Bristol Ten Seaters and Brandon

The Bristol Ten-Seater was a large, single engine biplane designed to carry eight passengers and built by the Bristol Aeroplane Company during the 1920s. The crew sat forward of the wings in an open cockpit, with the passengers seated behind and below in an enclosed cabin that filled the gap between the upper and lower wing.

 

Originally intended to be powered by the Bristol Jupiter, the first prototype (G-EAWY) was designated Type 62 and was designed by Bristol Chief Designer Frank Barnwell.  It was flown on 21st June 1921, powered by a 450 hp Napier Lion engine.

 

This first aircraft was issued with a Certificate of Airworthiness before being transferred into the private operator sector where it was flown with considerable success by Instone Air Lines, between London and Paris.  It was later transferred to Handley Page Transport Ltd.

 

The second aircraft (G-EBEV) was designated as Bristol Type 75 and it flew in July 1922, complete with the Jupiter engine. It was converted to a freight carrier after Imperial Airways decided that due to safety fears, only multi-engine aircraft should be used for passenger carriage.  It then flew back and forth between London and Cologne between 1924 and 1926.

 

 

The third and final aircraft (J5997), was sold to the Air Ministry as a troop carrier / flying ambulance and it was given the name Bristol Brandon Type 79, flying for the first time on 19th March 1924. In the ambulance role, it could carry three stretchers and an attendant, or conversely two stretchers and four sitting patients.  As it turned out it was considered to be over-weight when fully loaded so it never saw full utilisation in either role.