Bristol Type 130 Bombay

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Contents

Type Description

• Type 130
• Three/four crew high-wing cantilever monoplane transport aircraft, adaptable for use as a medium bomber, to Specification C.26/31, to meet the requirements of OR.4. The primary role was as a transport, it had to be able to carry at least 24 fully equipped troops or a load of fuel or water in tanks mounted in the fuselage. To make the aircraft self-supporting it was able to load and accommodate three aircraft engines within the fuselage. When used for casualty evacuation provision for 10 stretcher cases was be provided. As a bomber, it could carry eight 250 lb bombs and eight 24 lb bombs. The crew was to be composed of two pilots and two gunners. As per the normal RAF bomber protocol of the time, one pilot would fly the aircraft, while the other carried out the role of navigator and bomb aimer, swapping roles as required on long missions. However most Bombays were flown by a single pilot. There was a kit of parts that could be fitted to provide another set of controls for tuition purposes but it restricted entrance to the front turret and made getting into the pilot's position very awkward, records indicate it was only fitted to five aircraft on the production line (L5810, L5811, L5815, L5816 and L5825). The two gunners would be RAF tradesmen; usually one would be an engine mechanic and the other an airframe rigger, to provide the ability to do running repairs away from base. In the prototype, the tail gun position was equipped with a Lewis gun on a Scarff ring, the front turret using an odd “zipper” system to mount the gun. Eight 250 pounds (110 kg) bombs could be carried on racks under the fuselage. The fuselage was composed of five units that could be built separately; the front turret, the cockpit and radio operators section, the passenger/cargo section, the rear fuselage section and then the tail section. The wing was in three parts, the inner wing with engines and the two outer wing assemblies. The wing design consisted of a stressed metal skin rivetted to an internal framework consisting of seven spars, with high-tensile steel flanges and alclad webs, and light alloy ribs.  The tailplane and rudder assembly on the prototype was fabric covered and strut braced. Two 750hp Bristol Pegasus III powerplants, driving two-bladed propellers.

• Type 130A Bombay
• Originally refered to as the Type 130 Mk.II; production version of Type 130 to Specifications 38/36 and 47/36. The tailplane and rudder assembly were metal with only the control surfaces covered in fabric, with the rudders being a of a different shape. The "zipper" type nose turret and aft Scarff ring were both replaced by Bristol designed nose and tail turrets, each gun positions being hydraulically-operated and armed with a .303 in Vickers K machine gun. The production aircraft also did away with the undercarriage spats used on the prototype. Two 1,010 h.p. Bristol Pegasus XXII powerplants, three bladed Fairey-Reed airscrews.

Type 130A Bombay Specification
Span	Length	Height	Wing Area	Empty Wt	Max AUW	Cruise Speed	Maximum Speed	Range	Service Ceiling
95 ft 9 in	69 ft 3 in	19 ft 11 in	1340 sq ft	13800 lb	20180 lb	160 mph/ 139 kn	192 mph/ 167 kn	2230 mi	25000 ft
29.18 m	21.11 m	6.07 m	124.49 m2	6260 kg	9153 kg	257 km/h	309 km/h	3589 km	7620 m

Projected Variants

Type 137
• Proposed civil transport version featuring the Type 130 wing matched to a new fuselage and single fin and rudder.

Type 144
• Development of Type 130 with retractable undercarriage to Specification B.4/34 to meet the requirements of OR.12. Bristol Pegasus IV or Bristol Perseus powerplants.

Type 144B
• Reduced size Type 144 capable of carrying 18 instead of 24 troops.

Production Details

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Production Summary

Production References

1. Bristol Aircraft Since 1910, C.H. Barnes (Putnam, 1964, 1970 and 1988)
2. Royal Air Force Aircraft L1000 - N9999, RAF Aircraft Register Series (Air-Britain Publications, 1993)
3. https://www.dingeraviation.net/bristol/bombay.html
4. RAF Air Historical Branch: Contract Delivery Cards (Dept of Archive and Aviation Records, RAF Museum, Hendon, Records MFC-78-8-1)
5. RAF Air Historical Branch: Delivery Serial Ledger (A.M. Form 622)(Dept of Archive and Aviation Records, RAF Museum, Hendon, Records MF-1 thru 5)
6. RAF Air Historical Branch: RAF Aircraft Movement Card (A.M. Form 78) (Dept of Archive and Aviation Records, RAF Museum, Hendon, Records MFC-77-15-22)

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