On this day in aviation history, 112 years ago (August 12, 1913), the Bristol T.B.8โalso known as the Bristol-Coandฤ T.B.8โmade its first flight. Designed by Romanian aviation pioneer Henri Coandฤ and built by the Bristol Aeroplane Company, the T.B.8 was an early British biplane that served primarily as a trainer during the First World War, but also saw brief use as a stop-gap bomber with the Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS). At the time, Coandฤ was Bristolโs chief designer. When the British Admiralty placed an order for a new biplane, he drew inspiration from one of his earlier creations, the Bristol-Coandฤ Monoplane, adapting and improving the design. The T.B.8 could be fitted with either a wheeled undercarriage or floats, and various rotary engines were trialed before Bristol settled on the 80-horsepower, 7-cylinder Gnome Lambda.
The earliest T.B.8s used wing-warping for roll control, though this was soon replaced by ailerons. Some examples were conversions of existing Bristol-Coandฤ Monoplanes, while others were entirely new builds. In total, 54 T.B.8s were produced. Both the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) and the RNAS operated the type early in the war, though all RFC examples were soon transferred to the RNAS. The aircraftโs only recorded combat action occurred on November 25, 1914, when a group of T.B.8s bombed German gun batteries at Middelkerke, Belgium. While notable, the mission highlighted the typeโs limitationsโits slow speed made it unsuitable for front-line combat. The T.B.8 was thereafter relegated to training duties for the remainder of its career.
The Bristol T.B.8 could reach speeds of 65โ70 mph, had an endurance of five hours, and climbed to its 3,000-foot service ceiling in 11 minutes. It could carry a 7.92 mm machine gun and up to twelve 10-lb light bombs. With a wingspan of 37 ft 8 in and a length of 29 ft 3 in, the two-seat biplane was modest in size but significant enough to secure its place in early British aviation history.
Commercial Pilot, CFI, and Museum Entrepreneur, with a subject focus on WWII Aviation. I am dedicated to building flight experience so I can fly WWII Fighters, such as the P-51 Mustang, for museums and airshows, and in the USAF Heritage Flight. I lead and run the Pennington Flight Memorial, to honor local MIA Tuskegee Airman F/O Leland โStickyโ Pennington.
