Bristol Belvedere
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Bristol Belvedere (Types 173, 192) | |
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| The Bristol Type 192 Belvedere tandem rotor helicopter. | |
| Type | Cargo helicopter |
| Manufacturer | Bristol Aeroplane Company |
| Maiden flight | 1958-07-05 |
| Introduced | 1961 |
| Retired | 1969 |
| Primary user | RAF |
| Number built | 26 |
The Bristol Type 192 Belvedere is a British twin-engined, tandem rotor military helicopter built by the Bristol Aeroplane Company. It was designed for a variety of transport roles including troop transport, supply dropping and casualty evacuation. It was operated by the Royal Air Force (RAF) from 1961 to 1969.
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[edit] History
The Belvedere was based on the Bristol Type 173 10-seat (later 16-seat) civil helicopter which first flew on 3 January 1952. The 173 project was cancelled in 1956 and Bristol spent time on the Type 191 and Type 193 to Royal Navy and Canadian specifications. The RAF expressed an interest in the aircraft and the Type 192 Belvedere was created. The first Type 192 prototype XG447 flew on 5 July 1958 with tandem wooden rotor blades, a completely manual control system and a castored, fixed quadricycle undercarriage. From the fifth prototype, the rotors fitted were all-metal, 4 bladed units. Production model controls and instruments allowed night operations.
Twenty-six Belvederes were built entering service as the Belvedere HC Mark 1 The Belvederes were originally designed for naval use but were later adapted to carry eighteen fully equipped troops with a total load capacity of 6,000 lb. The two rotors were synchronised through a shaft allowing the aircraft to operate through only one engine in the event of an emergency.
[edit] Service
The first prototype Belvedere went on to join 66 Sqn in 1961 and saw service in Europe, Africa, South Arabia and Borneo. XG447 was broken up at Boscombe Down on 7 August 1966.
The type was used by the RAF until 1969, despite engine starter problems which caused trouble early on. Belvederes were used by 26, 66 and 72 Sqns.
[edit] Variants
- Type 173 Mk 1 : First prototype.
- Type 173 Mk 2 : Second prototype.
- Type 173 Mk 3 : Three more prototypes.
- Type 191 : Projected naval version. Never built.
- Type 192 : Military transport helicopter for the Royal Air Force, under designation 'Belvedere HC.Mk 1.
[edit] Preserved examples
The following Bristol Belvederes have been preserved and are either on display or currently undergoing restoration.
- Type 173:
- XF785 on display at Bristol Aero Collection, Kemble
- Belvedere HC.1:
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- XG452 undergoing restoration at The Helicopter Museum, Weston-Super-Mare
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- XG454 on display at Museum of Science and Industry, Manchester
- XG474 on display at Royal Air Force Museum, Hendon
- XG462 (Nose section only) The Helicopter Museum, Weston-Super-Mare
[edit] Operators
- Civil: British European Airways (Bristol Type 173)
- Military: Royal Air Force, United Kingdom
[edit] Specifications (HC.1)
General characteristics
- Crew: 3
- Capacity:
- 30 seats or
- 18 fully-equipped troops
- Payload: 6,000 lb (2,700 kg)
- Length: 54 ft 4 in (16.56 m)
- Rotor diameter: 48 ft 11 in (14.9 m)
- Height: 17 ft 0 in (5.18 m)
- Empty weight: 11,085 lb (5,028 kg)
- Max takeoff weight: 19,000 lb (8,600 kg)
- Powerplant: 2× Napier Gazelle turboshaft, 1,465 hp (1,092 kW) each
Performance
- Cruise speed: 138 mph (119 knots, 222 km/h)
- Range: 400 nm (460 mi, 720 km)
- Service ceiling: 23,000 ft (7,000 m)
