Bristol Blairgowrie. Victorian Air Service. Moorabin Central Aerodrome 1937.
Bristol Blairgowrie 5 by
Fred Maillardet, on Flickr
The Bristol Blairgowrie was an aircraft whose potential was swamped by the tide of history. In 1934 the Bristol Aeroplane Company was approached by a consortium of Italian Airlines requesting an aircraft capable of carrying 4 executive passengers and their luggage in comfort, in style and at speed.
Following the fashions of the day an all metal, low wing, trimotor monoplane with an open cockpit and fixed spatted undercarriage “in the continental style” was drawn up and tentatively christened the Bristol Bologna.
Bristol Blairgowrie 2 by
Fred Maillardet, on Flickr
Powered by three of the then new Bristol Hercules sleeve valve radial engines the aircraft had a crew of two consisting of a pilot and an aero-maid whose job it was to see to the comfort of the passengers.
A prototype, flown in mid 1935 by Italian test pilot Marco Pagot had a cruising speed of 300mph and a range of 1500 miles and was announced to be a success leading to the immediate placement of an order for 20 aircraft.
Thirteen aircraft had been completed when in January 1936 the British Minister for Industry Sir Kitterick Spankman-Dean caused a massive diplomatic furor by slapping an export ban on the Hercules stating that its technology was too advanced to be sold overseas to a potential enemy. The Italian government was outraged to be labeled thus and immediately demanded an apology.
Spankman-Dean resigned, statements were made in the House of Lords and the help of the Pope was sought but it was too late. Italian national pride had been hurt and there was nothing that could be done.
Bristol Blairgowrie 8 by
Fred Maillardet, on Flickr
Bristol shut down production and were at a loss. Built specifically to meet the requirements of their Italian customers the hugely embarrassing public row had tainted the aircraft making it impossible to sell them in Europe.
At which point a shady Dutch arms dealer, parts broker and used aircraft salesman entered the picture. Known only by his nickname Small Beer, this secretive but influential man, claiming to be acting on behalf of the colonial administrators of the Dutch East Indies came to an agreement with Bristol to take all completed aircraft off their hands.
To the surprise of everyone but the intelligence services (who had good reason to be monitoring Small Beer’s operations) the aircraft next turned up not in Java as expected but in Batmania in the People’s Democratic Republic of Victoria.
While the PDRV was not seen as a potential enemy they were viewed by the then Prime Minister, Lord Narses of Croydon with suspicion due to their close ties with the USSR and what he was later to describe as a lackadaisical approach to diplomacy and the affairs of state (“that nation is no good, they are on my list” as he was reported saying by the Daily Murdoch of London in a speech to the Crystal Palace lodge of the Holy Order of Stoneworkers). By that time, however it was too late for anything to be done.
Bristol Blairgowrie 7 by
Fred Maillardet, on Flickr
Renamed the Bristol Blairgowrie after the location of the Victorian minister for production, Frederick Fredericksson’s summer retreat on the opulent East side of Port Phillip Bay the thirteen aircraft were an immediate success.
Six were handed to the PDRV Air Force Special Transport Flight for use as required by the nations governing committee, three were militarised with the addition of a bomb aimers position beneath the central engine for use as fast light bombers and a further three were given to Victorian Air Service who used them on their flagship Hobart-Batmania-Adelaide express business class service.
Bristol Blairgowrie 3 by
Fred Maillardet, on Flickr
While it was a fast, easy handling aircraft pilots disliked the Blairgowrie because its open cockpit was an anachronism in an age where being enclosed was the norm. It’s location at the rear of the aircraft also made for tricky ground handling as the fuselage and number two engine obscured the pilot’s forward view requiring ground crew to perch on the wing and give hand signals.
Bristol Blairgowrie 6 by
Fred Maillardet, on Flickr
At the PDRV’s entry into the Second Russo-Japanese War in 1939 all operational Blairgowries were processed through Victorian Air Workshop #3 at Tullamarine emerging as Blairgowrie 2 float equipped torpedo bombers and going on to serve with distinction in the ensuing global conflict.
The aircraft shown is the second of the VicAir aircraft, Chantelle. When inspected at VAW3 Chantelle was deemed to be un-airworthy and was dismantled to provide spare parts.
Bristol Blairgowrie 1 by
Fred Maillardet, on Flickr
The Model.
Airfix old mould 1/72 Bristol Beaufighter, an extra engine and some (OK, lots of) filler.
Spats are Matchbox Handley Page Heyford.
Home made decals and a combination of Enamel (White Knight Squirts rattle can) and Acrylic (Vallejo model air) paint.
