Bristol Bulldog Mk IIA

The Bristol Bulldog was the RAF fighter of the early 1930s. It was the force's standard fighter, equipping 10 of its 13 home defence squadrons.

The Bulldog never saw combat, but it was a distinctive part of the RAF's inter-war history. It was the star of the air shows at Hendon in the late 1920s. Douglas Bader, better known for his Second World War actions, lost both of his legs when his Bristol Bulldog crashed while he was performing unauthorised aerobatics at Woodley airfield near Reading. The Bulldog was withdrawn from RAF Fighter Command in July 1937, but it did continue to serve as a trainer. In 1964, this aircraft crashed at the Farnborough Air Show. The RAF Museum later recovered the wreckage and after five years of work it was restored. There are only two complete examples on display in the world; ours and one other in Finland.