The Bristol Sage

A lifelong 'Bristol' enthusiast, who also takes pleasure in occasional veteran and vintage motoring.

[BristOli @OliMerrick]

@BristolAero

[Aerospace Bristol @BristolAero]

#OnThisDay in 1954🚗🏁🥇

70 years ago today, the Bristol 450s finished 1st, 2nd and 3rd in their 2-litre class and 7th, 8th and 9th overall at the Le Mans 24 hour.

🧵1/3
📷BOHT

[Aerospace Bristol @BristolAero]

The Bristol 400, 401 and 402 exhibited at the October/November 1948 Earl’s Court motor show.

Only 15 of the 401 and 11 of the 402 would be dispatched in 1949, against 120 of the 400.

📸Bristol 400, 401 & 402 (From left to right)

[BristOli @OliMerrick]

Bristol Scout originally a racer but pressed in to the war was well loved by those that flew it. It was the aircraft used by Cpt. Lanoe Hawker to shoot down multiple enemy over Passchendael, for which he received a VC.

3/9

[Aerospace Bristol @BristolAero]

Today was the first day of Pilot a Pedal Plane (Under-5s) at Aerospace Bristol! ✈️

Budding young pilots visiting tomorrow and Thursday will have the chance to sit in a Tiger Moth, Spitfire and even a Bristol Freighter.

Learn more⬇️

https://t.co/DvDXaT9I3v

[Aerospace Bristol @BristolAero]

⏪An Advertisement for the Britannia reads:

"By virtue of its payload, range & high cruising speed, the Britannia has a greater revenue-producing work capacity than any airliner yet produced." ✈️

[Aerospace Bristol @BristolAero]

#OnThisDay in 1954

Seventy years ago today, the Britannia G-ALRX was forced to land on the Severn Estuary.

🧵1/3

[Aerospace Bristol @BristolAero]

In 2017, Aerospace Bristol welcomed a 1953 Bristol 403 saloon car to the exhibition🚗

At the end of the Second World War, BAC diversified into car design and manufacture, and their automobile division became Bristol Cars.

[Aerospace Bristol @BristolAero]

In 1910, the British & Colonial Aeroplane Company arranged for Maurice Tétard and Henri Jullerot, to give a public demonstration of the new Bristol 'Boxkite.'✈️

Tétard flew Stanley White, one of the company directors, as a passenger.

📸Boxkite over Clifton Suspension Bridge

[Aerospace Bristol @BristolAero]

There may have only been one Bristol Brabazon completed, but this gigantic aeroplane changed the landscape of Filton forever.✈️

The Brabazon first flew in 1949 and carried only 100 people despite its size.

📸BAE Systems

[Aerospace Bristol @BristolAero]

#OnThisDay in 1958🛫

A record-breaking flight by the Bristol Britannia. The aircraft flew from New York to London in 7 hours, 44 minutes. ⏲️

[The Great War Aviation Society - WW1 in the air @GWAS1914_1918]

Lanoe Hawker’s great-great-great-nephew, Lanoe Ertl, appears in a new film about his achievements when he became the third British pilot to be awarded a Victoria Cross when he managed to achieve three victories in one day with his side-mounted Lewis Gun on Bristol Scout 1611. 1/2

[Aerospace Bristol @BristolAero]

#OnThisDay 1952

The first flight of the Bristol Type 173 at Filton.✈️

Type 173, Britain's first twin-rotor helicopter, was originally intended as an intercity passenger transporter, but it was soon realised that the helicopter's real value was as a military transport aircraft.

[Tim Robinson @RAeSTimR]

Heads-up! New 150min #Concorde documentary - 'Concorde First to Last' with rare archive footage billed as 'The first complete film history of Concorde' Concorde - First to Last – https://t.co/pbMLA3OqEG out now via DVD and streaming link. #avgeek https://t.co/tFWPUe9yN5

[Trev Clark's Obscure Aviation History 🚁 @clark_aviation]

Saturday Artwork, by transport and wildlife artist David Shepard.
The Bristol Aircraft factory at Filton is the subject matter here, captured in the late 1950s, when the Bristol Britannia was in production for BOAC. @BristolAero

[Trev Clark's Obscure Aviation History 🚁 @clark_aviation]

The Bristol Beaufort is largely forgotten today, but a quick search of some of the most courageous acts of bravery in the Allied Air War you'll find its name will come up a lot.
Usually fighting against the 'odds' her crews deserve more credit than they received, post-war.

[Aerospace Bristol @BristolAero]

Where it all began🛫

Bristolian businessman, Sir George White saw the enormous potential of aviation and, in 1910, used all of his business expertise to set up an aircraft company in his hometown.

📸BAE Systems / British & Colonial Aeroplane Co Ltd Filton Flying School, 1910

[Aerospace Bristol @BristolAero]

#OnThisDay in 1954

The maiden flight of the first production Type 175 Bristol Britannia, G-ANBA ✈️

The world's first long-range turbo-prop, nicknamed 'The Whispering Giant', was designed to provide suitable aircraft for short, medium and long-haul flights.

[Aerospace Bristol @BristolAero]

#OnThisDay in 1939, The Bristol Blenheim became the first aircraft to reach 1,000 deliveries under the pre-war RAF expansion scheme.

📸BAE Systems / Blenheim assembly, Erecting hall, Filton, 1938