Bristol 188

Bristol Type 188
Bristol Type 188 at the Royal Air Force Museum Cosford
General information
Type	Experimental aircraft
Manufacturer	Bristol Aeroplane Company
Status	Experimental
Primary user	Royal Aircraft Establishment
Number built	3 (one static test, two flight test prototypes)
History
First flight	14 April 1962
Retired	1964

The Bristol Type 188 is a supersonic research aircraft designed and produced by the British aircraft manufacturer Bristol Aeroplane Company. It was nicknamed the Flaming Pencil in reference to its length and relatively slender cross-section as well as its intended purpose.^[1]

The Type 188 was developed as part of supporting research efforts for the Avro 730, a later-cancelled bomber capable of Mach 3 flight. Its purpose was to explore high-speed, high-temperature flights; for the latter purpose, it made use of unconventional materials, such as large quantities of stainless steel, as well as the incorporation of an active refrigeration system. To work with this material, relatively exotic puddle welding fabrication techniques were employed along with extensive technical support from external companies. As part of its intended test programme, the Type 188 was designed with flexible engine installations that allowed for the fitting of different air intakes, engines, and propelling nozzles. It was also furnished with extensive electronic sensors, data recording, and telemetry apparatus. A total of three aircraft were constructed – a single static test frame along with two (constructor numbers 13518 and 13519) flight-capable aircraft; various scale models were also produced.

During May 1960, the first airframe was delivered to the Royal Aircraft Establishment (RAE) at Farnborough. The maiden flight of the Type 188 occurred on 14 April 1962. Flight testing encountered numerous problems, including the excessive fuel consumption of the De Havilland Gyron Junior engines used, which did not permit the aircraft to fly at high speeds long enough to evaluate the "thermal soaking" of the airframe, one of the main research areas of the project. Across 51 flights, the Type 188 attained a maximum speed of Mach 1.88 (1,440 mph; 2,300 km/h) at 36,000 ft (11,000 m).^[2]

During early 1964, it was announced that all activity involving the Type 188 was to be terminated. The project had cost £20 million by the end of the programme,^[3] making it the most expensive research aircraft ever developed in Britain at that time.^[4] The technical data and knowledge garnered from the Type 188 was put to use in other British high-speed aerospace efforts, most notably the development of Concorde supersonic transport, as well as the Bristol (later Rolls-Royce) Olympus 593 powerplant, which powered both Concorde and the BAC TSR-2 bomber.^[1] During the late 1960s, it had been intended for both of the Type 188 fuselages to be used as targets for gunnery trials at the Proof and Experimental Establishment at Shoeburyness, Essex; however, XF926 was subsequently transported to RAF Cosford, initially to act as instructional airframe 8368M, it has since been preserved at the Royal Air Force Museum Cosford in Shropshire.