The Bristol Type 188

These images were taken during a visit to the RAF museum at Cosford near Wolverhampton, England in the summer of 2002.

The Bristol Type 188 first flew on 14th April 1962 as a test bed aircraft to assess the performance of a stainless steel skin during prolonged supersonic flight. Interestingly the then super-secret U.S. Lockheed A-11 (wich later developed into the better know SR-71 blackbird), an aircraft with a remarkably similar shape, also made its maden flight in April 1962 (on the 26th).