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Bristol Beaufort

1940 COLD WAR WORLD WAR 2

History of Bristol Beaufort

The Bristol Beaufort excelled in action as the main British torpedo bomber during the war years of 1940-1943. As the successor to Vickers' old Vildebeest biplane, Beaufort thrived in the role until it was eventually replaced by the more capable Bristol-branded Beaufighter.

Nonetheless, Beaufort will be deployed in large numbers on multiple fronts including the Pacific, Middle East and Mediterranean.

Bristol Beaufighter provides accommodation for four employees. The twin-engine Mk I design was originally equipped with a Bristol-type Taurus VI piston engine, and later the Mk II brand was equipped with the American brand's Pratt & Whitney Meridian. Defensive armament consisted of 7.7mm machine guns: two in the nose and two in the rear.

It should be noted, however, that some Beauforts had additional 7.7mm machine guns mounted in the beam position (hip gunners) and rear-firing mounts under the nose assembly. The bomb load capacity is a respectable 2,000 lbs for conventionally dropped bombs.

A 1,605-pound torpedo could be installed in place of the bomb. The aircraft is also very capable of relocating mines and has successfully performed a plethora of such missions during its years of service with the RAF.

The design is a traditional approach. The wing adopts a monoplane layout and is installed in the low position of the fuselage. The recognizable dorsal turret was mounted aft as part of the upper design of the fuselage, limiting the arc of fire only at the tail, top and sides.

The nose assembly is a greenhouse-style design, with the cockpit mounted behind and above the nose area.

Beaufort was primarily responsible for disrupting Axis supply lines in the English Channel and Mediterranean. Australia produced a local version of the Beaufort in the form of the Mk V-IX series for the Royal Australian Air Force. RAF operations are also in the Middle East under British control. The last version of the Beaufort was produced as a trainer with the top turret completely removed.

As previously mentioned, the entire system was eventually replaced by Bristol American fighters in the middle of the war. Beaufighter is described elsewhere on this page.