Bristol M.1c

The Bristol M.1C was the first British monoplane of the First World War. However, owing to an institutional distrust of monoplanes in the Royal Flying Corps, only 125 Bristol M.1C airframes were ordered.

The M.1C’s streamlined design, and the lower drag experienced by the absence of a second pair of wings, resulted in an impressive performance, with a top speed close to 130 mph/ 210 km/h. Small numbers deployed to Palestine, where they were reasonably effective at deterring Turkish reconnaissance flights over allied positions. The M.1C also saw success on the Macedonian front, where flying ace Captain Frederick Dudley Travers scored five of his nine kills. Despite these successes, the M.1C was never deployed operationally to France and the type was quickly withdrawn from service at the close of the War in 1918. The RAF would not see another monoplane fighter until the introduction of the Hawker Hurricane in late 1937.