Frank Barnwell designed the Bristol F-2 for the British & Colonial Aeroplane Company during the spring of 1916. The original idea was to produce a two-seater reconnaissance plane that could take over from the obsolete BE-2. However, while working on the new aircraft, Barnwell decided to make a fighter plane. The aircraft reached the Western Front in March 1917. The first few weeks were a disaster when four of the first six aircraft were immediately shot down by Manfred von Richthofen and his colleagues.

Once pilots learned to use the new machine properly, its strength, speed and agility enabled it to compete with German fighter aircraft. By 1918 the Bristol F-2 was the most successful fighter plane on the Western Front. A total of 3,101 Bristol fighter aircraft were built before the end of the war. Later versions of the plane remained in RAF service until 1932.

Performance Data of the Bristol F-2B
Type fighter
Engine 275 hp Rolls-Royce Falcon
Wing Span 39 ft 3 in (11.96 m)
Length 25 ft 10 in (7.87 m)
Height 9 ft 9 in (2.97 m)
Maximum Speed 123 mph (198 kph)
Maximum Height 21,500 ft (6,533 m)
Endurance 3 hours
Armament 3 machine-guns, 260 lb (108.9 kg) bomb load