Aviation Historian 1
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G.Warner - Why was the "Bristol" Mercury so long lived?
Истребитель "Бленхейм" IF, оснащенный радиолокационной станцией
The Bristol Mercury radial piston engine powered all variants of the same company’s adaptable Blenheim, including this Mk IF nightfighter of No 54 OTU.
Early British radar installations used a dipole transmitting aerial in the nose and separate wing dipoles for receiving, resulting in all-round coverage and substantial ground returns. The Blenheim IF had Al Mk III, with the dipoles only on the port wing.
Bristol Blenheim Mk Is under construction at Filton in 1938. The Blenheim’s Mercury engines were fitted to mounts anchored to the front and rear spar booms at the outer ends of the wing centre section, to which the undercarriage legs were also attached.
Lysander V9905, one of the last built, equipped with towing winch and painted with black and yellow stripes to warn other aircraft of its target-tug status and its trailing tow-rope.
In contrast to the Gloster F.5/34, the Westland Lysander was a Mercury-powered type which enjoyed great success, the “Lizzie” earning its spurs as an invaluable Army Co-operation and Special Duties aircraft during the Second World War. Three production variants were built, the Mks I and III being powered by Mercury engines (XII and XX/XXX respectively), with the Mk II being fitted with a Bristol Perseus sleeve-valve engine.
Тот же самолет, что и на предыдущей фотографии, после переделки в вариант S.S.19B с обтекателями на всех трех стойках шасси и без четырех пулеметов под крылом, как у S.S.19. На серийных Gauntlet обтекатели колес не устанавливались.
Seen here fitted with a Mercury VIS.2 in a narrow-chord cowling with leading-edge exhaust collector ring, Gloster SS.19B J9125 was much tested with various Bristol powerplants and became the prototype for the Gauntlet, which itself would be developed into the Mercury-powered Gladiator.
Powered by a Mercury Mk XX or XXX, the Miles Martinet was the first aircraft to enter RAF service designed from the outset as a target-tug; it first flew in April 1942. Its specialised duties called for high continuous power output and special attention was paid to the cooling of its Mercury engine.
The sleek Bristol Type 142, named Britain First by Lord Rothermere, was powered by a pair of 650 h.p. Mercury VIs and made its first flight at Filton on April 12, 1935. From it came the development of the military Type 142M and the versatile Blenheim.
The Short-Bristow Crusader was designed and built for the 1927 Schneider Trophy Race, Fedden realising that, unless he could make a compelling case for radial engines, liquid-cooled in-line engines - like those fitted to the rival Supermarine racers - would be seen as the only option for any future fighter designs.
Built in 1927 as a private venture to demonstrate the Mercury engine, the Bristol Type 101 was initially fitted with a Jupiter VI, as seen here, but was later used as a Mercury testbed before being destroyed after structural failure in a dive in 1929.