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Bristol Buckingham, Brigand and Buckmaster

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For a description of the format and data included in Production Tables, see here.

Type Description and Production Data

Type 163 Buckingham Type 164 Brigand Type 166 Buckmaster
Projected Variants
Production Summary
Type 163 Buckingham Variants
Type 163 Buckingham B.Mk.I
Four seat high speed day/night medium bomber to Specification B.2/41 (later Buckingham 1/P1) to meet the requirements of OR.103. The fuselage was of all-metal semi-monocoque construction, comprising three sections with channel-section frames and beaded angle section stringers, the whole covered with a smooth metal skin. The cantilever all-metal monoplane wing was built in five sections, and consisted of two spars with single-sheet webs and extruding flanges, with ribs of tubing and sheet pressings and a stressed-skin covering. six-piece hydraulically-actuated flaps were located between the fuselage and the ailerons. The tailplane and twin fins were similarly all-metal structures with flush riveted smooth metal skin. All flying controls were metal framed with fabric covering. Controllable trim-tabs were fitted to the elevators and rudders. The main units of the retractable tanding gear featured two Lockheed oleo-pneumatic shock absorber legs and pneumatically operated Dunlop twin brakes, and these were hydraulically raised backwards into the engine nacelle, enclosed by hinged doors. The tail wheel retracted forward into the fuselage.
The crew of four comprised the pilot, navigator/bomb aimer, radio operator and rear gunner, with the bomb-aimer station being housed in a mid-fuselage ventral gondola. This was part of an attempt to give all the crew positions unobstructed views and access to each other's positions. Defensive armament consisted of four .303-in Browning machine guns in the nose, firing forward, four .303-in Browning machine guns in a dorsal hydraulically operated Bristol B.12 Mk.I turret and twin .303-in Browning machine guns in a Bristol B.13 ventral turret to the rear of the bomb aimers cupola. Offensive armament consisted of one 4000 lb, two 2000 lb, four 1000 lb or six 500 lb bombs carried internally. Two 2400 h.p Bristol Centaurus IV (prototypes only), VII or XI powerplants.
Type 163 Buckingham C.Mk.I
B.Mk.I modified as a fast courier transport to meet the requirements of OR.177. All turrets and armament were removed and four Christie-Tyler reclining seats installed in the rear fuselage, along with additional side windows.
Type 163 Buckingham C.2
Seven passenger transport variant of C.Mk.I.
Type 169 Buckingham P.R.
Photo Reconnaissance variant of the Type 163 to Specification PR.8/44 to meet the requirements of OR.163.

Type 163 Buckingham B.Mk.I Specification
Span Length Height Wing Area Empty Wt Max AUW Cruise Speed Maximum Speed Range Service Ceiling
71 ft 10 in 46 ft 10 in 17 ft 7 in 708 sq ft 24040 lb 37000 lb 330 mph/ 287 kn 2200 mi 25000 ft
21.89 m 14.27 m 5.36 m 65.78 m2 10904 kg 16783 kg 531 km/h 3541 km 7620 m

Production Details
Serial Range C/n Type Batch
Qty		 Conv. Canc'd Notes
 4 prototype aircraft ordered from the Bristol Aeroplane Company, Filton, Bristol, Somerset, to Contract Acft/236. First flew 4 February, 1943.
 DX249, DX255, DX259,
 DX266		  11332 - 11335  B.Mk.I  4      
 400 aircraft ordered from the Bristol Aeroplane Company, Filton, Bristol, Somerset, to Contract Acft/1915, Requisition 1/E11/41. Delivered between February 1944 and March 1946 as 54 B.Mk.I
 between January and September 1946 and 65 C.Mk.I, the remainder cancelled
 KV301 - KV337  11905 - 11941  B.Mk.I  37      
 KV338 - KV346  11942 - 11950    9      
 KV358 - KV365  11951 - 11958    8      KV365 converted to C.Mk.2
 KV366 - KV372  11959 - 11965  C.Mk.I  7      KV369 converted to C.Mk.2
 KV402 - KV450  11966 - 12014    49      
 KV471 - KV479  12015 - 12023    9      
 KV480 - KV500  12024 - 12044  B.Mk.I      21  
 KV518 - KV535  12045 - 12062        18  
 KV549 - KV581  12063 - 12095        33  
 KV600 - KV641  12096 - 12137        42  
 KV656 - KV692  12138 - 12174        37  
 KV723 - KV756  12175 - 12208        34  
 KV769 - KV786  12209 - 12226        18  
 KV801 - KV845  12227 - 12271        45  
 KV861 - KV893  12272 - 12304        33  
 167 aircraft ordered from the Bristol Aeroplane Company, Filton, Bristol, Somerset, to Contract Acft/3783, Requisition 1/E11/43. Contract renegotiated to 110 Buckmaster T.Mk.I.
 RN959 - RN999    B.Mk.I      41  
 RP113 - RP121          9  
 RP122 - RP156          35  
 RP170 - RP215          46  
 RP228 - RP246          19  
 RP283 - RP299          17  
Total Production 123 (2) 448
Type 169 Buckingham PR
Serial Range C/n Batch
Qty		 Conv. Canc'd Notes
 1 aircraft ordered from the Bristol Aeroplane Company, Filton, Bristol, Somerset, to Contract Acft/4318. Cancelled.
 TK583        1  
Total Production 1
Type 164 Brigand Variants
Type 164 Brigand T.F.Mk.I
Three seat torpedo fighter-bomber to Specification H.7/42 to meet the requirements of OR.117, using the wings, tail and undercarriage of the Buckingham with a new a semi-monocoque structure fuselage of oval cross-section, built in three sections and comprising channel-section frames and beaded angle section stringers, with a stressed skin of Alclad sheet. The wings featured Fairey-Youngman pneumatic dive brakes on both upper and lower surfaces, ailerons of greater span and bonded wood wingtips to act as dielectric fairings for the A.S.V transmitting antennae. The main undercarriage was the same as the Buckingham, but the tailwheel now retracted backwards. The crew of three, pilot, navigator/torpedo operator and radio operator, were closely located under a fully glazed cockpit canopy. Armament consisted of four fixed 20 mm Hispano cannon in the nose firing forward, plus one .50-in Browning machine gun in the rear cockpit. It could carry either a 22 in torpedo under the fuselage. Two 2400 h.p Bristol Centarus VII (prototypes only) or Centaurus 57 powerplants.
Type 164 Brigand B.Mk.I
Ground attack/dive bomber variant of TF. Mk.I with torpedo removed and external bomb racks for two 500 lb bombs beneath the wings, one 2,000 lb or two 1,000 lb bombs beneath the fuselage and had underwing racks for 16 RP-3 60 lb rocket projectiles. The cockpit canopy was redesigned as a one piece unit with the rear gun removed.
Type 164 Brigand Met.3
Unarmed meteorological reconnaissance variant
Type 164 Brigand T.4
Unarmed radar trainer fitted with A.I.Mk.10 scanners.
Type 164 Brigand T.5
Variant of T.4 with updated A.I. Mk 21 radar in an enlarged nose.

Type 164 Brigand B.Mk.I Specification
Span Length Height Wing Area Empty Wt Max AUW Cruise Speed Maximum Speed Range Service Ceiling
72 ft 4 in 46 ft 5 in 17 ft 6 in 718 sq ft 25598 lb 39000 lb 321 mph/ 279 kn 362 mph/ 315 kn 2800 mi 26000 ft
22.05 m 14.15 m 5.33 m 66.7 m2 11611 kg 17690 kg 517 km/h 583 km/h 4506 km 7925 m

Production Details
Serial Range C/n Type Batch
Qty		 Conv. Canc'd Notes
 4 prototype aircraft ordered from the Bristol Aeroplane Company, Filton, Bristol, Somerset, to Contract SB.25383 (later Acft/2903). First flew December 1944.
 MX988, MX991, MX994  12455-12457  T.F.Mk.I  3      
 TX374  12629    1      Originally ordered as MX997, this was cancelled in June 1944, but reinstated with a new serial in
 February 1945.
 200 aircraft ordered from the Bristol Aeroplane Company, Filton, Bristol, Somerset, to Contract Acft/4628 (see note 1). Contract reduced to 100 aircraft, before being delivered as 14 T.F..Mk.1
 between January and September 1946, and 66 B.Mk.I between December 1947 and December 1949, the remaining 20 being cancelled.
 RH742 - RH755  12630-12643  T.F.Mk.I  14      RH755 converted to B.1 in January 1949.
 RH756 - RH762  12644-12650  B.Mk.I  7      
 RH763  12651  T.F.Mk.I  1      Retained for Met.3 Trial Installations.
 RH764 - RH771  12652-12659  B.Mk.I  8      
 RH772 - RH773  12660-12661  T.F.Mk.I  2      Retained for Trial Installations.
 RH774 - RH777  12662-12665  B.Mk.I  4      
 RH792 - RH795  12666-12669    4      
 RH796  12670  T.F.Mk.I  1      Retained by A&AEE for gunnery trials. Converted to B.Mk.I August 1948.
 RH797 - RH832  12671-12706  B.Mk.I  36      RH798 converted to prototype T.4 in October 1949.
 ,RH820 and RH821 delivered to Pakistan as N1125 and N1126. See note 2.
 RH850 - RH852  12707-12709    3      
 RH853 - RH872  12710-12729        20  Transferred to Contract 6/Acft/621.
 RH873 - RH879          7  
 RH891 - RH939          49  
 RH955 - RH998          44  
 52 aircraft ordered from the Bristol Aeroplane Company, Filton, Bristol, Somerset, to Contract 6/Acft/621. Delivered as 28 B.Mk.1 between February and June 1949, and 16 Met.3 between
 November 1948 and March 1949, the remaining 8 being cancelled.
 VS812 - VS816  12710-12714  B.Mk.I  5      Transferred from contract Acft/4628 [6]
 VS817 - VS831  12715-12729  Met.3  15      Transferred from contract Acft/4628 [6]
 VS832  12837    1      
 VS833 - VS839  12838-12844  B.Mk.I  7      
 VS854 - VS869  12845-12860    16      
 VS870 - VS877  12861-12868        8  
 10 aircraft ordered from the Bristol Aeroplane Company, Filton, Bristol, Somerset, to Contract 6/Acft/3088. Delivered between February and September 1951, except as noted. See note 3.
 WA560  (12695)  B.Mk.I    (1)    Ex-RH821 / N1126 of RPAF, delivered February 1950. Later converted to T.4
 WA561 - WA569  12877-12885  T.4  9      
 2 aircraft ordered from the Bristol Aeroplane Company, Filton, Bristol, Somerset, to Contract Acft/4628. Delivered in February 1950. See note 3.
 WB228, WB236  12876, 12901  B.Mk.I  2      Replacement for aircraft supplied to Pakistan
Total Production 139 (1) 128
Brigand T.Mk.4 Conversions (All aircraft converted from B.Mk.1)
Serials
 30 Brigand B.Mk.1 were converted to T.Mk.4 by Bristol at Filton between September 1949 and March 1951.
 RH757, RH758, RH760, RH762, RH765, RH766, RH767, RH768, RH769, RH771, RH774, RH775, RH794, RH797, RH799, RH800, RH801, RH802, RH804
 RH805, RH806, RH807, RH808, RH826, VS833, VS837, VS858, VS866, VS867, WA560
Total Conversions  (30)
Brigand T.Mk.5 Conversions (All aircraft converted from T.Mk.4 except as indicated ** converted from B.Mk.1)
Serials
 20 aircraft converted to T.Mk.5 by Marshalls of Cambridge between September 1952 and June 1955, except indicated #, converted by Bristol at Filton in May
 1955.
 RH757#, RH758, RH765, RH774, RH797, RH800, RH802, RH804, RH813*, RH826, RH829*, RH831*, RH832*, VS813*, VS833, VS837, VS855*
 VS865*, VS866, VS867
Total Conversions  (20)
Type 165 Brigand II
Serial Range C/n Batch
Qty		 Conv. Canc'd Notes
 2 aircraft ordered from the Bristol Aeroplane Company, Filton, Bristol, Somerset, to Contract SB.262784. Cancelled.
 PW913, PW919        2  
Total Production 2
Type 166 Buckmaster T.Mk.I
Three seat trainer variant of Buckingham to Specification 13/43 to meet the requirements of OR.148, featuring a widened forward fuselage with student and instructor seated side by side, with a radio operator seated behind. Two 2400 h.p. Bristol Centaurus VII powerplants.

Type 166 Buckmaster T.Mk.I Specification
Span Length Height Wing Area Empty Wt Max AUW Cruise Speed Maximum Speed Range Service Ceiling
71 ft 10 in 46 ft 5 in 17 ft 7 in 708 sq ft 23000 lb 33700 lb 352 mph/ 306 kn 30000 ft
21.89 m 14.15 m 5.36 m 65.78 m2 10433 kg 15286 kg 566 km/h 9144 m

Production Details
Serial Range C/n Batch
Qty		 Conv. Canc'd Notes
 2 prototype aircraft ordered from the Bristol Aeroplane Company, Filton, Bristol, Somerset, to Contract Acft/4261. First flew 27 October, 1944.
 TJ714, TJ717  12024-12025  2      
 110 aircraft ordered from the Bristol Aeroplane Company, Filton, Bristol, Somerset, renegotiated from Contract Acft/3783 for 167 Buckingham B.Is. Delivered between March 1945 and April 1946.
 RP122 - RP156  12026-12060  35      
 RP170 - RP215  12061-12106  46      
 RP228 - RP246  12107-12125  19      
VA359 - VA368 12126-12135 10

Projected Variants

  • Type 165 Brigand II
  • Proposed dual control variant - replaced by Buckmaster.
  • Type 170 Buckingham Freighter
  • Proposed freighter featuring Buckingham wings married to a new fuselage of greater capacity. Superceded by a clean sheet design with the same type number.

Production Summary

Buckingham and Buckmaster Production By Type and Mark
Type Built New Conv Canc'd Total
 Type 163 Buckingham B.Mk.I 58 448 506
 Type 163 Buckingham C.Mk.I 65 65
 Type 163 Buckingham C.2 (2) 2
 Type 166 Buckmaster T.Mk.I 112 112
 Type 169 Buckingham P.R. 1 1
235 (2) 449
Total Brigand Production By Type and Mark
Type Built New Conv Canc'd Total
 Type 164 Brigand T.F.Mk.I 22 (1) 23
 Type 164 Brigand B.Mk.I 92 (3) 108 203
 Type 164 Brigand Met.3 16 (1) 17
 Type 164 Brigand T.4 9 9
 Type 164 Brigand T.5 0
 Type 165 Brigand II 2 2
139 (5) 110
Air Ministry Contracts Associated With Buckingham, Brigand and Buckmaster Production
Contract Requisition Type Total
 Acft/236    Type 163 Buckingham B.Mk.I  4
 Acft/1915  1/E11/41  Type 163 Buckingham B.Mk.I  119
 Acft/3783  1/E11/43  Type 163 Buckingham B.Mk.I  0
 SB.25383    Type 164 Brigand T.F.Mk.I  4
 Acft/4628    Type 164 Brigand T.F.Mk.I  18
 Acft/4628    Type 164 Brigand B.Mk.I  64
 6/Acft/621    Type 164 Brigand B.Mk.I  28
 6/Acft/621    Type 164 Brigand Met.3  16
 6/Acft/3088    Type 164 Brigand T.4  9
 SB.262784    Type 165 Brigand II  0
 Acft/4261    Type 166 Buckmaster T.Mk.1  2
 Acft/3783    Type 166 Buckmaster T.Mk.1  110
 Acft/4318    Type 169 Buckingham PR  0

Notes

  1. Per Ashworth [7] and BARG Roundel [8], the original contract was Acft/3379 (Ashworth gives 6/Acft/3379, but this author believes this to be in error) for 200 aircraft, to be built at the Bristol Old Mixon (Weston-super-Mare) works, but reduced to 100 aircraft and transferred to a direct Contract with the firm on Acft/4628 to be built at Filton (again Ashworth uses 6/Acft), then finally reduced to 80 aircraft.
  2. Pakistan requested an order for 12 aircraft, to be delivered in the first half of 1949. In order to familiarise the RPAF on the type ahead of a proposed order. Two aircraft were released from an RAF contract in January 1949 in order to familiarise the RPAF on the type ahead of a proposed order, and these were duly despatched late December 1948 (RPAF serials N1125 and N1126, ex RH820 and RH821 respectively) with the remaining ten deliveries then planned for March and April 1949, all being diverted from MoS orders. Unfortunately N1125 crashed during delivery on 17 January 1949. By March 1949, however, the RPAF had changed its mind and no longer wanted the Brigand, N1126 shortly returning to UK and was eventuall delivered to the RAF in February 1950 as WA560.
  3. Per Ashworth [7] and BARG Roundel [9], the original contract was 6/Acft/1494, dated 10 November 1948, for 10 B.Mk.1, part renegotiated to T.Mk.4 production under Contract 6/Acft/3088. Per the Bristol Ledger, Contract 6/Acft/3088 originally covered WA560 - WA569, c/n's 12876-12885. At some point, WA560 was crossed out in the ledger (although the c/n's remained unchanged), that serial being used for RH821 when refurbished after returning from Pakistan.
    Also, Ashworth and BARG Roundel [10] gives the Contract for Brigands WB228 and WB236 as 6/Acft/3170, but Contract Delivery Cards [3] and A.M Form 78 [5] are unambiguous about it being part of Contract Acft/4628. In this case, the Bristol Ledger [6] gives only WB326 against Acft/4628, indicated as a replacement for RH820, which was lost on its delivery flight to Pakistan. WB238 is not mentioned in the Bristol Ledger, but per Barnes [1] it took that the unused c/n 12876 originally allocated to WA560.

Production References

  1. Bristol Aircraft Since 1910, C.H. Barnes (Putnam, 1964, 1970 and 1988)
  2. Air Britain RAF Aircraft Register Series, Various Volumes (Air-Britain Publications)
  3. 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)
  4. RAF Air Historical Branch: RAF Aircraft Movement Card (A.M. Form 78) (Dept of Archive and Aviation Records, RAF Museum, Hendon, Records MFC-77-15-13 through -16)
  5. RAF Air Historical Branch: Contract Delivery Cards (Dept of Archive and Aviation Records, RAF Museum, Hendon, Records MFC 77-15-6 and -7)
  6. Bristol Air Ministry Contracts Ledger via The Bristol Aero Collection Trust Library
  7. Bristol Brigand, Chris Ashworth (Aviation News Mini Monograph, 1991) and clarifying letter in Aviation News Volume 20 Issue 10.
  8. BARG Roundel Aug 1993
  9. BARG Roundel Jan 1981
  10. BARG Roundel Mar 1981
  11. Air Britain Archive, 2013/1 (Air-Britain Publications)
  12. British Secret Projects - Fighters & Bombers 1935-1950, Tony Buttler (Midland Publishing, 2004)
  13. Profile 21 #10
  14. Profile 21 #13

Page Revision History

Revised at Version 2.0.0
  • Improved Type Description and Added Specification details.
  • Added C/ns for cancelled aircraft.