02/28/2010. Remarks by Johan Visschedijk: "After his return to the British & Colonial Aeroplane Co. in August 1915, Captain Barnwell designed the S.2A two-seat scout, assisted by Mr. L. G. Frise. The S.2A was a development of the Scout D and embodied a number of Scout D components. The S.2A was one of many contemporary attempts to provide a scouting aircraft with effective armament. When it was designed, no machine gun synchronizing gear was available to Barnwell; consequently he designed the S.2A as a side-by-side two-seater in which the armament was carried by the passenger.

The aircraft was little larger than the single-seat Scout, but its fuselage was twice as wide. When the first S.2A, s/n 7836, appeared on the aerodrome it was promptly nicknamed "Tubby", and reportedly also "Sociable". Its engine was a 110 hp Clerget, installed in a fore-and-aft mounting. The first S.2A was completed in May 1916, the second, s/n 7837 (c/n 1378), in the following month. By that time the Vickers-Challenger synchronizing mechanism was available, and there was therefore no reason to proceed further with the development of the Bristol S.2A.

In any case, its Clerget installation was not particularly successful and the engine gave trouble. The S.2As were used for training purposes. One was flown at Gosport with a 100 hp Gnome Monosoupape engine in a modified cowling, and it is probable that the other flew at Rendcombe."