The Bristol Tourer was a British utility biplane produced in the years following the First World War, using as much as possible from the design of the Bristol Fighter aircraft.
Bristol Tourers were delivered with a variety of engines, subject to availability and customer desires; these included the Rolls-Royce Falcon, Siddeley Puma, Hispano-Suiza 8, and Wolseley Viper.
Many Tourers were fitted with a canopy to cover the one or two passenger seats in the rear cockpit, giving the type its original name of Coupé.
The pilot’s cockpit, however, remained open.
Variants
Type 27
First Tourers for the British Controller of Civil Aviation, fitted with Rolls-Royce Falcon engines and dual controls (3 built)
Type 28
Similar to Type 27 with canopy for rear seat
Type 29
Siddeley Puma-engined version for Bristol as company transport (2 built)
Type 45 “Scandinavian Tourer”
Similar to Type 29 with ski undercarriage.
Type 47
Three-seat version with open rear cockpit.
Type 48
Similar to Type 47 but built as floatplane.
Type 81 “Puma Trainer”
Similar to Type 29 modified as trainer
(1 converted, 4 newly built)
Type 81A
Similar to Type 81 with revised undercarriage and empennage for Greek military
(6 built)
Type 86 “Greek Tourer”
Similar to original Bristol Fighter and able to be armed for Greek Air Force
(6 built)
Type 86A
Three-seat version of Type 86.
Type 88 “Bulgarian Tourer”
Powered by Wolseley Viper for Bulgarian Post Office, two aircraft were delivered in April 1924.
Type 88A “Improved Bulgarian Tourer”
With various modifications, three aircraft delivered in 1926.
