Scottish Aviation Bulldog

The Scottish Aviation Bulldog is a British two-seat side-by-side (with optional third seat) training aircraft designed by Beagle Aircraft as the B.125 Bulldog.

Bulldog
Scottish Aviation Bulldog, arriving at Shoreham Airshow 2012
Role Basic trainer with aerobatic capability
Manufacturer Beagle Aircraft/Scottish Aviation
First flight 19 May 1969
Introduction 1971
Status Active
Primary user Royal Air Force
Produced 1969–1982
Number built 328
Developed from Beagle Pup

The prototype Bulldog flew on 19 May 1969 at Shoreham Airport. The first order for the type was for 78 from the Swedish Air Board. Before any production aircraft were built, Beagle Aircraft ceased trading and the production rights for the aircraft, with the Swedish order, were taken over by Scottish Aviation (Bulldog) Limited. All subsequent aircraft were built at Prestwick Airport by Scottish Aviation, and later by British Aerospace.

Operational history

Sweden

The first 58 aircraft (known as the SK 61A and SK 61B) were delivered to the Swedish Air Force in 1971. Twenty more aircraft were delivered to the Swedish Army as FPL 61C in 1972, although these were transferred to the Air Force in 1989 as SK 61C. By 2001 all the Swedish aircraft had been withdrawn from military service. 26 were bought in 2004 by the Hungarian company AVIA-Rent.

United Kingdom
Manchester University Air Squadron Bulldog at RAF Woodvale in 1983

The largest customer was the Royal Air Force, which placed an order for 130 Bulldogs in 1972, entering service as the Bulldog T.1. It was used by the Royal Air Force as a basic trainer, in particular as the standard aircraft of the University Air Squadrons and, later, Air Experience Flights, providing flying training. The aircraft was also used by the Royal Navy for Elementary Flying Training (EFT) at RAF Topcliffe.

The RAF sold off its remaining Bulldog trainers in 2001 as general aviation light aircraft for a low price. They were replaced by the Grob Tutor.

Other operators

Of the Swedish aircraft, 26 were bought in 2004 by the Hungarian company AVIA-Rent. When the RAF aircraft were sold on the civilian market in the early 2000s, the type's excellent visibility, robustness and aerobatic capability meant that they were enthusiastically taken up.

Variants

The following Bulldog models were produced:[1] [2]

The prototype Bulldog G-AXEH in the National Museum of Flight
Bulldog Series 1
One prototype built by Beagle Aircraft (G-AXEH), one built by Scottish Aviation; now in the collection of the National Museum of Flight at East Fortune, East Lothian.
Bulldog Series 100
  • Model 101: Export model for Sweden. Swedish military designation SK 61 (AF) or FPL 61 (Army). 78 built.
  • Model 102: Export model for Malaysia. 15 built.
  • Model 103: Export model for Kenya. Five built.
  • Model 104: Refurbished second prototype (G-AXIG)
  • Model 121: Two-seat primary trainer aircraft for the Royal Air Force. RAF designation Bulldog T.1. 130 built, five later transferred to the Armed Forces of Malta.
  • Model 122: Export model for Ghana. Six built.
  • Model 122A: Export model for Ghana. Seven built.
  • Model 123: Export model for Nigeria. 37 built.
  • Model 124: Company demonstrator (G-ASAL). Used for weapons trials.
  • Model 125: Export model for Jordan. 13 built.
  • Model 125A: Export model for Royal Jordanian Air Force. Nine built.
  • Model 126: Export model for Lebanon. Six built.
  • Model 127: Export model for Kenya. Nine built.
  • Model 128: Export model for Royal Hong Kong Auxiliary Air Force. Two built.
  • Model 129: One aircraft for a civil customer in Venezuela (YV-375-CP).
  • Model 130 : Export model for Botswana. Six built.
The Scottish Aviation BullFinch taking off at Farnborough
Bulldog Series 200
Four-seat variant with retractable undercarriage. One prototype built (G-BDOG). Also known as the Bullfinch in civilian guise.

Operators
Privately owned Scottish Aviation Bulldog Series 120, formerly of the Botswana Air Force and in their colours, at an English air rally in 2005
Former Royal Jordanian Air Force Bulldog now operated by the British Disabled Flying Association on display at Farnborough Airshow 2008
Bulldog of the Maltese Air Wing in 2003

Military operators
 Lebanon
Operators of the Bulldog.

Former military operators
 Botswana
  • Botswana Air Force
 Ghana
 Jordan
 Hong Kong
 Kenya
 Malaysia
 Malta
 Nigeria
 Sweden
 United Kingdom

Aircraft on display
United Kingdom

Specifications (Bulldog Series 120)

Data from Bulldog Series 120 Owner's Manual[8]

General characteristics

  • Crew: 2
  • Length: 23 ft 3.06 in (7.0881 m)
  • Wingspan: 33 ft 1.85 in (10.1054 m)
  • Height: 8 ft 11.5 in (2.731 m)
  • Wing area: 129.4 sq ft (12.02 m2)
  • Aspect ratio: 8.4
  • Airfoil: NACA 632615[9]
  • Empty weight: 1,475 lb (669 kg)
  • Max takeoff weight: 2,350 lb (1,066 kg)
  • Powerplant: 1 × Lycoming IO-360-A1B6 4-cylinder air-cooled horizontally-opposed piston engine, 200 hp (150 kW)
  • Propellers: 2-bladed Hartzell constant speed propeller

Performance

  • Maximum speed: 130 kn (150 mph, 240 km/h)
  • Stall speed: 54 kn (62 mph, 100 km/h)
  • Never exceed speed: 185 kn (213 mph, 343 km/h)
  • Range: 540 nmi (620 mi, 1,000 km)
  • Service ceiling: 16,000 ft (4,900 m)
  • g limits: +6g -3g, with no longer than 15 seconds sustained inverted flight.
  • Rate of climb: 1,034 ft/min (5.25 m/s)
  • Wing loading: 18.2 lb/sq ft (89 kg/m2)

Armament

  • All armament is optional. The Bulldog was designed so that it could be fitted with four hard points. These armaments were tested on company demonstrator aircraft G-ASAL. They were never used in RAF service although some weapons training was done on the Bulldog trainers in Sweden. Although hardpoints are available, there is no provision for production weapons launch control systems in the Bulldog.[10]
gollark: ++remind 2h fix
gollark: ++magic reload_ext irc_link
gollark: How does it keep *doing* that?
gollark: Is it?
gollark: When I say that I'm actually quoting SquidDev.

See also

Aircraft of comparable role, configuration and era

Related lists

References
  1. Johan Visschedijk (26 April 2004). "History Brief: Scottish Aviation Bulldog". 1000aircraftphotos.com. Retrieved 24 July 2008.
  2. Keith Halliday (6 December 2005). "Scottish Aviation Bulldog Production List". Airbase. Archived from the original on 15 January 2008. Retrieved 24 July 2008.
  3. Aeroflight (27 May 2016). "Details of Bulldog Service in Maltese Armed Forces". Archived from the original on 20 May 2017. Retrieved 26 August 2018.
  4. Ellis 2016, p. 312
  5. Ellis 2016, p. 302
  6. Ellis 2016, p. 186
  7. Ellis 2016, p. 193
  8. Scottish Aviation Limited 1973, p. 2-1
  9. Lednicer, David. "The Incomplete Guide to Airfoil Usage". m-selig.ae.illinois.edu. Retrieved 16 April 2019.
  10. G-BZME Flying Group. "About the Scottish Aviation Bulldog-XX698". Retrieved 13 June 2020.
  11. What if Modellers. "Forum post with pictures of Bulldog fitted with Matra Pods".
  • Ellis, Ken (2016). Wrecks and Relics 25th Edition. Manchester, England: Crecy Publishing. ISBN 978 191080 9037.
  • Taylor, John W. R. (1976). Jane's All The World's Aircraft 1976–77. London: Jane's Yearbooks. ISBN 0-354-00538-3.
  • Scottish Aviation Ltd (1973). Bulldog Series 120 Owner's Handbook. Prestwick, Scotland: British Aerospace Scottish Division-Technical Library.

Scottish Aviation Bulldog Cockpit Flying Video

Media related to Scottish Aviation Bulldog at Wikimedia Commons

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