Dates

Event

Constructed as a Bulldog II.

12 June 1930

To The Bristol Aeroplane Company Ltd, Filton, Bristol with new c/r G-ABBB.

28 November 1930

Appeared at the Paris Air Show.

Converted to a Bulldog IIA.
During the process of demonstration and development the engine had been updated to a Jupiter VIIF, thus changing the model designation.

August 1935

Re-engined with a Bristol Aquila I engine.

1936

Testing completed and withdrawn from use. Placed in storage at Filton.

1938

To Science Museum, South Kensington, London, London, England.
Displayed with the fabric removed on one side to show the structure.
View the Location Dossier

1939

Placed on display at the Science Museum.

From Circa 1939 to 1945

During the Second World War it was removed from the museum for safety and stored in a warehouse in Wapping (East London).

From 5 August 1954 to August 1955

Loaned to Pinewood Studios.
Markings changed to: K2492
Loaned for use in the filming of the movie Reach for the Sky.

Contracted to Bristol, Filton for work on the airframe.
Sent back to Bristol for restoration to flying condition.

1960

Restoration completed.
Markings Applied: G-ABBB
Restoration of the aiframe completed. The restoration of an engine, a Jupiter VIIFP, took longer.

January 1961

Engine rebuild complete with test run.

8 January 1961

Final reassembly of the airframe with the engine and the propeller installed.

22 June 1961

First post-restoration Flight.
Flown by Bristol Chief Test Pilot, Godfrey Auty.

June 1961

Markings Applied: K2227

11 September 1961

To Shuttleworth Collection, Old Warden Aerodrome, Biggleswade, Bedfordshire-Central, England.
View the Location Dossier

16 September 1961

Ferry flight.
Flown to RAF Henlow for winter storage.

20 September 1961

Handover ceremony held at Filton.

5 June 1962

Ferry flight.
Flown to Old Warden after winter storage.

10 June 1962

Crashed.
Damaged when nosed over on landing at North Weald after completing a display. The propeller was broken and the wings and tail structure were damaged.

From 17 June 1962 to 30 July 1963

Contracted to Bristol, Filton for work on the airframe.

6 August 1963

First flight.
Flown at Filton.

14 August 1963

Involved in an incident.
Wing tip damaged when ground looped at RAF Tern Hill.

Repaired.

12 September 1963

First flight.

14 September 1963

Flown to RAF Henlow for winter storage.

12 September 1964

Crashed.
Crashed at SBAC Farnborough. Engine cut out at the top of a loop. This was the last flight.

A representative of the RAF Museum salvaged a number of parts from the scap dump behind the Accident Investigation Branch hangar at RAE Farnborough.

The Shuttleworth Collection salvaged the engine, firewall and other parts.

1986

The Shuttleworth Collection gifted the tailplanes, elevators, upper wing centre section, upper port mainplane and aileron, and parts of the upper starboard wing to the RAF Museum.

1987

Shuttleworth donated a main wheel without the tire to the RAF Museum. Later they also donated the other main wheel with the tire and a rear fuselage panel.

1992

The RAF Museum decided to catalogue all of the individual parts to determine if what was held could be used for a static restoration.

1993

The conclusion was made the parts could be used to create a static display airframe.

1994

To RAF Museum.
The RAF Museum recataloged all of the individual parts under one item number in their inventory to classify them as Bulldog G-ABBB.

1996

The Brenzett Aeronautical Museum Trust donated the rear three feet of the fuselage to the RAF Museum. Brenzett had obtained the section from the Shuttleworth Collection.

Contracted to Skysport, Hatch for work on the airframe.
Sent to SkySport for restoration as Bulldog G-ABBB.

The RAF Museum continued the search for missing parts including a six foot length of fuselage. The parts could come from the original G-ABBB, or other Bulldogs.

Circa 1997

Restoration progress required the construction of a replica section.

The Cotswold Aviation Group donated a tailwhel strut to the project.

The Tangmere Aviation Museum donated the original exhauset collector ring.

A complete pair of lower mainplanes were acquired from Viv Bellamy.

Undercarriage legs were donated by Squadron Leader Howell Davies.

Tim Moore excavated a number of smaller parts from a Shropshire scrapyard.

The original engine and engine mounts were donated by the Shuttleworth Collection.

10 March 1999

Restoration completed.
Rolled out at Hatch.

24 March 1999

To Royal Air Force Museum, London, Grahame Park Way, Hendon, London, England.
Delivered to Hendon for display.
View the Location Dossier

31 March 1999

Formally unveiled.

12 June 2000

Photographer: Norm Jukes
Notes: Photographed at RAF Hendon.

2009

Photographer: Andy West

11 December 2011

Photographer: Terry Fletcher
Notes: Bulldog IIA on display in the Historic Hangars Collection at the RAF Museum at Hendon

Photographer: Breeden Collection