The aircraft factory at Filton, to the north of Bristol, produced thousands of aircraft, from the 1910 Boxkite to the last Concorde in 1979. Originally called the British and Colonial Aeroplane Company, it established itself as a leading aircraft manufacturer in World War I, with the Bristol Scout and Bristol F2B Fighter. By the outbreak of World War II, now known as the Bristol Aeroplane Company, it was the one of the largest aircraft factories in the world, producing the famous Blenheim, and its derivatives - the Beaufort, Beaufighter and Brigand.

After the war, the emphasis changed to airliners. The rugged Bristol Freighter was the first new British post-war airliner. The gigantic Brabazon was cancelled with only one prototype flying, but the smaller Britannia was a success on transatlantic and 'colonial' routes. The first British helicopter, the Sycamore, was a Bristol product, as was the twin-rotor Belvedere.

Perhaps Bristols most famous aircraft is Concorde, produced in conjunction with Sud (later Aerospatiale) of France. Earmarked for mass production, orders were soon cancelled after fuel and noise issues arose.

The Bristol "Boxkite"

The Boxkite was the first aeroplane designed and built by the British and Colonial Aeroplane Company, and first flew in July 1910. It was inspired by the French-designed Voisin, and lead to the establishment of flying in Britain. 76 were built in total, seeing service around the globe, including Russia, South Africa, Australia, Germany and Spain.

The Bristol Scout

The Scout was being developed when war broke out in 1914. Originally intended for reconnaissance, pilots soon adapted them to carry guns, and the Scout became a very effective fighter. Navy versions were used to drop darts on to Zeppelins, and a Scout was the first aircraft to take off from a ship whilst at sea.

The Bristol F2B Fighter

The "Brisfit" was one of the most successful aircraft of World War I. In total over 5000 were built, and continued in service around the world until 1938.

The Bristol Tourer

The Tourer was a passenger carrying derivative of the Bristol Fighter. The side-by-side two-seat rear compartment would have been cramped by todays standards, but the addition of a coupe top to keep the passengers out of the wind would have made the journey more pleasant. It made its mark in Australia, where it pioneered air travel on the vast continent. It was at the forefront of air mail delivery and flying doctor services, and was the first aircraft to fly round the entire continent of Australia.

The Bristol Brabazon

Designed to take Britain into the lead in long range airliners, the massive Brabazon was far larger than any other airliner of its time. It first flew in 1949, but its ground-breaking technology was plagued by problems. After three years of tests the project was cancelled, but the Brabazon prototype had provided a wealth of information on large-scale airliner development, which was used in future aircraft.

The Bristol Britannia

If you flew across the Atlantic with BOAC in the fifties, it was probably in a Britannia. The four engined airliner became a firm favourite with long distance airlines of that era, being operated by BOAC, Canadian Pacific, El Al, Cubana and Aeronaves del Mexico. In the sixties they were the mainstay of the fledgling holiday charter market, flying in the colours of Monarch, Donaldson and Britannia Airways. Many were converted to freighters, and ended their careers flying cargo from remote locations around the world.