Bristol TB.8

infobox Aircraft
name = T.B.8
type = Trainer
manufacturer = Bristol Aeroplane Company

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caption =
designer = Henri Coandă
first flight = 1913
introduced = 1913
introduction=
retired = 1916
status =
primary user = Royal Naval Air Service
more users = Royal Flying Corps Romanian Air Force
produced =
number built = 54
unit cost =
developed from = Bristol-Coanda Monoplanes
variants with their own articles = The Bristol T.B.8 was an early (1913-14) British biplane built by the Bristol Aeroplane Company, which was produced in significant numbers (54 were built) for the time. While mainly used as a trainer, T.B.8s were briefly used as bombers at the start of the First World War by the Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS).

Design and development

Henri Coandă, chief designer of the Bristol Aeroplane Company, developed the T.B.8 as a biplane development of his earlier Bristol-Coanda Monoplane to meet an order from the British Admiralty, the first aircraft, a conversion of a Bristol-Coanda monoplane, flying on 12 August 1913 Cite book |author=Mason, Francis K |title=The British Bomber since 1914 |publisher=Putnam Aeronautical Books |location= London |year=1994 |isbn= 0 85177 861 5. This aircraft was tested with both wheeled undercarriage and floats.

The T.B.8 was a single engined, two seat biplane, with two bay wings and a slender fuselage. While early T.B.8s used wing warping, later production aircraft were fitted with ailerons. They were normally fitted with a distinctive four wheel undercarriage. T.B.8s were powered by a variety of rotary engines, including Gnome and Le Rhône engines with power ranging from 50 hp Gnomes to 100 hp Gnome Monosoupape engines . T.B.8s were produced both by conversion of Coanda Monoplanes, and by new production.

One T.B.8 was fitted with a prismatic Bombsight in the front cockpit and a cylindrical bomb carrier in the lower forward fuselage capable of carrying twelve 10 lb (4.5 kg) bombs, which could be dropped singly or as a salvo as required . This aircraft was displayed at the Paris "Salon de l'Aéronautique" and evaluated by the French military before being purchased by the RNAS.

Operational history

T.B.8s were purchased for use both by the Royal Naval Air Service and the Royal Flying Corps (RFC), with the RFC's T.B.8s being transferred to the RNAS shortly after the start of the First World War . Three T.B.8s, including the aircraft displayed at Paris in December 1913, and fitted with bombing equipment, were sent to France following the outbreak of war, serving with the RNAS squadron commanded by Charles Rumney Samson. One of these T.B.8s carried out a bombing attack on German gun batteries at Middelkerke, Belgium on 25 November 1914, the only bombing sortie flown by the T.B.8 . The T.B.8 was considered too slow for front line operations, and was relegated to training operations, serving until 1916 cite book |last= Taylor |first= Michael J. H. |title=Jane's Encyclopedia of Aviation |year=1989 |publisher=Studio Editions |location=London |pages= p. 204] Cite book |author=Thetford, Owen|title=British Naval Aircraft since 1912 |Edition =Fourth Edition |publisher=Putnam |location= London|year=1994 |id= ISBN 0 85177 861 5.

The T.B.8 was also used by Romania, with six Bristol-Coanda Monoplanes operated by the Romanian Military Aviation school being converted by Bristol into T.B.8s.

Operators

;flag|Romania|1867
*Romanian Air Force operated 6 aircraft.;UK
*Royal Flying Corps
*Royal Naval Air Service

pecifications (T.B.8)

aircraft specifications
plane or copter?=plane
jet or prop?=prop

ref=Bristol Aircraft Since 1910 Cite book |author=Barnes, C.H.|title=Bristol Aircraft Since 1910 |Edition =First Edition |publisher=Putnam |location= London|year=1964

crew=Two
capacity=
length main= 29 ft 3 in
length alt= 8.92 m
span main= 37 ft 8 in
span alt= 11.48 m
height main=
height alt=
area main= 450 ft²
area alt= 41.8 m²
airfoil=
empty weight main= 970lb
empty weight alt= 441 kg
loaded weight main=
loaded weight alt=
useful load main=
useful load alt=
max takeoff weight main= 1,665 lb
max takeoff weight alt= 757 kg
more general=

engine (prop)=Gnome
type of prop=Rotary engine
number of props=1
power main= 80hp
power alt= 60 kW
power original=
max speed main= 56 - 61 knots
max speed alt= 65-70 mph, 105 - 113 km/h
cruise speed main=
cruise speed alt=
never exceed speed main=
never exceed speed alt=
stall speed main=
stall speed alt=
range main=
range alt=
ceiling main=
ceiling alt=
climb rate main=
climb rate alt=
loading main=
loading alt=
thrust/weight=
power/mass main=
power/mass alt=
more performance=*Endurance: 5 hours
*Climb to 3000 ft (915 m): 11 min

armament=*Light bombs

avionics=

References

External links

ee also

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