title: Bulgarian Air Force

text: The Bulgarian Air Force dates back to the end of the 19th century. At the 1892 Plovdiv International Fair, two lieutenants of the Bulgarian Army flew in the 'La France' balloon owned by the Frenchman Eugène Godard. Later, inspired by the flight, they succeeded in convincing the Bulgarian General Staff that the Army should build a balloon force. Despite numerous refusals from military schools around Europe who would not teach Bulgarian officers to use airships, eventually the Imperial Aviation School in St. Petersburg enrolled Lieutenant Vasil Zlatarov as a student. On 20 April 1906 "Vazduhoplavatelno Otdelenie" (roughly translated as Aviation Squad) was created to operate observation balloons for the Army, initially as a part of Railway Battalion. After graduation Lt. Zlatarov was appointed its first commander. After operating small balloons, in 1911 a bigger Godard balloon was bought, and in 1912 the first indigenous balloon, Sofia-1, was constructed in Bulgaria using materials bought from Russia.


title: Bulgarian Air Force

text: In 1910 a Russian aircraft engineer, Boris Maslennikov, was invited to Bulgaria, where he presented his airplane, a modification of the French Farman III. Following his demonstration, assisted by Vasil Zlatarov over the hippodrome in Sofia, the Bulgarian Government decided to acquire airplanes for The Aviation Corps. In early 1912 thirteen army officers were sent abroad for training as pilots and orders were placed for five French, British and German airplanes. The officers sent to France completed their training first and returned to Bulgaria in July 1912. The same year Bulgaria received its first airplane – a Bleriot XXI, which Simeon Petrov flew on 13 August 1912 to become the first Bulgarian to pilot an airplane over Bulgaria.


title: Bulgarian Air Force

text: Following the outbreak of the First Balkan War, Bulgarian pilots still abroad hastily procured aircraft to be shipped home after them and foreign volunteer pilots converged from all over Europe to fly for Bulgaria. After the front lines had stabilized, an Aeroplane Platoon was established at a new airfield close to the fighting.


title: Bulgarian Air Force

text: Intelligence about the Turkish army strength and dispositions in the Edirne was required, and on 16 October 1912, two aviators performed a reconnaissance flight over the city in an Albatros F.2 biplane, also dropping two bombs. This was not only the first military mission performed by a Bulgarian aircraft, but also the first combat use of an aircraft in Europe and one of the first bombing attacks.


title: Bulgarian Air Force

text: Later that month the Bulgarian Aviation Corps was expanded to three Aeroplane Platoons. Foreign volunteers began flying operational sorties alongside Bulgarian pilots and carried out reconnaissance, leaflet-dropping and bombing missions. During the war at least three aircraft were shot down. Considerable help was received from the Russians in terms of aircraft, maintenance and training. Due to low aircraft serviceability and frequent accidents, the number of missions flown was relatively low. Despite that, the Bulgarian airmen and their foreign allies were able to gather enough intelligence for the Army General Staff to help successfully capture of the city after a long siege. Although inflicting little physical damage, the bombs had a devastating effect on the defending Turkish garrison's morale and played a crucial part in the fall of the city, which was until then considered nearly impregnable.


title: Bulgarian Air Force

text: During the First Balkan War Bulgarian aviation undertook 70 combat sorties, including 11 bombing raids, during the Second Balkan War it undertook 6 sorties. All in all, during both wars, there were over 230 aircraft sorties, including non-combat flights. In addition to the Albatros F.2, Bulgaria flew Blériot XI and XXI, Bristol Prier, Farman VII and Nieuport IV aircraft, as well as examples provided by Sommer and Voisin.


title: Bulgarian Air Force

text: The Kingdom of Bulgaria entered World War I as an ally of the Central Powers on 4 October 1915. The Aeroplane Section of the Bulgarian Army was reformed with assistance from Germany and Austria. Aircraft were deployed to Kumanovo Airfield in support of advancing Bulgarian forces, but bad weather initially prevented any flying. Until then they had completed 11 combat sorties from an airfield in Sofia (now the central railway station). As the frontline advanced, the unit re-deployed to airfields near Belitsa and Xanthi, in modern Greece. Newly acquired German LVG aircraft were hastily pressed into action. Two more airfields were constructed near Udovo and Levunovo. The Allies began flying reconnaissance and bomber sorties against Bulgarian units on the Southern Balkan Front. Throughout World War I Bulgarian military aviation experienced a steady increase in both numbers and quality of aircraft; however, they remained inferior to those flown by the Allies, especially the British and French. The First Aeroplane Section (the country's only aircraft unit) was attached to the Second Bulgarian Army. It flew 255 sorties compared to 397 flown by the four squadrons of the Entente it opposed, and operated the following types:


title: Bulgarian Air Force

text: A number of Bulgarian pilots flew with German air units at the Western Front and at Xanthi. They operated several types, including the Albatros D.III and Halberstadt, which would later mistakenly be listed on the Bulgarian inventory by some sources.


title: Bulgarian Air Force

text: On 30 September 1916 a French Farman F.40 bomber of Escadrille 384 was tasked with attacking the Bulgarian capital, Sofia. Two Bulgarian Fokker E.IIIs were positioned south of Sofia to intercept the intruder, while a flight of three armed Albatros C.III two-seat trainers covered the center of the city as backup. The bomber successfully dropped its bombs over Sofia while escaping anti-aircraft fire but, while departing, was attacked by the Bulgarian Fokkers, one piloted by Marko Parvanov, which brought the Farman down with a dead engine.


title: Bulgarian Air Force

text: Another Allied aircraft, a British Armstrong Whitworth F.K.3, was captured by Bulgarian troops on 12 February 1917 after engine problems forced it to land. Both it and the crew were captured. It would receive Bulgarian insignia and be used to bomb Allied positions at night. Four such sorties were flown before being shot down on 23 May 1918.


title: Bulgarian Air Force

text: A Nieuport 24bis and a Nieuport 27 were also captured. Lieutenant Vladimir Balan, a Bulgarian fighter pilot who had been flying with a German Jasta on the Western Front, was flying one of the Nieuports when he shot down the squadron leader of No. 17 Squadron RAF.


title: Bulgarian Air Force

text: Bulgarian naval aviators also played an important role in the air war. In 1912 Petty-Officers Lyapchev and Mikhailov were sent, along with other officers and seamen, to the German naval aviation forming facilities for training. Another group of naval personnel followed in the beginning of the First World War. Training was held at List, Nordenhai and Kiel. In November 1915 a seaplane station under German control was established near Varna, initially operating four Friedrichshafen FF.33 bombers and a Rumpler 6B1 fighter. Later, at the coast of the Varna Lake, a second seaplane station was built (this one under Bulgarian control), operating the same inventory. Near Sozopol a forward fuel and ammunition replenishment base was established in support of patrol flights over the southern Bulgarian coastline. At the end of 1917 the German station was transferred to the Bulgarian Navy. At the time of the armistice the Bulgarian fleet air arm comprised two seaplane stations, a forward replenishment base, three hangars, three workshops, ammunition warehouses and 10 seaplanes. After the cease-fire the machines were used for mine reconnaissance. At the end of 1919 they are transported by train to Bozhurishte Airfield to be scrapped along with the army aviation inventory.


title: Bulgarian Air Force

text: The Bulgarian balloon observers also took part in the war. They were most active on the Dobrudzha Front, where aircraft activities were scarce (a German bomber squadron, flying missions against Bucharest and Constanţa: "Gotha" bombers accounted for the most flights). Near the Bulgarian city of Yambol an airship hangar was constructed to house German airships. The airship Schütte-Lanz SL 10 was the first to use it. According to documents of the time it was assigned to the Bulgarian Army, but was actually under German control. It was lost during a flight over the Black Sea in July 1916. In August 1916 the LZ 101 replaced it. After performing raids on targets in Romania and Greece it returned to Germany in August 1917. In November 1917 the naval airship L 59 arrived. That airship flew a series of remarkable missions, such as an attempted resupply of the garrison in the colony German East Africa and the bombing of Naples and Port Said. During a mission against the British naval base in Malta, a lightning strike over the Mediterranean Sea set it alight and completely destroyed it. All hands were lost.


title: Bulgarian Air Force

text: On 4 October 1918 the Bulgarian Tsar issued a Royal Act of Demobilization. This resulted in military aviation being converted to its peacetime structure. The Aeroplane group, based in Bozhurishte comprised the following:


title: Bulgarian Air Force

text: On 27 November 1919 the Treaty of Neuilly-sur-Seine was signed. In accordance with the treaty the Kingdom of Bulgaria was banned from operating military aircraft under any form for the next 20 years. All Bulgarian airplanes, balloons, aviation equipment, weaponry and ammunition were to be destroyed under Allied control and all personnel demobilised. Under the terms of the treaty any aircraft procured for civilian purposes had to be bought from the countries on the winning side. The combined engine power for any airplane (including multi-engined ones) was not to exceed 180 hp. In addition, the Bulgarian airspace was to be controlled by the allies and used according to the victorious countries' interests.


title: Bulgarian Air Force

text: In accordance with the treaty during 1920 no less than 70 airplanes, 110 aircraft engines, 3 air balloons, 76 machine guns, a number of photographic cameras and other aviation equipment were destroyed at the military airfield of Bozhurishte. The seaplanes of the Bulgarian Navy were delivered by train to the same airfield and scrapped soon after that.


title: Bulgarian Air Force

text: Due to the devotion of the Air Troops personnel and the help of the population of the surrounding villages, several aircraft were hidden, thus evading Allied inspection following destruction. Seven DFW C.V, Albatros C.III and a single Fokker D.VII were among the survivors. In addition, at least ten aviation engines (Benz Bz.IV and Mercedes D.III) were also saved.


title: Bulgarian Air Force

text: The Bulgarian government tried to get around the ban for military flight activity by establishing a Gendarmery Aeroplane Section in 1919. Since the Gendarmery was at that time a service under the Ministry of War, the creation of the unit was met by fierce opposition by the Allied commission. This almost resulted in the destruction of the whole Vrazhdebna Airfield, but the disbandment of the unit prevented this from happening.


title: Bulgarian Air Force

text: An Aeroflight Section under the Ministry of Railways, Postal Service and Telegraph was created in 1920. Bulgarian aviation personnel assembled two airplanes from hidden spares and parts, salvaged from the destroyed military airplanes. The two aircraft, known as "the mixed planes", recorded about 1000 flight hours altogether. The sole remaining Bulgarian Fokker D.VII was disguised as a two-seater, thus being classified as a trainer and returning to active service.


title: Bulgarian Air Force

text: On 5 July 1923 Bulgaria ratified the International Civil Aviation Treaty. From that moment on its air vehicles would carry a registration in the form B-B??? (the latter three signs being a combination of capital letters). In 1923 the first group of cadets, called "student-flyers" entered the Flying school at Vrazhdebna AF.


title: Bulgarian Air Force

text: The following year (1924) the first new airplanes were acquired. Those were machines of the Potez VIII, Caudron C.59, Henriot XD.14 and Bristol 29 Tourer types; Avro 522 seaplanes were also procured. During the same year the Bulgarian airplane construction specialist Atanas Grigorov (who obtained his qualification at the "Albatroswerke – Berlin") assembled his seaplane, called "Grigorov-1". The aircraft made several test-flights, recording excellent characteristics, but was damaged beyond repair by a storm in the hangar where it was stationed. Also in 1924 the Aeroplane Section was expanded to an Aeroflight Directorate still under the Ministry of Railways, Postal Service and Telegraph.


title: Bulgarian Air Force

text: 1925 saw the Potez XVII, Bristol Lucifer and Macchi 2000/18 flying boat boosting the country's aircraft inventory. The Bulgarian government invited a group of German aircraft engineers, headed by the constructor Herr Hermann Winter to help establish an aviation factory. Named The State's Aeroconstruction Atelliér or Darzhavna Aeroplanna Rabotilnitsa (DAR) the factory was initially managed by the first Bulgarian pilot to achieve an aerial victory – Mr. Marko Parvanov. The first aircraft types produced at the plant were the U-1 or "Uzounov-1" (an indigenous variant of the wartime German DFW C.V) and the DAR 2 (an indigenous variant of the German Albatros C.III of the same era). Both types became well-known and loved by the personnel of the former Air Troops and gained Bulgarian combat service experience. Development of a new type – the DAR 1 – was also started.


title: Bulgarian Air Force

text: During the course of 1926 the Airplane School was moved to the geographical center of the country. The town of Kazanlak was well suited, for it was far away from the Allied Control Commission. The Czechoslovak company Aero Vodochody also built an aircraft factory near that city, but its models were not up to the requirements of the Bulgarian authorities. After an unsuccessful switch to automotive production, the plant was finally sold to the Italian Caproni company. The factory became popular as "Balgarski Kaproni" or "Bulgarian Caproni". The first examples of the DAR 1 biplane were produced and entered service with the Aeroflight Directorate during 1926.


title: Bulgarian Air Force

text: In 1928 the Ministry of War started the ambitious 10-year program for development of the military aviation (still banned by the peace treaty). According to the plan the following structure had to be achieved:


title: Bulgarian Air Force

text: In 1931 Bulgaria signed the Warsaw Treaty, concerning international civil air activities and the country was assigned the new civil registration – LZ-??? (the latter three signs being a combination of capital letters). In 1933 the Bulgarian Council of Ministers approved the following wartime order of battle of the aviation:


title: Bulgarian Air Force

text: In 1934 the Aviation Regiment was renamed His Majesty's Air Troops, comprising a headquarters, with two army orlyaks (based at Bozhurishte and Plovdiv airfields), a training orlyak (in Plovdiv), a maritime (at NAS Chaika, Varna) and additional operational support units. Colonel Ivan Mikhailov was appointed the first chief of the air force with Lieutenant-Colonel Georgi Vasilev appointed as his Deputy.


title: Bulgarian Air Force

text: The first combat aircraft that entered service in the reestablished air force in 1937 were 12 Arado Ar 65 fighters, 12 Heinkel He 51 fighters, 12 Dornier Do 11 bombers and 12 Heinkel He 45B reconnaissance aircraft. These machines were donated personally to Boris III by Hermann Göring.


title: Bulgarian Air Force

text: In 1937, during the traditional military parade of St. George's Day (National Day of Bravery and of the patron-saint of the Bulgarian Armed Forces), military aircraft officially debuted as a part of the armed forces after a nearly two-decade hiatus. A month later Boris III himself presented the Bulgarian air regiments with their new combat flags at an official ceremony at Vrazhdebna Airfield.


title: Bulgarian Air Force

text: In 1937 14 PZL P.24B fighters and 12 PZL.43A light bombers were ordered from Poland, with deliveries starting later that year, while in 1938, orders were placed for 42 more PZL.43B light bombers and 12 PZL.24F fighters, which differed from the earlier aircraft in having more powerful engines.


title: Bulgarian Air Force

text: When the Third Reich occupied Czechoslovakia in 1938, the Czechoslovak air force was broken up. Bulgaria used the opportunity to acquire large numbers of relatively modern ex-Czech aircraft from the Germans at a bargain price. Bulgaria purchased 78 Avia B-534 biplane fighters, 32 Avia B.71 bombers (a license version of the Soviet SB bomber), 12 Bloch MB.200 bombers, 62 Letov Š-328 reconnaissance aircraft and 28 Avia Bs.122 trainers. Deliveries of the second batch of Polish orders started in early 1939, with 33 PZL.43Bs and 8 PZL.11Fs delivered before the German invasion of Poland stopped deliveries (although two more PZL.43Bs were delivered by the Germans later). In less than 3 years the Air Force inventory had grown up to 478 aircraft of which 135 were of Bulgarian construction.


title: Bulgarian Air Force

text: At the beginning of World War II, the combat air fleet comprised 374 machines in various roles. In addition orders were placed for 10 Messerschmitt Bf 109E-4 fighters, 11 Dornier Do 17M/P bombers, 6 Messerschmitt Bf 108 light liaison and utility aircraft, 24 Arado Ar 96B-2 and 14 Bücker-Bestmann Bü 131 trainers.


title: Bulgarian Air Force

text: The Air Force order of battle comprised the 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th Army Aviation Orlyaks (Army Air Groups or air regiments), each attached to the correspondingly-numbered field army. Each orlyak had a fighter, a line bomber and two reconnaissance (squadrons). There was also an Independent Aviation corps, which combined the 5th Bomber and 6th Fighter Regiments. The training units consisted of the "Junker" School Orlyak at Vrazhdebna airfield, the 2nd Training Orlyak at Telish airfield (called the Blind Flying Training School) and the 3rd Training Orlyak at Stara Zagora airfield. In 1940, the Bulgarian aviation industry provided the air force with 42 DAR 9 Siniger and 45 Kaproni-Bulgarski KB-5 Chuchuliga aircraft, along with preparing for serial production of the KB-6 – Bulgaria's first twin-engined aircraft. At year's end, the Bulgarians had 595 aircraft (of which 258 were combat aircraft) and 10,287 personnel.


title: Bulgarian Air Force

text: On 1 March 1941, the Kingdom of Bulgaria signed the Tripartite Pact, becoming a formal ally of Germany. Under the treaty, Bulgaria allowed the use of its territory as a staging point for the invasion of Yugoslavia and Greece and some minor logistical support.


title: Bulgarian Air Force

text: Despite the impressive looking inventory, Bulgaria's fighter force in January 1941 consisted of only 91 machines, with just 18 of them modern Bf 109E monoplanes. A further 11 were outdated PZL.24B fighters, and the remainder were Avia B.534 biplanes. The ground-based air defenses were made up of only 8 and 6 AA guns. To help its new ally the 12th Army of the Wehrmacht offered support with its aircraft and air defence assets and provided 8 Freya-type radars dispersed throughout the country. A dispersed observation and reporting system was gradually developed.


title: Bulgarian Air Force

text: The first air strike against Bulgarian targets was carried out by 4 Yugoslav Dornier Do 17 Kb-1 on 6 April 1941 on the city of Kyustendil and its railway station killing 47 and injuring 95, mostly civilians. The air strikes intensified in the following days; British Royal Air Force units based in Greece participated in the attacks as well. At the end of April, the 2nd and 5th Bulgarian armies occupied Greek and Yugoslav territories according to an agreement with the Third Reich. As a part of the joint armed forces' effort on 26 June 1941 6 Avia B.71 and 9 Dornier Do 17M bombers were transferred to the Badem Chiflik airfield near Kavala (in Greece). They were tasked with anti-submarine patrols and air support for Italian shipping over the adjacent area of the Aegean Sea. In addition 9 Letov Š.328s based in Badem Chiflik provided the ground troops with air reconnaissance. At the Black Sea shores the "Galata" Fighter Orlyak was established at NAS Chaika, Varna, with the 10 Bf 109E-4s and 6 Avia B.534s. The S.328s were also used for anti-submarine patrols over the Black Sea, flying out of the Sarafovo and Balchik airfields. At the end of 1941 the inventory of His Majesty's Air Troops consisted of 609 aircraft of 40 different types.


title: Bulgarian Air Force

text: On 22 June 1941, Germany invaded the Soviet Union, but Bulgaria refused to take part, although it did declare war with Great Britain and the United States of America in December 1941. Bulgaria's inaction against the Soviet Union meant that supplies of German aircraft slowed to a trickle, with only four aircraft delivered from January to September 1942.


title: Bulgarian Air Force

text: The war declared by the Kingdom of Bulgaria against the US and Great Britain was a tragedy for the little country. The city of Sofia and Bulgarian towns and villages were hit by air strikes in late 1943 and in 1944. In all, 187 inhabited places were attacked, 45,000 destructive and incendiary bombs were dropped. There were about 2,000 casualties, and about 4700 wounded, 12,000 damaged or ruined buildings and the total losses were estimated at nearly 24 billion dollars. For the citizens of Sofia, the "Black" days were 14 and 24 November, 10 and 20 December 1943, and 10 January and 16, 24, 30 March and 17 April 1944 when large formations of B-17 and B-24 bombers ruined parts of the capital city including the central area. The Bulgarians also see successes. On 1 August 1943, an enormous armada of about 700 American Consolidated B-24 Liberator bombers flew over several Balkan countries their way to bomb "the taproot of German might", the giant oil refineries at Ploiești, Romania. Termed Operation Tidal Wave, the aircraft flew over Bulgarian territory and Bulgarian fighter pilots Sub-lieutenant Peter Bochev (5 victories), Captain Tschudomir Toplodolski (4 victories), Lieutenant Stoyan Stoyanov (5 victories) and Sublieutenant Hristo Krastev (1 victory) inflicted heavy losses on the bombers.


title: Bulgarian Air Force

text: In total, about 23,000 enemy sorties were registered over Bulgaria in the years 1943–1944. Bulgarian pilots fought an enemy outnumbering them by 10 to 50 times. Some of the best pilots were Lieutenant Stoyanov, Captain Toplodolski, and Sub-Lieutenants Bochev, Cvetkov, and Damev. 19 Bulgarian pilots died in this war against the Allies. The Allies lost 60 planes, shot down by Bulgarian fighters and about 430 airmen, 325 of which were taken as POWs.


title: Bulgarian Air Force

text: The Bulgarian Air Force, along with other branches of the Sovietized Bulgarian People's Army, adopted the doctrine of the Soviet deep battle during the Cold War. The force expanded rapidly with deliveries of different types of combat aircraft. The first shipments of Soviet equipment arrived immediately after the end of World War II, mostly consisting of propeller-driven aircraft, such as the Ilyushin Il-2 (120 Il-2 and 10 Il-2U), the Ilyushin Il-10 and the Tupolev Tu-2. By 1954, these types were being withdrawn from service, as the Korean War marked the beginning of the jet fighter era and in 1955 a new wave of deliveries began, starting with the Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-15. Later additions included Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-17 and MiG-19 fighters and Ilyushin Il-28 bombers, as well as the Mil Mi-1, the first helicopter. These aircraft were withdrawn in the 1970s, when the last wave of modernization began.


title: Bulgarian Air Force

text: In June 1979 the Mil Mi-24 Hind entered service through a significant re-equipment program and a boost to rotary power to the BVVS. The Sukhoi Su-22 and Su-25 entered service in 1988 in the strike and reconnaissance role. 40 Su-25K/KUBs were delivered and 21 Su-22M4/UM-3s were delivered. In total, by 1989 the Bulgarian Air Force had received and operated:


title: Bulgarian Air Force

text: In 1993 the air regiments in Bezmer and Sadovo were experimentally transformed into "air bases" with the merger of the air regiments with the aviation-technical and airfield service battalions, that were independent from them. Around 1995 – 1996 all the air regiments were transformed into air bases (brigade equivalents) and two main commands were formed – Air Defence Command (Командване за противовъздушна отбрана), merging the two air defence divisions and the Tactical Aviation Command (Командване Тактическа Авиация), by reorganisation of the 10th Composite Aviation Corps, called and including into it the newly transformed into air bases training regiments in Shtraklevo and Kamenets. The regiment in Dolna Mitropoliya was disbanded.


title: Bulgarian Air Force

text: After the end of the Cold war Bulgaria's air force is limited to 226 aircraft. The MiG-25 fighters were grounded in 1991. A large number of early MiG-21 variants were withdrawn from service and were cut for scrap, and armament from the trainers for the MiG-21 and MiG-23 was removed. In 1998 four air bases were closed down: Gabrovnitsa, Balchick, Uzundzhovo and Shtraklevo. Then in 2000 the Stara Zagora (operating Mi-24s) air force base was closed. Then in 2001 three more bases were closed down: Dobrich, Ravnets and Cheshnegirovo. In 2003 Dobroslavtsi was closed down and the MiG-23s were withdrawn from service, because it is more expensive to run than the MiG-21. In February 2004 the Su-22s, which were stationed first in Dobrich then in Bezmer, were withdrawn.


title: Bulgarian Air Force

text: Since the early 2000s, Bulgaria has been trying actively to restructure its armed forces as a whole and a lot of attention has been placed on keeping the aging Soviet era aircraft operational. In 2015 the last of MiG-21s were put out of service and the attack and defence branches of the Bulgarian air force relied solely on MiG-29s. About 16 MiG-29 fighters were modernised in order to meet NATO standards. In January 2011 the Bulgarian MoD issued a Request for Information (RFI) regarding the acquisition of 8 multi-role fighters. The main competitors were expected to be the Eurofighter Typhoon, Dassault Rafale, Saab JAS 39 Gripen, Mikoyan MiG-29 or MiG-35. CAC/PAC JF-17 Thunder, Lockheed Martin F-16 and McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet. On 9 March 2011 the Swedish Government submitted its response to the RFI containing 8 new Gripen C/D fighters. The Bulgarian MoD extended the time limit for submittal of responses by two months due to the lack of responses from the other competitors.


title: Bulgarian Air Force

text: Modern European transport helicopters were ordered and purchased in 2005 and until consequently 12 Eurocopter Cougar helicopters (8 to provide transport and 4 CSAR) joined the fleet. For the Navy 3 Eurocopter Panther were ordered and have been delivered.


title: Bulgarian Air Force

text: In 2006 the Bulgarian government signed a contract with Alenia Aeronautica for the delivery of five C-27J Spartan transport aircraft in order to replace the older Soviet An-24 and An-26. The first Spartan arrived in 2007. Subsequently. the contract changed to the delivery of only 3 aircraft and the final example arrived on 31 March 2011.


title: Bulgarian Air Force

text: On 11 November 2016, the Bulgarian government signed a 21.8-million euro contract for 10 MiG-29 engines (four new and six repaired), with the first pair scheduled to arrive by April 2017. The deal would eventually bring the number of active service MiG-29 aircraft from 9 to 14, as Bulgaria also announced it was looking to overhaul the fleet and buy eight new or second-hand fighter jets during the coming year.


title: Bulgarian Air Force

text: In 2016, Bulgaria's government announced the Saab JAS 39 Gripen as the preferred candidate in the country's new combat aircraft competition. In 2016 Sofia issued a request for proposals for the purchase of eight multirole fighters, to be delivered by 2020. However, a new government postponed plans of acquiring new aircraft in May 2017.


title: Bulgarian Air Force

text: In October 2018, potential suppliers responded to a renewed tender for aircraft, consisting of new F-16V Viper aircraft from Lockheed Martin, new F/A-18E/F Super Hornet aircraft from Boeing, used Eurofighter Typhoon aircraft from Italy and used Saab JAS 39 Gripen C/D from Sweden. France, Germany, Israel and Portugal did not respond to requests for used Eurofighter Typhoons and F-16 variants.


title: Bulgarian Air Force

text: On 16 January 2019, the Bulgarian parliament approved the government's proposal to start negotiations with the US to purchase F-16V Block 70 aircraft.


title: Bulgarian Air Force

text: On 3 June 2019, the U.S. State Department approved the possible sale of 8 F-16 aircraft to Bulgaria. The cost of the contract was estimated at $1.67 billion.


title: Bulgarian Air Force

text: The deal was vetoed by the Bulgarian President, Rumen Radev on 23 July 2019, citing the need to find a broader consensus for the deal, sending the deal back to parliament,


title: Bulgarian Air Force

text: but on 26 July the deal was again approved by parliament, overruling the veto, and this time was approved by Radev. In April 2020, Lockheed Martin officially awarded by the U.S. government to produce F-16 for Bulgaria and estimated to be completed in 2027.


title: Bulgarian Air Force

text: With the exception of the Navy's large helicopter fleet, the Air Force is responsible for all military aircraft in Bulgaria.


title: Bulgarian Air Force

text: The BuAf plans to retire most of its Soviet-era aircraft, keeping only the Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-29 "Fulcrum" fleet which was modernized only recently, as well as its Mil Mi-24 gunships and Sukhoi Su-25s. The MiG-21s in service were scheduled to be replaced with possible American or European aircraft. On 6 October 2020 the Bulgarian ministry of defence sign order with Ukraine state company "Ukrinmash" for repair and refurbishment of one special aircraft designed for aerial cartography Antonov An-30 for the amount of .


title: Folland Gnat

text: The Folland Gnat is a British compact swept-wing subsonic fighter aircraft that was developed and produced by Folland Aircraft. Envisioned as an affordable light fighter in contrast to the rising cost and size of typical combat aircraft, it was procured as a trainer aircraft for the Royal Air Force (RAF) as well as by export customers, who used the Gnat in both combat and training capacities.


title: Folland Gnat

text: Designed by W. E. W. Petter, the Gnat has its origins in the preceding private venture Folland Midge. The issuing of Operational Requirement OR.303 by the British Air Ministry served to motivate the type's development; the Gnat was later submitted to meet this requirement. Its design allowed for its construction and maintenance tasks to be carried out without specialised tools, making it suitable for use in countries that had not yet become highly industrialised. The Gnat has been viewed as a major motivating factor towards the issuing of the NATO NBMR-1 requirement, which sought to make available a common strike/attack light fighter with which to equip the air forces of the various NATO members.


title: Folland Gnat

text: Although never used as a fighter by the Royal Air Force (RAF), the Gnat T.1 jet trainer variant was adopted and operated for some time. In the United Kingdom, the Gnat became well known due to its prominent use as the display aircraft of the RAF's Red Arrows aerobatic team. The Gnat F.1 was exported to Finland, Yugoslavia and India. The Indian Air Force became the largest operator and eventually manufactured the aircraft under licence. Impressed by its performance during combat, India proceeded to develop the improved HAL Ajeet, a modified variant of the Gnat. In British service, the Gnat was replaced by the Hawker Siddeley Hawk.


title: Folland Gnat

text: In October 1950, W. E. W. "Teddy" Petter, a British aircraft designer formerly of Westland Aircraft and English Electric, joined Folland Aircraft as its managing director and chief engineer. Almost immediately upon joining the firm, Petter conducted a study into the economics behind modern fighter manufacturing, and concluded that many combat aircraft entailed far too great a cost in terms of man-hours and material to be readily mass-produced during a major conflict. While the British Air Staff emphasised quality over quantity, the economics involved in the anticipated vast wartime production of many of the RAF's aircraft of the time, such as the Hawker Hunter and the Gloster Javelin interceptors, were viewed as questionable.


title: Folland Gnat

text: Petter examined the prospects for producing a more affordable but capable "light fighter", including a survey of available modern engines to power the type. Having identified suitable powerplant arrangements along with methods of making multiple key design aspects, such as the manufacturing of the fuselage and wings, more affordable, Folland promptly commenced work upon this lightweight fighter concept, financing the project using existing company funds. The light fighter project soon received the Fo-141 designation along with the name Gnat. Development of the Gnat and the specifics of its design were heavily influenced by the issuing of Operational Requirement OR.303, which sought a capable lightweight fighter aircraft. Work to develop the Gnat went ahead, irrespective of any external orders or financing; there was no funding provided to support the type's early development from any British government department, such as the Ministry of Supply.


title: Folland Gnat

text: Petter believed that a compact and simplified fighter would offer the advantages of low purchase and operational costs, and that the Gnat should be capable of being manufactured both cheaply and easily. The emergence of new lightweight turbojet engines, several of which were well advanced in their own development process, also enabled the envisioned light fighter concept to be realised. The Gnat was initially intended to be powered by a Bristol BE-22 Saturn turbojet engine, capable of generating 3,800 lbf (16.9 kN 1,724 kgp) of thrust. However, development of the Saturn was cancelled; in its place, the more capable but not immediately available Bristol Orpheus turbojet engine was adopted instead.


title: Folland Gnat

text: In order that the project would not be delayed before reaching the prototype stage, Petter's unarmed proof-of-concept demonstrator for the Gnat was instead powered by the less powerful Armstrong Siddeley Viper 101 turbojet engine, capable of generating 1,640 lbf (7.3 kN / 744 kgp) of thrust. While using a different powerplant from later-built prototypes and production aircraft, the demonstrator still used a nearly-identical airframe along with similar onboard systems so that these could be proved in advance of the Gnat itself being built. This demonstrator was designated Fo-139 Midge. On 11 August 1954, the Midge performed its maiden flight, piloted by Folland's chief test pilot Edward Tennant. Despite the low-powered engine, the compact jet was able to break Mach 1 while in a dive and proved to be very agile during its flying trials. On 20 September 1955, the Midge was destroyed in a crash, which had possibly been due to human error by a pilot from a potential overseas purchaser.


title: Folland Gnat

text: The Midge, partly due to its nature as a private venture, had only a short lifespan, however had served as a proof-of-concept demonstrator for the subsequent aircraft. It had failed to interest the RAF as a combat aircraft at that time, but officers did issue encouragement of the development of a similar aircraft for training purposes. The larger Gnat, which was being developed in parallel with the Midge, was an improved version of the original fighter design; it was differentiated by larger air intakes to suit the Orpheus engine, a slightly larger wing, and provision for the installation of a 30 mm ADEN cannon in each intake lip. The first prototype Gnat was built as a private venture by Folland. Subsequently, six further aircraft were ordered by the British Ministry of Supply for evaluation purposes. On 18 July 1955, the Folland prototype, serial number "G-39-2", first flew from RAF Boscombe Down, Wiltshire.


title: Folland Gnat

text: Although the evaluation by the British brought no orders for the lightweight fighter, orders were placed by Finland and Yugoslavia. India placed a large order for the type, which included a licence for production by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL). Although the Gnat's development is considered a factor which motivated the Mutual Weapons Development Team to issue the NATO NBMR-1 requirement for a low level strike/attack light fighter, the Gnat itself was not evaluated in the competition, which was won by the Fiat G.91. However, the Gnat was evaluated in 1958 by the RAF as a replacement for the de Havilland Venom, as well as other light aircraft such as the BAC Jet Provost. The Hawker Hunter was selected as the eventual winner of the fly-off competition.


title: Folland Gnat

text: Although RAF interest in the possibilities for using the Gnat as a fighter had waned, Folland identified a potential use for the type as a trainer aircraft. Accordingly, the aircraft was modified to conform with the requirements of Specification T.185D, which had called for an advanced two-seat trainer aircraft that could transition pilots between the current de Havilland Vampire T 11 and operational fighters, such as the supersonic English Electric Lightning.


title: Folland Gnat

text: Folland proposed the two-seat Fo. 144 Gnat Trainer. The trainer model featured several changes, including the adoption of a new wing with additional fuel capacity, which in turn allowed for more internal space within the fuselage to be allocated for additional equipment. A more powerful variant of the Orpheus engine was also used, while the length of the forward fuselage area was increased, and the tail surfaces were enlarged. The inboard ailerons of the fighter variant were reconfigured to an arrangement of outboard ailerons and conventional flaps. On 7 January 1958, an initial contract for 14 pre-production Gnat trainers was issued.


title: Folland Gnat

text: On 31 August 1959, the prototype Gnat Trainer conducted its maiden flight from Chilbolton airfield, Hampshire. The Ministry did not at first place a production order as they were concerned about the size and ability of the company to take on a large order. Following the take over of Folland by Hawker Siddeley Aviation (becoming the Hamble division), further orders for 30, 20 and 41 trainers were placed between February 1960 and March 1962, receiving the designation "Gnat T Mk. 1". The final Gnat T.1 for the RAF was delivered in May 1965.


title: Folland Gnat

text: Folland sought to develop more capable versions of the Gnat; one of the more substantial of these proposals was tentatively designated as the Gnat Mk.5. This model was to be capable of supersonic speeds and was intended to be made available in both single-seat and twin-seat configurations, enabling its use in the trainer and interceptor role. The Gnat 5 was to be powered by either a pair of Rolls-Royce RB153R engines or two Viper 20 engines; in the interceptor role, it would be also equipped with a Ferranti AI.23 Airpass radar and armed with a pair of de Havilland Firestreak air-to-air missiles. Featuring an estimated maximum speed around and a time to of 3 minutes, Folland estimated that a prototype could be flown as early as the end of 1962 and that the Gnat 5 could be readied for operational service within four or five years.


title: Folland Gnat

text: In 1960, Maurice Brennan joined Folland as its chief engineer and director. Hawker Siddeley wanted to use his knowledge of variable-geometry wings in future designs. Under his direction, a variable geometry wing was applied to the basic Gnat 5 design to produce two different configurations – one tailless and one with a conventional tail – for a multipurpose fighter/strike/trainer, designated the Fo.147. The design used a unique mechanism to sweep the wings; this mechanism used a combination of tracks positioned on the fuselage sides, the centerline, and on the underside of the wings, and was actuated by hydraulically-driven ball screws positioned at the inner ends of the wings. The wings could be swept from 20 degrees to 70 degrees; at the 70-degree position, longitudinal control was maintained by wing tip-mounted elevons, and at the 20-degree position by a retractable canard arrangement. Auto-stabilisation was also to be used. By providing trimming with the canard, a large tailplane was not needed, as would have been on designs without a canard configuration.


title: Folland Gnat

text: The Fo.147 was to have been capable of speeds in excess of Mach 2, with the speed limit set by the temperature of the structure as a result of kinetic heating. It had a maximum all-up weight of , comparing well with the Gnat 5's more restrictive maximum. According to aviation author Derek Wood, the Fo.147: "would have provided a first-class flying test-bed for variable geometry theories...even a VG conversion of the standard Gnat Mk 2 fighter would have been an invaluable research tool". However, neither the Fo.147 nor its successor, the Fo.148, would be developed to the prototype stage; the RAF showed little interest in the need for a variable-geometry trainer, although it intended to procure the General Dynamics F-111K strike aircraft.


title: Folland Gnat

text: The Folland Gnat was a purpose-built light fighter aircraft, suitable as both a trainer and a combat aircraft in ground-attack and day-fighter roles. The cockpit offered many features expected in standard fighter aircraft: full pressurisation, climate control, and an ejection seat.


title: Folland Gnat

text: According to Folland, the Gnat offered advantages over conventional fighter aircraft in terms of cost, man-hours, handling, serviceability, and portability. Its tricycle landing gear let it operate from austere grass airstrips, thanks to the aircraft's low weight.


title: Folland Gnat

text: The Gnat design used a conventional metal stressed-skin structure, with extensive flush-rivetting. To reduce workload and cost, intensive fabrication methods such as machining, forging, and casting were minimised. The airframe could be constructed using simple jigs without any specialised skills or tooling. The wing (for example) could be produced at a quarter of the cost, with less than one-fifth the labour, required for the wings of other contemporary fighter aircraft. Similarly, the layout and construction techniques used allow the airframe to be rapidly disassembled into its major subsections, without the use of cranes or ladders; the Gnat was vastly easier to service than most other aircraft.


title: Folland Gnat

text: The Finnish Air Force received the first of its 13 Gnats (11 fighters and 2 photo-reconnaissance planes) on 30 July 1958. It was soon found to be a problematic aircraft in service and required a lot of ground maintenance. In early 1957 a licence agreement was reached to allow Valmet to build the Gnat at Tampere in Finland, although, in the end, none were built. On 31 July 1958, Finnish Air Force Major Lauri Pekuri, a fighter ace of the Second World War, became the first Finnish pilot to break the sound barrier while flying a Gnat at Lake Luonetjärvi.


title: Folland Gnat

text: Gnat F.1 proved initially problematic in the harsh Finnish conditions. Finland was the first operational user of Gnat F.1, and the plane still had many issues yet to be resolved. All Gnats were grounded for half a year on 26 August 1958 after the destruction of GN-102 due to a technical design error in its hydraulic system, and the aircraft soon became the subject of severe criticism. Three other aircraft were also destroyed in other accidents, with two pilots ejecting and one being killed. Once the initial problems were ironed out, the plane proved to be extremely manouevreable and had good performance in the air, but also to be very maintenance intensive. The availability of spare parts was always an issue, and its maintenance a challenge to the conscript mechanics. The Gnats were removed from active service in 1972 when the Häme Wing moved to Rovaniemi, and when the new Saab 35 Drakens were brought into use.


title: Folland Gnat

text: In September 1956 the Indian government signed a contract for the production of the aircraft and Orpheus engine in India. The first 13 aircraft for the Indian Air Force (IAF) were assembled at Hamble-le-Rice, they were followed by partly completed aircraft and then sub-assemblies as Hindustan Aircraft slowly took over first assembly, and then production of the aircraft. The first flight of an Indian Air Force Gnat was in the United Kingdom on 11 January 1958, it was delivered to India in the hold of a C-119, and accepted by the Air Force on 30 January 1958. The first Gnat squadron was the No. 23 (Cheetah), which converted from Vampire FB.52 on 18 March 1960 using six Folland-built Gnats. The first aircraft built from Indian-built parts first flew in May 1962. The last Indian-built Gnat F.1 was delivered on 31 January 1974.


title: Folland Gnat

text: The Gnat was an extremely difficult aircraft to handle in the early stages of training. Unlike the RAF, the IAF did not buy a trainer version. Inductees were brought in from Hunter aircraft squadrons, having gained experience on powered controls. They then flew dual checks on the Hunter trainer. The pilot would do a brief full throttle run on the runway before flying solo. The Gnat had a tendency to pitch up sharply on raising the undercarriage; almost all new pilots would find it difficult to control the anticipated pitch up. With sufficient experience, pilots would exploit the nimble mini-sized aircraft to its limits.


title: Folland Gnat

text: The Gnat is credited by many independent and Indian sources as having shot down seven Pakistani North American F-86 Sabres in the 1965 war. During the initial phase of the 1965 war, an IAF Gnat, piloted by Squadron Leader Brij Pal Singh Sikand, landed at an abandoned Pakistani airstrip at Pasrur and was captured by the PAF. Two Lockheed F-104 Starfighters claimed to have forced the Gnat down. Sikand — who had a complete electrical failure on his Gnat while he got separated from the IAF flight to fight a Sabre — had to make an emergency landing at the PAF field at Pasrur. This Gnat is displayed as a war trophy in the Pakistan Air Force Museum, Karachi. After the ceasefire, one Pakistani Cessna O-1 was shot down on 16 December 1965 by a Gnat.


title: Folland Gnat

text: The Gnats were used again by India in the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971. The most notable action was the Battle of Boyra where the first dogfights over East Pakistan (Bangladesh) took place. The Indian Air Force (IAF) Gnats shot down two PAF Canadair Sabres and badly damaged one. The Pakistan Air Force also claimed that one Gnat was shot down during the dogfight but however gun cameras showed that no Gnat was shot down. Another notable dogfight involving a Gnat was over Srinagar airfield where a lone Indian pilot held out against six Sabres, shooting two Sabres in the process, before being shot down. Gnat pilot Nirmal Jit Singh Sekhon was posthumously honoured with the Param Vir Chakra (India's highest gallantry award), becoming the only member of the IAF to be given the award.


title: Folland Gnat

text: By the end of 1971, the Gnat proved to be a frustrating opponent for the larger, heavier and older Sabre. The Gnat was referred to as a "Sabre Slayer" by the IAF since most of its combat "kills" during the two wars were against Sabres despite the Canadair Sabre Mk 6 being widely regarded as the best dogfighter of its era. Tactics called for Gnats taking on the Sabres in the vertical arena, where the Sabres were at a disadvantage. As the Gnat was lightweight and compact in shape, it was hard to see, especially at the low levels where most dogfights took place. Apart from air defence operations, in the Bangladesh Liberation War, Gnats flew anti-shipping operations, ground attack, bomber/transport escort and close air support operations.


title: Folland Gnat

text: The IAF was impressed by the Gnat's performance in the two wars but the aircraft had many technical problems including hydraulics, a temperamental pair of Aden 30 mm cannons which often failed in-flight, significant 'bent thrust' on take-off, leading to many aborted take-offs and an unreliable control system. To address these failings, the IAF issued a requirement for an improved "Gnat II" in 1972, at first specifying that the new version was to be optimised as an interceptor but then expanding the specification to include ground-attack. Over 175 of the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited-built licensed version, the Ajeet ("Unconquerable"), were produced in Bangalore. Several Gnats remain in use in private hands. Some IAF Gnats, one of which had participated in the 1971 war in East Pakistan (now Bangladesh), were presented to the Bangladesh Air Force.


title: Folland Gnat

text: The first production Gnat T.1s for the Royal Air Force were delivered in February 1962 to the Central Flying School at RAF Little Rissington. The major operator of the type was 4 Flying Training School at RAF Valley, the first aircraft being delivered in November 1962. In 1964 4 FTS formed the Yellowjacks aerobatic team with all-yellow painted Gnats. The team reformed in 1965 as part of the Central Flying School as the Red Arrows which operated the Gnat until 1979 as the RAF aerobatic demonstration team. On 14 May 1965 the last Royal Air Force Gnat T.1 to be built was delivered to the Red Arrows.


title: Folland Gnat

text: Once pilots graduated from basic training on the BAC Jet Provost and gained their wings they were selected for one of three streams: fast jet, multi-engined, or helicopter. Those selected for fast jets were posted to RAF Valley for advanced training on the Gnat T.1, typically 70 hours of flying. Students would then move on to operational training using the Hawker Hunter, followed by a posting to an operational conversion unit for the type of aircraft to be flown.


title: Folland Gnat

text: Following the introduction of the Hawker Siddeley Hawk into the training role as a replacement the Gnats were withdrawn from service. The largest operator 4 FTS retired its last Gnat in November 1978. Most of the retired Gnats were delivered to No. 1 School of Technical Training at RAF Halton and other training establishments to be used as ground training airframes. When the RAF had no need for the Gnats as training airframes they were sold off. Many were bought by private operators and a number are still flying today.


title: Folland Gnat

text: Yugoslavia ordered two Gnat F.1s for evaluation; the first aircraft flew on 7 June 1958 and both were delivered to Yugoslavia by rail. The aircraft were flown by the flight test centre but no further aircraft were ordered. One aircraft was destroyed in a crash in October 1958 while the other is preserved and on display in Serbia.


title: Folland Gnat

text: Several Gnats survive including some airworthy examples (particularly in the United States and the United Kingdom) and others on public display.


title: Folland Gnat

text: The Gnat portrayed the fictional carrier-based "Oscar EW-5894 Phallus Tactical Fighter Bomber" flown by US Navy pilots in the 1991 comedy "Hot Shots!".


title: Canoe

text: A canoe is a lightweight narrow water vessel, typically pointed at both ends and open on top, propelled by one or more seated or kneeling paddlers facing the direction of travel and using a single-bladed paddle.


title: Canoe

text: In British English, the term "canoe" can also refer to a kayak, while canoes are called Canadian or open canoes to distinguish them from kayaks.


title: Canoe

text: Canoes were developed by cultures all over the world, including some designed for use with sails or outriggers. Until the mid-19th century, the canoe was an important means of transport for exploration and trade, and in some places is still used as such, sometimes with the addition of an outboard motor. Where the canoe played a key role in history, such as the Northern United States, Canada, and New Zealand, it remains an important theme in popular culture.


title: Canoe

text: Canoes are now widely used for competition and pleasure, such as racing, whitewater, touring and camping, freestyle and general recreation. Canoeing has been part of the Olympics since 1936. The intended use of the canoe dictates its hull shape, length, and construction material. Historically, canoes were dugouts or made of bark on a wood frame, but construction materials evolved to canvas on a wood frame, then to aluminum. Most modern canoes are made of molded plastic or composites such as fiberglass or those incorporating kevlar, or graphite.


title: Canoe

text: The word "canoe" came into English from the Spanish/Portuguese word "canoa". They in turn had adopted the word from the Arawakan languages of the Caribbean for a dugout canoe, "kanawa".


title: Canoe

text: Many peoples made dugout canoes, by carving out a single piece of wood; either a whole trunk, or a slab of trunk from particularly large trees.


title: Canoe

text: Constructed between 8200 and 7600 BC, and found in the Netherlands, the Pesse canoe may be the oldest known canoe. Excavations in Denmark reveal the use of dugouts and paddles during the Ertebølle period, (c. 5300–3950 BC).


title: Canoe

text: One of the oldest canoes in the world is the Dufuna canoe in Nigeria. It is the oldest boat to be discovered in Africa, and the third oldest known worldwide. The canoe is currently in Damaturu, the Yobe State capital.


title: Canoe

text: Canoes have also played a vital role in the colonisation of the Pre-Columbian Caribbean as they represented the only possibility of reaching the Caribbean Islands from mainland South America. Around 3500 BC ancient Amerindian groups colonised the first Caribbean Islands using single-hulled canoes. Only a very few Pre-Columbian Caribbean canoes have been found. There are several families of trees that could have been used to construct Caribbean canoes. These include woods of the mahogany family (Meliaceae) such as the Cuban mahogany ("Swietenia mahagoni"), that can reach heights of 30–35 m and the red cedar ("Cedrela odorata"), that can grow up to 60 m in height., as well as the "ceiba" genus (Malvacae), such as "Ceiba pentandra", than can grow up to 60–70 m tall. It is likely that these canoes were built in a variety of sizes. Ranging from fishing canoes, holding one or a few individuals, to larger ones able to carry as many as a few dozen people that could have being used to reach the Caribbean Islands from the mainland. Reports by historical chroniclers claim to have witnessed a canoe "containing 40 to 50 Caribs [...] when it came out to trade with a visiting English ship". There is still much dispute regarding the use of sails in Caribbean canoes. Some archaeologists doubt that oceanic transportation would have been possible without the use of sails, as winds and currents would have carried the canoes off course. However, no evidence of a sail or a Caribbean canoe that could have made use of a sail has been found. Furthermore, no historical sources mention Caribbean canoes with sails. One possibility could be that canoes with sails were initially used in the Caribbean but later abandoned before European contact. This, however, seems unlikely, as long-distance trade continued in the Caribbean even after the prehistoric colonisation of the islands. Hence, it is likely that early Caribbean colonists made use of canoes without sails.


title: Canoe

text: Native American groups of the north Pacific coast made dugout canoes in a number of styles for different purposes, from western red-cedar ("Thuja plicata") or yellow-cedar ("Chamaecyparis nootkatensis"), depending on availability. Different styles were required for ocean-going vessels versus river boats, and for whale-hunting versus seal-hunting versus salmon-fishing. The Quinault of Washington State built shovel-nose canoes, with double bows, for river travel that could slide over a logjam without needing to be potaged. The Kootenai of British Columbia province made sturgeon-nosed canoes from pine bark, designed to be stable in windy conditions on Kootenay Lake. In recent years First Nations in British Columbia and Washington State have been revitalizing the ocean-going canoe tradition. Beginning in the 1980s, the Heiltsuk and Haida were early leaders in this movement. The paddle to Expo 86 in Vancouver by the Heiltsuk, and the 1989 Paddle to Seattle were early instances of this. In 1993 a large number of canoes paddled from up and down the coast to Bella Bella in its first canoe festival – 'Qatuwas. The revitalization continued – and Tribal Journeys began with trips to various communities held in most years.


title: Canoe

text: Australian Aboriginal people made canoes from hollowed out tree trunks, as well as from tree bark. The indigenous people of the Amazon commonly used Hymenaea (Fabaceae) trees.


title: Canoe

text: Some Australian Aboriginal peoples made bark canoes. They could only be made from the bark of certain trees (usually red gum or box gum) and during summer. After cutting the outline of the required size and shape, a digging stick was used to cut through the bark to the hardwood, and the bark was then slowly prised out using numerous smaller sticks. The slab of bark was held in place by branches or hand-woven rope, and after separation from the tree, lowered to the ground and small fires lit on the inside of the bark. This would cause the bark to dry out and curl upwards, after which the ends could be pulled together and stitched with hemp and plugged with mud. It was then allowed to mature, with frequent applications of grease and ochre. The remaining tree was later dubbed a canoe tree by Europeans. Because of the porosity of the bark, they did not last too long (about two years), and were mainly used for fishing or crossing rivers or lakes rather than long journeys. They were usually propelled by punting with a long stick. Another type of bark canoe was made out of a type of stringybark gum known as Messmate stringybark ("Eucalyptus obliqua"), where the bark was pleated and tied at each end, with a framework of cross-ties and ribs. This type was known as a pleated or tied bark canoe. Bark strips could also be sewn together to make larger canoes, known as sewn bark canoes.


title: Canoe

text: Many indigenous peoples of the Americas built bark canoes. They were usually skinned with birch bark over a light wooden frame, but other types could be used if birch was scarce. At a typical length of and weight of , the canoes were light enough to be portaged, yet could carry a lot of cargo, even in shallow water. Although susceptible to damage from rocks, they are easily repaired. Their performance qualities were soon recognized by early European settler colonials, and canoes played a key role in the exploration of North America, with Samuel de Champlain canoeing as far as the Georgian Bay in 1615.


title: Canoe

text: In 1603 a canoe was brought to Sir Robert Cecil's house in London and rowed on the Thames by Virginian Indians from Tsenacommacah. In 1643 David Pietersz. de Vries recorded a Mohawk canoe in Dutch possession at Rensselaerswyck capable of transporting 225 bushels of maize. René de Bréhant de Galinée, a French missionary who explored the Great Lakes in 1669, declared: "The convenience of these canoes is great in these waters, full of cataracts or waterfalls, and rapids through which it is impossible to take any boat. When you reach them you load canoe and baggage upon your shoulders and go overland until the navigation is good; and then you put your canoe back into the water, and embark again. American painter, author and traveler George Catlin wrote that the bark canoe was "the most beautiful and light model of all the water crafts that ever were invented".


title: Canoe

text: The first explorer to cross the North American continent, Alexander Mackenzie, used canoes extensively, as did David Thompson and the Lewis and Clark Expedition.


title: Canoe

text: The birch bark canoe was used in a supply route from Montreal to the Pacific Ocean and the Mackenzie River, and continued to be used up to the end of the 19th century.


title: Canoe

text: The indigenous peoples of eastern Canada and the northeast United States made canoes using the bark of the paper birch, which was harvested in early spring by stripping off the bark in one piece, using wooden wedges. Next, the two ends (stem and stern) were sewn together and made watertight with the pitch of balsam fir. The ribs of the canoe, called verons in Canadian French, were made of white cedar, and the hull, ribs, and thwarts were fastened using watap, a binding usually made from the roots of various species of conifers, such as the white spruce, black spruce, or cedar, and caulked with pitch.


title: Canoe

text: Skin canoes are constructed using animal skins stretched over a framework. Examples include the kayak and umiak.


title: Canoe

text: In 19th-century North America, the birch-on-frame construction technique evolved into the wood-and-canvas canoes made by fastening an external waterproofed canvas shell to planks and ribs by boat builders such as Old Town Canoe, E. M. White Canoe, Peterborough Canoe Company and at the Chestnut Canoe Company in New Brunswick. While similar to bark canoes in the use of ribs, and a waterproof covering, the construction method is different, being built by bending ribs over a solid mold. Once removed from the mold, the decks, thwarts and seats are installed, and canvas is stretched tightly over the hull. The canvas is then treated with a combination of varnishes and paints to render it more durable and watertight.


title: Canoe

text: Although canoes were once primarily a means of transport, with industrialization they became popular as recreational or sporting watercraft. John MacGregor popularized canoeing through his books, and in 1866 founded the Royal Canoe Club in London and in 1880 the American Canoe Association. The Canadian Canoe Association was founded in 1900, and the British Canoe Union in 1936.


title: Canoe

text: Sprint canoe was a demonstration sport at the 1924 Paris Olympics and became an Olympic discipline at the 1936 Berlin Olympics. The International Canoe Federation was formed in 1946 and is the umbrella organization of all national canoe organizations worldwide.


title: Canoe

text: Hull design must meet different, often conflicting, requirements for speed, carrying capacity, maneuverability, and stability The canoe's hull speed can be calculated using the principles of ship resistance and propulsion.


title: Canoe

text: Royalex is a composite material, comprising an outer layer of vinyl and hard acrylonitrile butadiene styrene plastic (ABS) and an inner layer of ABS foam, bonded by heat treatment. As a canoe material, Royalex is lighter, more resistant to UV damage, is more rigid, and has greater structural memory than non-composite plastics such as polyethylene. Royalex canoes are, however, more expensive than aluminium canoes or canoes made from traditionally molded or roto-molded polyethylene hulls. It is heavier, and less suited for high-performance paddling than fiber-reinforced composites, such as fiberglass, kevlar, or graphite. Roto-molded polyethylene is a cheaper alternative to Royalex. Production of Royalex ceased in 2014.


title: Canoe

text: Inflatable: These contain no rigid frame members and can be deflated, folded, and stored in a bag. The more durable types consist of an abrasion-resistant nylon or rubber outer shell, with separate PVC air chambers for the two side tubes and the floor.


title: Canoe

text: Modern canoes are generally constructed by layering a fiber material inside a "female" mold. Fiberglass is the most common material used in manufacturing canoes. Fiberglass is not expensive, can be molded to any shape, and is easy to repair. Kevlar is popular with paddlers looking for a light, durable boat that will not be taken in whitewater. Fiberglass and Kevlar are strong but lack rigidity. Carbon fiber is used in racing canoes to create a very light, rigid construction usually combined with Kevlar for durability. Boats are built by draping the cloth in a mold, then impregnating it with a liquid resin. Optionally, a vacuum process can be used to remove excess resin to reduce weight.


title: Canoe

text: With stitch and glue, plywood panels are stitched together to form a hull shape, and the seams are reinforced with fiber reinforced composites and varnished.


title: Canoe

text: A cedar strip canoe is essentially a composite canoe with a cedar core. Usually fiberglass is used to reinforce the canoe since it is clear and allows a view of the cedar.


title: Canoe

text: Before the invention of fiberglass, this was the standard choice for whitewater canoeing. It is good value and very strong by weight. This material was once more popular but is being replaced by modern lighter materials. "It is tough, durable, and will take being dragged over the bottom very well", as it has no gel or polymer outer coating which would make it subject to abrasion. The hull does not degrade from long term exposure to sunlight, and "extremes of hot and cold do not affect the material". It can dent, is difficult to repair, is noisy, can get stuck on underwater objects, and requires buoyancy chambers to assist in keeping the canoe afloat in a capsize.


title: Canoe

text: In Canada, the canoe has been a theme in history and folklore, and is a symbol of Canadian identity. From 1935 to 1986 the Canadian silver dollar depicted a canoe with the Northern Lights in the background.


title: Canoe

text: The Chasse-galerie is a French-Canadian tale of voyageurs who, after a night of heavy drinking on New Year's Eve at a remote timber camp want to visit their sweethearts some 100 leagues (about 400 km) away. Since they have to be back in time for work the next morning they make a pact with the devil. Their canoe will fly through the air, on condition that they not mention God's name or touch the cross of any church steeple as they fly by in the canoe. One version of this fable ends with the coup de grâce when, still high in the sky, the voyageurs complete the hazardous journey but the canoe overturns, so the devil can honour the pact to deliver the voyageurs and still claim their souls.


title: Canoe

text: In John Steinbeck's novella "The Pearl" set in Mexico, the main character's canoe is a means of making a living that has been passed down for generations and represents a link to cultural tradition.


title: Canoe

text: The Māori, indigenous Polynesian people arrived in New Zealand in several waves of canoe (called waka) voyages. Canoe traditions are important to the identity of Māori. Whakapapa (genealogical links) back to the crew of founding canoes served to establish the origins of tribes, and defined tribal boundaries and relationships.


title: Canoe

text: Modern canoe types are usually categorized by the intended use. Many modern canoe designs are hybrids (a combination of two or more designs, meant for multiple uses). The purpose of the canoe will also often determine the materials used. Most canoes are designed for either one person (solo) or two people (tandem), but some are designed for more than two people.


title: Canoe

text: Sprint canoe is also known as flatwater racing. The paddler kneels on one knee, and uses a single-blade paddle. Canoes have no rudder, so the boat must be steered by the athlete's paddle using a j-stroke. Canoes may be entirely open or be partly covered. The minimum length of the opening on a C1 is . Boats are long and streamlined with a narrow beam, which makes them very unstable. A C4 can be up to long and weigh . ICF classes include C1 (solo), C2 (crew of two), and C4 (crew of four). Race distances at the 2012 Olympic Games were 200 and 1000 meters.


title: Canoe

text: In ICF whitewater slalom paddlers negotiate their way down a of whitewater rapids, through a series of up to 25 gates (pairs of hanging poles). The colour of the poles indicates the direction in which the paddlers must pass through; time penalties are assessed for striking poles or missing gates. Categories are C1 (solo) and C2 (tandem), the latter for two men, and C2M (mixed) for one woman and one man. C1 boats must have a minimum weight and width of and and be not more than long. C2s must have a minimum weight and width of and , and be not more that . Rudders are prohibited. Canoes are decked and propelled by single-bladed paddles, and the competitor must kneel.


title: Canoe

text: In ICF wildwater canoeing athletes paddle a course of class III to IV whitewater (using the International Scale of River Difficulty), passing over waves, holes and rocks of a natural riverbed in events lasting either 20–30 minutes ("Classic" races) or 2–3 minutes ("Sprint" races). Categories are C1 and C2, for both women and men. C1s must have a minimum weight and width of and , and a maximum length of . C2s must have a minimum weight and width of and , and a maximum length of . Rudders are prohibited. The canoes are decked boats which must be propelled by single bladed paddles and inside which the paddler kneels.


title: Canoe

text: Marathons are long-distance races which may include portages. Under ICF rules minimum canoe weight is for C1 and C2 respectively. Other rules can vary by race, for example in the Classique Internationale de Canots de la Mauricie athletes race in C2s, with a maximum length of , minimum width of at from the bottom of the centre of the craft, minimum height of at the bow and at the centre and stern. The Texas Water Safari, at , includes an open class, the only rule being the vessel must be human-powered, and although novel setups have been tried, the fastest so far has been the six-man canoe.


title: Canoe

text: A "touring" or "tripping" canoe is a boat for traveling on lakes and or rivers with capacity for camping gear. Tripping canoes such as the Chestnut Prospector and Old Town Tripper derivates are touring canoes for wilderness trips. They are typically made of heavier and tougher materials and designed with the ability to carry large amounts of gear while being maneuverable enough for rivers with some whitewater. Prospector is now a generic name for derivates of the Chestnut model, a popular type of wilderness tripping canoe marked by a shallow arch hull with a relatively large amount of rocker, giving a nice balance for wilderness tripping over lakes and rivers with some rapids.


title: Canoe

text: A touring canoe is sometimes covered with a greatly extended deck, forming a "cockpit" for the paddlers. A cockpit has the advantage that the gunwales can be made lower and narrower so the paddler can reach the water more easily.


title: Canoe

text: A canoe specialized for whitewater play and tricks. Most are identical to short, flat-bottomed kayak playboats except for internal outfitting. The paddler kneels and uses a single-blade canoe paddle. Playboating is a discipline of whitewater canoeing where the paddler performs various technical moves in one place (a playspot), as opposed to downriver where the objective is to travel the length of a section of river (although whitewater canoeists will often stop and play en route). Specialized canoes known as playboats can be used.


title: Canoe

text: A square-stern canoe is an asymmetrical canoe with a squared-off stern for the mounting of an outboard motor, and is meant for lake travel or fishing. Since mounting a rudder on the square stern is very easy, such canoes often are adapted for sailing.


title: Canoe

text: A canoe launch is a place for launching canoes, similar to a boat launch which is often for launching larger watercraft. Canoe launches are frequently on river banks or beaches. Canoe launches may be designated on maps of places such as parks or nature reserves.


title: Frankie Bridge

text: Francesca Bridge ( Sandford, born 14 January 1989) is an English singer, formerly a member of S Club Juniors and a member of girl group The Saturdays. She is signed to Fascination and Polydor labels. Bridge began her career when she auditioned for Simon Fuller's reality television competition "S Club Search" in 2001, broadcast on CBBC. She successfully auditioned and won a place in the pop group S Club Juniors. Bridge and the rest of the group then starred in their own reality TV show "S Club Junior: The Story". Together with the band, Bridge successfully released seven singles and two albums. Whilst in the group, she made an appearance in S Club 7's TV show "Viva S Club". The group then began featuring in their own children's musical television programme "I Dream". Bridge played a main role in the show and went onto release the duet single "Dreaming" along with fellow S Club 8 member Calvin Goldspink.


title: Frankie Bridge

text: In 2007, Bridge went on to successfully audition for the girlband The Saturdays. The group were immediately signed to Polydor and Fascination Records and later gained a record deal with Geffen Records after having huge success in the United Kingdom. Bridge and the rest of the group later signed a deal with Island Def Jam and Mercury worth US$1.5 million to distribute their music in the US, which led to her first UK number-one single "What About Us". Throughout Bridge's time in the music industry, she has achieved 19 UK top-ten singles and six UK top-ten albums. In late 2017, Bridge decided to pursue a solo career in music, signing a record deal with both Polydor and Fascination Records, the labels Bridge has been signed to since she was 11 years old. Her debut solo album was expected to be released in 2019, however it was shelved so Bridge could focus on motherhood. Bridge's 16 years in the music industry has led her to sell an estimated 10 million records worldwide.


title: Frankie Bridge

text: Bridge gained higher prominence as a style icon in the UK, and her signature style short hair started a trend around the UK. She has had a successful career in television as well as performing, she has been a part of two reality television series of her own: "" and "Chasing the Saturdays". She was also involved in "Ghosthunting With... The Saturdays" in 2010. In 2014, Bridge took part in the twelfth series of "Strictly Come Dancing" where she was the runner-up of the series, and in 2017 she began presenting "Cannonball". She has been married to footballer Wayne Bridge since 2014, and together, the couple have two sons. As of 2021, Bridge's net worth stands at £11 million, the highest of all the members of The Saturdays. In November 2021, Bridge was a contestant on the twenty-first series of "I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here!" and finished in third place.


title: Frankie Bridge

text: Bridge was born in Upminster, Essex, on 14 January 1989. According to Bridge, her parents are very "sporty" and she would hate Sundays due to them making her do sport, therefore Bridge began taking dance lessons from the age of three at her local Community centre. Bridge auditioned for Colins Performing Arts, a drama school in Romford, and sang a song from "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat", which she practised daily with the school choir. She was successful in receiving a place at the school. Bridge was inspired to audition for the school after seeing future bandmate, Rochelle Humes perform at the opening evening. Bridge began auditioning for roles in television shows and adverts when she was just nine years old, and although she did well and often making the final, she didn't receive any parts she auditioned for and began questioning whether or not she was good enough, and therefore began taking an extra two private acting lessons a week. She has a sister.


title: Frankie Bridge

text: In her early teens she won a contest for her performance of "Macavity" from the musical, "Cats" and her mother taught her the song, choreographed the routine and made her outfit. In The Saturday's book "", Bridge revealed she was very poor at Mathematics in school and her school report revealed she was well behaved as a child and would only receive detention for forgetting homework.


title: Frankie Bridge

text: Bridge previously worked in a bar in her local town during the week and had a Saturday job as a sales assistant at an AllSaints concession in House of Fraser, Lakeside Shopping Centre, Essex. From a young age Bridge suffered from severe depression. Bridge studied dance in her after-school hours. and enrolled at a stage school near Romford to study musical arts. Her grandmother would call her 'Sunshine and Showers' because of her very upbeat personality when she is happy and very down personality when she is sad. Following the death of her grandmother, Bridge got the words tattooed onto the bottom of her neck.


title: Frankie Bridge

text: S Club Juniors were formed in 2001 through a reality television show, "S Club Search". The auditions were aired on children's television channel, CBBC. The concept of the show was to find a spin-off S Club 7. The show documents the auditions and formation of the group, with S Club 7 as the judges of the show. The winning individuals of the show would be guaranteed a place in the spin-off group. Although, the group were originally formed to only perform and support S Club 7 at Wembley Arena date of their "Carnival Tour", S Club Juniors' appearance was considered a success and consequently 19 Entertainment, the management company that had created S Club 7 and auditioned S Club Juniors, decided they should perform as the support act at all of the venues on the tour. The group made their debut television appearance as a group on "Children in Need" in November 2001. By the time the group had finished touring with S Club 7, they had earned a substantial following and with the encouragement of 19, Polydor Records signed the group. They released their first single "One Step Closer" in April 2002, the group promoted the single by featuring in a four episode television special "S Club Junior: The Story", aired on BBC. The song went head-to-head in a chart battle with the Sugababes' comeback single "Freak like Me". Eventually, the song debuted at number two in the UK, though the group were predicted to chart at number-one in the midweek sales, but dipped over the weekend selling roughly 73,000 copies in the first week, compared to the Sugababes' 85,000 copies. "Automatic High" was released as the second single from the band's first studio album, the single also reached number two in the UK charts selling 52,000 copies, and spent eight weeks inside the UK top 75. The group began working on their debut studio album in June 2002; working with Cathy Dennis, Carole King, Gerry Goffin Tracy Ackerman, Hannah Robinson and Mikkel S. Eriksen (of Stargate). Bridge was the only member of the band to get a solo in every chorus of the song. A third single was released from the album, "New Direction" and again charted at number two in the UK. The Juniors released their debut album "Together" (2002) on 21 October; it reached number five in its first week of sale and sold 40,000 copies. A fourth single, "Puppy Love/Sleigh Ride", was released in December 2002. The song was also featured in the soundtrack for film "Love Actually".


title: Frankie Bridge

text: The group announced their first headlining concert tour, "S Club United: The Tour"; the group would co-headline the tour with original band, S Club 7. Where the group opened their setlist with the song "I Come Alive". It was on tour the band announced they would be changing their name from S Club Juniors to S Club 8, due to members of the group getting older. On tour the band added two new songs to the setlist of their tour; "Fool No More" and "Sundown". "Fool No More" was revealed as the group's fifth single, released in June 2003, debuting at number four on the UK Singles Chart selling 26,000 copies in the singles first week. "Sundown" was announced as the second single from the album in September 2003 and the track became the band's sixth top-ten single, selling roughly 40,000 copies in its first week. "Sundown" (2003) was unveiled as the album's title in September and the album was released in early October 2003. "Sundown" reached number 13 in the UK charts, falling to number 40 in the second week. Despite selling a total of 60,000 copies in the UK and 315,859 worldwide, the record company perceived the album as a failure. A third and final single was released, "Don't Tell Me You're Sorry", which charted at number 11. The group went onto star in children's television show, "I Dream" for 19 Entertainment; where the group played "exaggerated versions" of themselves. They used their own names to play the characters in the show; Simon Fuller hoped this would increase the audience, seeing the life of S Club 8. Each episode of the show includes several (usually two or more) songs and dance numbers involving both members and non-members of the band. Cast member George Wood called the show "a modern day Fame". During this time, the band recorded the soundtrack to the show "Welcome to Avalon Heights". The band announced their split in 2005.


title: Frankie Bridge

text: Since 2007, Bridge was a member of girl group The Saturdays. The group has achieved thirteen Top 10 hits, and five Top 10 albums. The Saturdays were formed in June 2007 after auditions were held to find members for the group. The group was put together through the record label Fascination Records, who gave them an instant record deal as well as a sub-division of Polydor Records. Bridge, who was recently signed to the label through her previous band, S Club Juniors. She received a call from executives of the label asking her to audition for the group. Bridge was honourable in auditioning for the band and earned a place in the group along with Vanessa White, Mollie King, Una Healy and former S Club 8 colleague Rochelle Humes.


title: Frankie Bridge

text: The girl group released their debut single "If This Is Love" in July 2008, and it peaked at number eight in the UK. The group released a second single "Up" which charted at number five in the UK and later the song was given a Silver Disc in the United Kingdom. In late October 2008, the group released their first studio album "Chasing Lights". It charted at number nine in the UK, and went platinum according to the BPI. The band released a third single from the album, "Issues", which also went silver. The Saturdays released a cover of "Just Can't Get Enough" by Depeche Mode. The song debuted at number two in the UK, behind Flo Rida's "Right Round". The fifth and final single from the album was "Work", which was the first single by the group to fail to reach the top 20. The group later went on a tour titled "The Work Tour". In October 2009, the group released a second studio album, "Wordshaker", which charted at number nine and was given a silver certification by the BPI. The first single, "Forever Is Over", charted at number two in the UK. The Saturdays appeared in advertisements for several products including a brand of deodorant, tampons, mobile phones, an operating system, and hair removal products. In early 2010, they released a second and final single from "Wordshaker", "Ego", which charted at number nine, the single gained a certification of silver by the BPI.


title: Frankie Bridge

text: In Summer 2010, The Saturdays released their first mini album (their third album overall) "Headlines!", which charted at number 3 in the UK and number 10 in Ireland. The band released their eighth single, "Missing You", which charted at number three in the UK and number six in Ireland. Rochelle Wiseman confirmed that the second single from the album would be "Higher" It was later confirmed, by the band's official website that Flo Rida had recorded vocals for "Higher". "On Your Radar" was the girls' third studio album, reaching a disappointing number 23 in the UK and spending only three weeks in the UK Top 75, but featured the top-ten hits, "All Fired Up" and "Notorious" as well as single, "My Heart Takes Over". In December 2011, the group went on their first headlining arena tour, "All Fired Up Tour!" The band released their first single taken from their fourth studio album "30 Days" in May 2012, which peaked at number seven. Later in the year, they temporarily moved from London to Los Angeles in hope to break America. Helping increase their single sales in America, E! Network broadcast "Chasing The Saturdays", a reality TV show following the girls during their three-month stay in America. The show premiered in January 2013, and was cancelled after one series. The band released "What About Us" (featuring rapper Sean Paul) in March 2013, which became their first number one single and was the biggest selling single of the year (at that point). Later on in the year, "Gentleman" and "Disco Love" were released; with both of them charting in the top 15. Their album "Living for the Weekend" became the band's fourth top ten album. The final single taken from the album was a fan favourite. The radio mix of "Not Giving Up" was released in April 2014 and was their seventeenth top 40 single. The band went on hiatus in 2014, and released a greatest hits album "" the same year. The only single released from the album, "What Are You Waiting For?" charted at number thirty-seven, making it their lowest-charting single to date.


title: Frankie Bridge

text: Bridge became the ambassador for the mental health charity Mind in 2016. Later in the year, Bridge also became the ambassador for Marie Curie. Bridge designed a range of cosmetics to raise money and awareness for the charity. It was announced that her cosmetics line would be sold through Superdrug. Bridge managed to raise £430,000, the equivalent to nearly 21,500 hours of nursing care by Marie Curie. In 2016, Bridge signed a deal with Channel 5 Documentaries to present a number of different documentaries in the UK. Bridge presented "Celebrity Trolls: We're Coming to Get You" and "Celebrity Trolls with Frankie Bridge" in 2017. Bridge and her team of investigators track down people who sent abusive messages to celebrities online, including Nicola McLean and Sam Bailey. The documentary saw Bridge track down the trolls and confront them about the messages they have been sending. Bridge also met with a family who were sent awful messages after their son went missing, and it made viewers on Twitter absolutely furious about the messages the family were receiving. Bridge decided to do the show after she received death threats through social media after splitting up with previous partner Dougie Poynter. In September 2017, Bridge took part in television show "Married to a Celebrity", where she appeared with her husband Wayne Bridge.


title: Frankie Bridge

text: Bridge's first attempt at a solo career was in 2004, when she released a duet with Calvin Goldspink with the song "Dreaming" which was a moderate hit in the UK. Bridge then featured on Kids in Glass Houses' second studio album, "Dirt" (2010) on the track "Undercover Love". Bridge revealed the songs that she had previously recorded and co-wrote, "Swallow" and "Bored" would be re-recorded for the album. It was revealed that she would be collaborating with The Saturdays long time producer Steve Mac. It is speculated that Bridge would work with Flo Rida after he revealed he would like to work with Bridge as a solo artist after their collaboration on "Higher". In September 2017, Bridge became a co-presenter on ITV gameshow "Cannonball" along with Freddie Flintoff, Maya Jama, Ryan Hand and Radzi Chinyanganya, filming in Valletta, Malta. It was announced that Bridge would remained signed to Polydor and Fascination Records for her debut solo album, the labels she has been signed to from eleven-years-old. Bridge plans to record pop-dance album, taking influences from Rihanna, Taylor Swift and Rita Ora. Producer, Marshmello announced he was working with Bridge in the studio. Bridge revealed her debut solo album had been shelved to focus on motherhood and writing.


title: Frankie Bridge

text: On 22 September 2004, "I Dream", a children's musical television comedy programme aimed at and about teenagers, was broadcast. Set at a performing arts college near Barcelona, Spain, the programme focused on thirteen teens, including Bridge, invited to enroll at Avalon Heightsover the summer. Hollywood actor Christopher Lloyd also starred in the show. The programme was created by Simon Fuller who is responsible for the "Idol series." In late 2008, Bridge appeared in late-night teen soap "Hollyoaks Later", where she was credited as herself. The Saturdays were given their own reality TV series "", which followed the band during their day-to-day life promoting their new album [at the time] "Headlines!". The programme was sponsored by watchmakers Sekonda. The programme also featured exclusive performances by Bridge and her bandmates.


title: Frankie Bridge

text: In November 2008, along with The Saturdays, Bridge appeared in the Channel 4 "Hollyoaks" spin-off "Hollyoaks Later". They performed the song "Issues" in the 10-minute BBC drama "Myths" in January 2009, in the episode 'A Syren's Call'.


title: Frankie Bridge

text: Commenting on rumours about tension in The Saturdays, Bridge said, "You always see in the papers, that me and girls are always arguing, we really don't and there is no bitching at all." In the first episode of "The Saturdays: 24/7" the band were shown gigging around the UK, without King, after she was taken ill after being bitten by a horse-fly and Bridge had to learn new lines of their song "If This Is Love" after she stated she didn't know all the song's lines. On 8 November 2010, Bridge took part in the paranormal television programme "Ghosthunting with...", where she appeared with her bandmates. On the programme, the band investigated purported paranormal activity accompanied by host Yvette Fielding, who took them to visit three locations within the Welsh mountains: the clock tower, the manor and the kitchen block. In each of these areas, there have been countless reports of strange phenomena including the sounds of chatter coming from empty rooms, cooking smells coming from an empty kitchen, and reported ghostly sightings. During the time in the first location, Bridge said that she could smell someone cooking, although no one was in the kitchen. She also experienced a ghost throwing marbles at her, when there was no one there. When she was about to leave the haunted location the spirit of the little girl apparently threw marbles at them. In 2010, Bridge appeared in ITV reality series "The Door" where she had to pass through a series of doors and take on a number of tough challenges. The last star standing claims a cash prize for their chosen charity. Bridge was the first celebrity to be eliminated from the show after she could not put her hand in a bowl of spiders to get the key to the door to pass through to the next level. Bridge commented, "It's funny because I know when I watch it that I'll look like I hate every second of it but I absolutely loved it. I wanted it to keep going." Bridge was in talks to become a judge on "The X Factor" after Cheryl Cole left the panel following the 2011 series. She was later judged not to have a "high enough profile". Bridge also declined to appear on rival BBC talent show "The Voice UK" due to her "busy schedule". On 13 August 2014, Bridge announced on "BBC Breakfast" that she would be competing in the twelfth series of "Strictly Come Dancing" that would begin in September 2014. Her dance partner was Kevin Clifton. Bridge and Clifton placed runner-up in the final, along with Simon Webbe and Kristina Rihanoff. She became a co-presenter on ITV game show "Cannonball" alongside Freddie Flintoff, Maya Jama, Ryan Hand and Radzi Chinyanganya in September 2017. In January 2018, Frankie participated in And They're Off! in aid of Sport Relief. On 10 December 2020, Bridge appeared as a guest panellist on the popular ITV daytime show Loose Women. Frankie was confirmed to be a full-time panellist on 9 February 2021. In 2021, Bridge was announced as a contestant on the twenty-first series of "I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here!". She reached the final and finished in third place.


title: Frankie Bridge

text: Bridge contributed to the book "", an autobiography of The Saturdays that was released on 25 October 2010. The book was written by a ghostwriter and published by the Transworld imprint Bantam Press. Bridge and her band also began a book signing on at WHSmith in Bluewater. The book gives an insight into Bridge's life, where she explains her success with The Saturdays as well as her ex-band S Club 8. She talks about her love life, her friendships within the band and personal insight into her life before finding fame. Bridge also gives fashion and beauty tips throughout the book and gossip accompanied by photos from her own collection.


title: Frankie Bridge

text: As a member of The Saturdays, Bridge became the new face of hair removal product, Veet. In the photoshoot to promote Veet's new collection, the band models a range of micro mini-skirts and body con dresses to show off their hair-free legs. They also later became the new faces of Impulse women's deodorant. The band recorded a television ad dubbed The Impulse Diaries. The TV content, which involves a sponsorship package on Channel 4, will show the girls in various settings including a hotel room, a tour bus and backstage before a gig. This first aired on 23 October. The Saturdays also became the face of "Nintendo 3DS" game, "Nintendogs + Cats", for which the band recorded a number of TV adverts to promote.


title: Frankie Bridge

text: Bridge gained a record deal in 2002 with S Club Juniors and the band released their debut single, "One Step Closer", in which she sings the solo parts in every chorus and backing vocals in the end of the song. All of the band's songs were pop-based music. After the band split up, she remained signed to Polydor Records and uploaded a R&B song titled "Bored" onto MySpace. She later uploaded another track titled "Swallow" which was a pop rock song. She later became a member of The Saturdays and recorded a song titled "If This Is Love", featuring elements of synthpop and new wave. Bridge's style has also been described by music critics as "obligatory fluffy summery pop", "pure uplifting pop", "an 80's throwback" and "an electro-soul number". In 2010, she went on to release another solo song with Kids in Glass Houses called "Undercover Love", which was released from their 2010 album "Dirt". She later released a new song with The Saturdays, "Missing You" and then "Higher" where the band have made use of auto-tuning on their vocals. The production of "Higher" was described as "hectic". Bridge was criticised by press after the release of "Missing You" after she used Auto-Tune on some of her vocals. Many artists have expressed views in collaborating with Bridge including Bruno Mars and Flo Rida, who stated that he would like to work with her as a solo act.


title: Frankie Bridge

text: Bridge began a relationship with footballer Wayne Bridge in late 2011. They married in a private ceremony in 2014; the couple have two sons.


title: Frankie Bridge

text: In 2011, Bridge had to take time out of her work commitments with The Saturdays due to an "illness". It was later revealed that Bridge had been hospitalised due to depression. She announced once in rehab she thought the other patients would judge her because she was "rich" and well off. The media reported that Bridge was checked into a rehabilitation centre due to stress after a punishing work schedule. However, she quickly denied the rumours. She came out and spoke about her battle with depression after people began to believe she was admitted due to alcohol and drugs. Bridge was praised for coming out and speaking about her battle with depression and this led to Bridge becoming the ambassador for charity "Mind".


title: Mitch Richmond

text: Mitchell James Richmond III (born June 30, 1965) is an American former professional basketball player. He played collegiately at Moberly Area Community College and Kansas State University. He was a six-time NBA All-Star, a five-time All-NBA Team member, and a former NBA Rookie of the Year. In 976 NBA games, Richmond averaged 21.0 points per game and 3.5 assists per game. Richmond was voted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2014. His jersey No. 2 was retired in his honor by the Sacramento Kings, for whom he played seven seasons.


title: Mitch Richmond

text: Richmond began his college career playing for the Moberly Area Community College Greyhounds. He scored 1,023 points from 1984-1986, before joining the Kansas State Wildcats.


title: Mitch Richmond

text: One of the most recognizable players in Kansas State history, Mitch Richmond was a two-year letterman for head coach Lon Kruger from 1986–88. He helped guide the Wildcats to a 45–20 (.692) record, including a pair of NCAA Tournament appearances and a trip to the 1988 NCAA Midwest Regional Final. His 1,327 points are the most by a player in a two-year career.


title: Mitch Richmond

text: Richmond was drafted 5th overall in the 1988 NBA draft by the Golden State Warriors, following two years at Kansas State, where he averaged 20 points per game, and two years at Moberly Area Community College.


title: Mitch Richmond

text: Richmond captured the NBA Rookie of the Year Award in the 1988–89 season, after averaging 22 points per game for the Warriors. He was a key part of Don Nelson's fast-paced offense, focusing on Richmond and teammates Tim Hardaway and Chris Mullin which was dubbed "Run TMC" (the initials of the players' first names and a play on the name of the popular rap group Run-DMC). In addition to the shooting he provided, he complemented Hardaway's passing and fast break skills and Mullin's shooting skills by slashing to the hoop as part of the Warriors' attack.