Bristol F2 Fighter Aces of World War I (Aircraft of the Aces) [Paperback]

Jon Guttman (Author), Harry Dempsey (Illustrator)

Book Description

Series: Aircraft of the Aces | Publication Date: September 18, 2007

This is the history of the best Allied fighter-destroyer of World War 1 and the pilots who flew it. Nicknamed "Biff" by the pilots, the Bristol F2 Fighter enjoyed extraordinary success over the Western Front in the final 18 months of the war. However, it had an inauspicious debut, as an entire flight of F2As was wiped out by von Richthofen's Jasta 11. A new improved F2B was soon delivered to the front which functioned in an entirely different manner. The crews operated the plane not as a standard two-seater, but as a single-seat with a "sting in the tail" in the form of a rear gunner with a Lewis machine gun. Numerous ace teams earned the "Biff" grudging respect from its German opponents. This book charts the development of the plane from its unpromising beginnings to the revised model operating with a new kind of tactics. Moreover, the numerous first-hand accounts and combat reports give a fascinating insight into the experiences of the pilots themselves.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"The usual combination of color profiles and personl anecdotes tells the very unusual story of the Bristol F2B. At first glance, this was just another plainly-marked British WWI airplane, but its excellent performance was on par with contemporary single-seaters, and it could be considered one of the first true "multi-role" aircraft. The unique operational concept...resulted in some very high scoring tail gunners. Its important service in Palestine in WWI is covered in its own section." -Aerospace Modeler (January 2009)

"Jon Guttman's latest offering is a long-awaited title, since the Bristol F.2B is easily the most popular World War I two-seater among buffs and historians... After finishing Bristol Fighter Aces, any red-blooded reader will want to man his Brisfit and go strafe the Bray-Corbie Road." -Barrett Tillman, Aviation History (March 2008)

"It is a superb book on the subject and one that I can recommend to you without reservation." -Scott Van Aken, modelingmadness.com (September 2007)

About the Author

A resident of Leesburg, Virginia, Jon Guttman is senior editor, research director, and contributing writer for Primedia Enthusiast Publications. Specializing in World War I aviation, he is the author of several books. The author lives in Leesburg, VA.

Product Details

• Paperback: 96 pages
• Publisher: Osprey Publishing; First Edition edition (September 18, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1846032016
• ISBN-13: 978-1846032011
• Product Dimensions: 7.3 x 0.2 x 9.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #719,202 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Bristol Two-Seater Aces in Action!, November 8, 2007

By 

Michael OConnor "Wordsmith" (Wausau, WI USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

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This review is from: Bristol F2 Fighter Aces of World War I (Aircraft of the Aces) (Paperback)

Intended as a 1917 replacement for outdated British reconnaissance aircraft, Bristol's two-seater F2 aircraft possessed tremendous potential that could turn it into a tiger if proper air-fighting tactics were used. Numerous RFC/RAF crews who flew the F 2A/B as if it was a single-seat fighter with a stinger in its tail became aces over France, Italy and Palestine. Author Jon Guttman relates their exploits in this volume, #79 in Osprey's 'Aircraft of the Aces' series.

The Bristol fighter racked up quite a record given that it first saw combat in April 1917. By war's end over 120 F 2 pilots and almost 130 "Biff" observers claimed five or more kills in the aircraft. Many of the two-man teams boasted aces in the front and back cockpits. The top pilot scorer was 11 Squadron's Andrew McKeever with 31 victories. Top-scoring backseater was 22 Squadron's Charles Gass with 39 claims! Other top-scoring pilots included 'Siffy' Thompson with 30 claims; Alfred Atkey, 29; John Gurdon and Dennis Latimer with 28 each; Tom Middleton, 27; and 'Jim' Harvey, 'Bull' Staton and Bill Thomson, all with 26 claims. No observer approached Gass' total, the closest being another 22 Squadron backseater, Ron Fletcher, credited with 26 kills. Clearly Bristol crews were as aggressive as their compatriots flying Camels and SE 5s.

Guttman does a workmanlike job of detailing the combat exploits of the various pilots and observers. The book features over 100 black and white photographs of aircrew, aircraft and kills along with 10 pages of color profiles by Harry Dempsey. The book also has a dynamite cover depicting two F 2Bs engaging a yellow Fokker Triplane; shades of "G-8 and His Battle Aces!"

World War I air combat enthusiats will enjoy this latest addition to the Osprey Aces series. Recommended.

2 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great Book, March 20, 2008

By 

Hercule Poirot (Sacramento, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Bristol F2 Fighter Aces of World War I (Aircraft of the Aces) (Paperback)

I would have given the book 5 stars if there was more detail information on how the plane was create and where was the Vicker machine place on the front part of the plane. The book doesn't state whether the Vicker machine gun was on the left side, right side, or on top of the engine. I look at the pictures, but I couldn't find where the gun was place. There was also no information on the strength and weaknesses of the airplane compare to those of the German and Austrian fighter planes. Finally, there was no information on what were the circumstances where the British decide to switch tactics to make the plane a deadly adversery and who were the persons that forced the British High Command to adopt the new tactics. I love the chapter about the plane's role in Palestine and was surprise that the Germans had lost about 50 planes in that area.