Bristol'S Buckingham, Brigand and Buckmaster

The Type 163 Buckingham was a twin-engined, twin-tailed medium bomber developed by Bristol Aircraft Company (BAC) as a replacement for the Blenheim. It was later redesigned as the Type 164 Brigand, which was intended to be a torpedo bomber but was eventually re-configured as a bomber. The Buckingham and Brigand entered service with newer and better aircraft, and most were converted into high-speed courier aircraft. However, they were plagued by mechanical and hydraulic issues, as well as structural defects, and were retired from operational service in early 1953.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 160 pages
Publication date: 30 September 2022
Publisher: Wydawnictwo STRATUS, Artur Juszczak

In late 1939, the Air Ministry sought to replace the Blenheim as a medium bomber, leading to the development of the Type 161 Buckingham by Bristol Aircraft Company (BAC). This aircraft underwent several changes and redesigns, ultimately resulting in the Type 163 Buckingham, a twin-engined, twin-tailed medium bomber. During the development of the Buckingham, inquiries were made about a torpedo bomber version, leading to the redesign of the aircraft into the Type 164 Brigand. However, the torpedo requirement was eventually dropped, and the aircraft was re-configured as a bomber. Due to a lack of suitable trainers for the Buckingham and Brigand, BAC developed the Buckmaster, essentially a Buckingham with a new nose section containing dual controls.

By the time the Buckingham and Brigand entered service, their roles had been superseded by newer and better aircraft. Most Buckinghams were stored awaiting their fate, while some were converted into high-speed courier aircraft with four seats. However, it was too little too late, as the Mosquito performed better at almost half the cost. The Brigand was earmarked for the Far East and the battle against Japan, but the war ended before they could be deployed. It was during the Malaya Emergency that the Brigand proved its worth. Despite being designed as a dive bomber, two Squadrons carried out over 3,500 missions against the Communist Terrorists.

Had it not been for constant delays and construction changes, the aircraft may have lived up to their expectations. However, they were plagued by mechanical and hydraulic issues, as well as structural defects. After several catastrophic airframe failures, the Brigands were retired from operational service in early 1953.

Weight: 646g
Dimension: 209 x 297 x 12 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9788366549913