Bristol Type 172


The Bristol Type 172 was a 1940s proposed British long range four-engined bomber project. Although work was carried out on designing experimental half-scale variants, none were built and the project was abandoned.

Design and development

In October 1946 the Bristol Aeroplane Company tendered a design to the British Air Ministry for a high-speed long-range bomber with four turbojet engines.. Designated Type 172, it was liked by Air Staff, who asked the company to build a smaller half-scale Rolls Royce Nene-powered single-seat aircraft, the Type 174, to the same geometric design with a 45 degree wing sweep.
On 23 July 1947, the Air Ministry issued Specification E.8/47 to Bristol, who designated it the Type 174. After investigation it was found that the high subsonic flow around the wing-body junction would not work, the wing leading edge would need to be swept. In November 1947 work on the Type 174 was stopped and the E.8/47 specification was revised. The revised specification was issued on 8 June 1948 and required a smaller 3/10th scale aircraft powered by a Rolls-Royce Avon engine. Work on the revised design, the Type 176, was started in February 1948. At a subsequent mock-up conference the company felt it could not support further work on the Type 176 as the company needed to concentrate on the Bristol Britannia turboprop airliner.

Variants

;Bristol Type 172
;Bristol Type 174
;Bristol Type 176

Specification (Type 172 as proposed)