Bristol Beaufort

During 1935 Specification M.15/35, for a torpedo bomber, and Specification G.24/35, for a general reconnaissance/bomber aircraft, for which the Canadian built Bristol Bolingbroke was earmarked, were drawn up by the Air Ministry. Bristol began work on a torpedo bomber to meet Specification M.15/35. Known as the Type 150 the idea for this aircraft was sent to the Air Ministry in November 1935, this would be a modified Bristol Blenheim design, so that more powerful engines could be fitted and a torpedo.

With the Type 150 submitted, the design team at Bristol decided that it could design an aircraft that met Specification M.15/35 and Specification G.24/35. Known as the Type 152, this would also use the Blenheim as the base and had a lengthen fuselage, which would accommodate a crew of three and also enable a torpedo to be carried, although not fully enclosed, in the fuselage. The Air Ministry showed an interest in the new design, however, they wanted the aircraft to hold a crew of four, consisting of a pilot, navigator, wireless operator and gunner, requiring Bristol to redesign the aircraft, with Specification 10/36 issued for production of the Beaufort. The engine Bristol chose to power the aircraft would be its Taurus engine, however, these were prone to overheating, delaying the prototype's first flight, which it made on the 15th October 1938.

The Beaufort Mk I entered service on the 15th November 1939, when No. 22 Squadron, based at RAF Thorney Island began to take delivery of the aircraft. Powered by the 1,130-hp Bristol Taurus II engine, its top speed was 260 mph, range 1,600 miles with a service ceiling of 16,500 ft. Armament consisted of six 0.303-in machine-guns, two in the nose and dorsal turret, one in the port wing and one by the entrance hatch. Bomb load was either 2,000lb bombs or torpedoes or mines. The Beaufort's operational service with the Royal Air Force began on the 15th April 1940, when No. 22 Squadron used the type for minelaying. Further engine problems would see all operational aircraft grounded in May 1940, modifications to the engines solved the problem.

Shortly after the first prototype flight, the Australian Government were looking to the Beaufort for its own needs, and after a British Air Mission visited the country in 1939, it was decided production of the type could be done in Australia. With the go ahead now given, a number of airframe parts as well as the eighth production Beaufort would be sent to Australia. While British built Beaufort Mk Is were powered by Bristol Taurus engines, Australia decided to use the 1,200-hp Pratt & Whitney R-1830-S3C4-G Twin Wasp engine, which they would build under licence.

The Department of Aircraft Production or DAP Beaufort, as Australian built examples would be known as, were to be made for the Royal Air Force for use in the Far East and 180 were ordered. Production of the type would begin in May 1940 and these aircraft would be designated Beaufort Mk V. May 1941 would see the first Australian assembled Beaufort make its maiden flight, followed three months later by the first Australian built example. With the entry of Japan into the Second World War (1939 - 1945) in December 1941 it was decided that the Royal Australian Air Force would take delivery of the Beaufort Mk Vs instead and these began to enter service in the summer of 1942.

The main difference between the Australian built Beauforts that followed was mainly the engine and propeller used. The Beaufort Mk VI was fitted with Curtiss propellers and the Beaufort Mk VII with Hamilton propellers. Both were powered by imported 1,200-hp Pratt & Whitney R-1830-S3C4-G Twin Wasp engines, due to a lack of license built examples. The Beaufort Mk VIII which followed was the most produced Australian example with 520 being built, and these would revert back to being powered by license built engines, in this case the 1,200-hp Pratt & Whitney R-1830-S3C4-G Twin Wasp engine. The final Australian variant would be the Beaufort Mk IX, these were forty six aircraft which had their dorsal turret and other armament removed and would be used as transport aircraft. In total 700 of the type were built in Australia by the time production ended in August 1944. These would remain in service until the end of the Second World War.

With the use of the Pratt & Whitney Twin Wasp engine by the Royal Australian Air Force on their Beauforts, the Air Ministry requested that the engine be used for the next British built variant. This was the Beaufort Mk II, with the prototype flying for the first time in November 1940, with September 1941 seeing the first production example fly. Powered by the 1,200-hp Pratt & Whitney R-1830-S3C4-G Twin Wasp engine, it had a top speed of 265 mph, a range of 1,450 miles and a service ceiling of 22,500 ft. Armament was six 0.303-in machine-guns, two in the nose and dorsal turret, one in the port wing and one by the entrance hatch. Bomb load was either 2,000lb bombs or torpedoes or mines. Only 164 would be built due to a shortage of the required engine in the UK, Production therefore switched back to the Beaufort Mk I, which featured a number of changes, including a strengthened structure.

It was intended for the Beaufort Mk III to be powered by a pair of Rolls-Royce Merlin XX engines, however, this would never reach the prototype stage, and the Beaufort Mk IV saw a sole prototype built, powered by the 1,250-hp Bristol Taurus XX engine.

The Beaufort would spend three years (1940 - 1943) as Coastal Command's standard torpedo bomber and was in constant service, taking part in the early battles against the German surface fleet. This included raids against the battle cruisers Gneisenau and Scharnhorst and the heavy cruiser Prinz Eugen.

By the time production ended on the 25th November 1944, a total of 2,130 Beauforts had been built.