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Bristol 99
Badminton

A single-seat racing biplane designed to promote the Bristol Jupiter engine.
Bristol 99 Badminton G-EBMK side The Bristol 99 Badminton G-EBMK with cylinder head helmet fairings.
 
The Bristol Type 99 Badminton was a single engine racing biplane designed by Frank Barnwell and built on a private venture basis to promote the Bristol Jupiter engine.
 
The Badminton was first flown on 5th May 1926 (G-EBMK) with a 510 hp Jupiter VI engine. A wingspan of just over 24 ft meant that the Badminton was a very compact and powerful aircraft. It had the same wing span as the famous German Bucker Jungmann aerobatic trainer of the 1930s but featured nearly five times the installed power.
 
Bristol 99 Badminton no helmets straight wing The Bristol 99 Badminton as flown in the 1926 King's Cup race, in which it had fuel feed problems.
 
It took part in the 1926 King's Cup Air Race but fuel feed problems caused its early retirement. Later that year however the aircraft was flown with a modified fuel system, a revised centre section and pilot’s windscreen when it was tested with the Bristol Orion (Jupiter VII) engine.
 
For the 1927 race, tapered wings were fitted with an increased span of 33 ft, using I-shaped interplane struts. In this guise, the machine was known as the Type 99A and was powered by a turbocharged 525 hp Jupiter VI engine.
 
Bristol 99 Badminton taper wing The Bristol 99A Badminton for the 1927 King's Cup Race with tapered wings of increased span and I-struts.
 
It gained a Certificate of Airworthiness on 26th July 1927 but sadly just 2 days later the aircraft suffered a total engine failure just after take-off from Filton and the pilot, Capt. Frank Barnard, was killed in the subsequent forced landing.

Specification

Powerplant 510 hp Bristol Jupiter VI 440 hp Jupiter VII 525 hp Jupiter VI 
Span 24 ft 1 in 26 ft 7 in 33 ft 0 in
Maximum Weight 2,470 lb 2,500 lb 2,500 lb
Capacity  Pilot only
Maximum Speed 160 mph

Variants

Type 99 As initially flown: 24 ft 1in span, increased to 26 ft 7 in with revised centre section.
Type 99A With tapered wings, I-struts, Jupiter VI engine and span further increased to 33 ft for entry in the 1927 King’s Cup Air Race.

Survivors

Nil; aircraft destroyed in fatal accident 28th July 1927.

Other information