivors

The following Bristol Belvederes have been preserved and are either on display or currently undergoing restoration.

Type 173

:XF785 on display at Bristol Aero Collection, Kemble

Belvedere HC.1

*"XG452" undergoing restoration at The Helicopter Museum, Weston-Super-Mare
*"XG454" on display at Museum of Science and Industry in Manchester
*"XG474" on display at Royal Air Force Museum, Hendon
*"XG462" (Nose section only) The Helicopter Museum, Weston-Super-Mare

pecifications (HC.1)

aircraft specifications
jet or prop?=prop
plane or copter?=copter
crew=3
capacity=
**30 seats "or"
**18 fully-equipped troops
payload main=6,000 lb
payload alt=2,700 kg
length main=54 ft 4 in
length alt=16.56 m
span main=48 ft 11 in
span alt=14.9 m
height main=17 ft 0 in
height alt=5.18 m
area main=
area alt=
empty weight main=11,085 lb
empty weight alt=5,028 kg
loaded weight main=
loaded weight alt=
useful load main=
useful load alt=
max takeoff weight main=19,000 lb
max takeoff weight alt=8,600 kg
engine (prop)=Napier Gazelle
type of prop=turboshaft
number of props=2
power main=1,465 hp
power alt=1,092 kW
max speed main=
max speed alt=
cruise speed main=138 mph
cruise speed alt=119 kn, 222 km/h
range main=400 NM
range alt=460 mi, 720 km
ceiling main=23,000 ft
ceiling alt=7,000 m
climb rate main=
climb rate alt=
loading main=
loading alt=
power/mass main=
power/mass alt=

ee also

aircontent
similar aircraft=
* CH-46 Sea Knight
lists=
* List of aircraft of the RAF

References

;Notes; Bibliography
* Jefford, C.G., "RAF Squadrons". Shrewsbury: Airlife Publishing, 2nd edition, 2001. ISBN 1-84037-141-2

External links

* [http://www.helis.com/database/go/bristol_belvedere_hc1.php "Bristol Belvedere" helis.com helicopter database]
* [http://www.britishaircraft.co.uk/aircraftpage.php?ID=177 "Belvedere" at British Aircraft Directory]


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