Bristol Brigand Drop Test

[robunos]

I came across this posted on a modelling forum I frequent, does anyone know what it is ? The aircraft is Bristol Brigand RH763.
This what the poster wrote . . .

"I just came across this picture in my files, and thought that it might be of interest. I used to work for a parachute company and I managed to save this from the rubbish as they closed down the factory.
I think I have another somewhere with the load in the air.
It probably hasn't been seen in public, and is definitely older than me..."

cheers,
Robin.

 

[TsrJoe]

Sprite RATO.? ... At first glance looks like a target pannier (yellow and black stripes ?) definitely an interesting image

Bristol Brigand in the Met Recce Role

Dear All, A number of sources state that 16 Bristol Brigands were built to Mk 3 (Met) specifications for Met Recce work. Note the word ‘built’, as opposed to ‘modified’. As we know only too well these sources may be repeating other sources until what is repeatedly published becomes known as...

www.key.aero

 

[Hood]

RH763 was a Brigand Met.Mk.3 weather reconnaissance aircraft, was written off in an accident on 14/09/1956 at Hatfield, it was certainly being used by de Havilland during 1956, presumably for trials, found a photo from 1956 at Hatfield and it looks to have identical paintjob and nose fitting (https://abpic.co.uk/pictures/view/1559695).

 

[robunos]

AHA !!
The mystery is solved. Looking at Putnam' 'Bristol', page 319, I found this :-

" . . . and No. 12657 (RH763), flown until 1959 at Boscombe Down for parachute recovery tests of the D.H. Spectre rocket assisted take-off unit."

and this, from the De Havilland Aircraft Museum :-

de Havilland Super Sprite – de Havilland Aircraft Museum

www.dehavillandmuseum.co.uk

"The de Havilland Super Sprite, the first liquid-propellant rocket engine to have successfully completed a British Government Type-Approval Test, which was in full production for the Royal Air Force. The engine was fitted to the Vickers Valiant four-jet bomber within droppable containers."

and a YouTube video :-

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZdLFSmgRFp8


cheers,
Robin.

 

[ssfwb]

I came across this posted on a modelling forum I frequent, does anyone know what it is ? The aircraft is Bristol Brigand RH763.
This what the poster wrote . . .

"I just came across this picture in my files, and thought that it might be of interest. I used to work for a parachute company and I managed to save this from the rubbish as they closed down the factory.
I think I have another somewhere with the load in the air.
It probably hasn't been seen in public, and is definitely older than me..."

cheers,
Robin.

View attachment 643145

Awesome, saving stuff that others think is rubbish

 

[Nick]

There is a Super Sprite RATO pod on display at the De Havilland Museum.

 

[jameshames]

My uncle was killed test flying this plane in Singapore

 

[TsrJoe]

DH. Sprite jettison trials, Bristol Brigand, Hatfield, The Aeroplane, 9 September1955