The Bristol F-2B was a British reconnaissance and fighter aeroplane from the first World War which was considered as the best two-seater fighter built in the United Kingdom thanks to its robustness, it manoeuvrability and its reasonnable maximum speed.

Originally designed as a reconnaissance aircraft in March 1916 by Frank S. Barnell from the British & Colonial Aeroplane Company, it should have replaced the RE.8 from which it had the advantages without the incoveniences of the latter. It's when the first prototype, powered by a Rolls Royce Falcon I of 190 hp, made its first flight that the idea of a reconnaissance aeroplane was abandonned to make it a fighter aircraft. In September 1916 the first exemples of the F-2A were built and began to equipped the n°47 sqn RFC in December 1916 which then was sent in France between February and March 1917.
The first engagement of the F-2A, on 5th April 1917, has been a massacre, the 6 British fighters were attacked six Albatross D.III of the Jasta 11, only 2 F-2A returned to their base. The cause of this failure was not the aircraft itself, but the way their pilots were using it, instead of fighting, they were letting the gunner adjust his fire. Once the problem solved by changing the tactics, the F-2A proved to be quite an effective aircraft in combat, strong of both its front 7.7mm machine gun and of its turret of another 7.7mm machine guns.

Then came an improved variant of the aircraft, the F-2B, which had a slightly modified structure which allowed a better field of view for the pilot as well a twin machine-guns turret and, exception made of the 150 firsts F-2B, they also received a more powerful engine; while the 150 first received the Rolls Royce Falcon I, the 50 following received the Falcon II of 220 hp and all the others a Falcon III engine of 275 hp. Though, because of the difficulties to get Falcon III engines, some exemples were powered by a 200 hp engine Sunbeam Arab but only served as reconnaissance aircrafts. From the Summer 1917 to the end of the year 1918, it's over 3 100 exemples of the F-2B that were produced and over 1 600 of those exemples wer in units at the Armistice of 1918. The production lasted until 1926 and the aircraft was finally built at over 4 400 exemples used until 1932 by the RAF.

After the war, the main task of RAF F.2B were Air Control missions over the North-Western borders of India against indigenous rebels.

This exemple, the F-AYBF, c/n C794, is a replica made in 2014 in New Zealand were it was registred as the ZK-VTV and was then shipped in France in September 2014. Arrived in November 2014, it's now operated by the association Les Casques de Cuirs from the airfield of Cerny-La Feré Alais.
It has the paint scheme of an aircraft of the n°39 (home defense) squadron of the RFC/RAF which has the s/n E2262 and the code A-6 on the fuselage.