View attachment 74 RAAF 30sq over New Guinea View attachment 75 View attachment 76 From: http://www.world-war-2-planes.com/bristol_beaufighter.html The Bristol Beaufighter was part of the RAF as soon as September, 1940. Given its good speed, long range, and great firepower, the British pilots loved her immediately, even though the plane was somewhat tricky to handle in low-speed flight. It was used as a night fighter and, equipped with a torpoedo, as an anti-shipping/submarine fighter. Eventually, this military aircraft fought on all fronts – planes based in Australia, for instance, were used to attack Japanese shipping. The Bristol Beaufighter was the first radar equipped night fighter. One of the most famous missions was accomplished by a Beaufighter during day time, when Paris was under German occupatuion. The plane flew over the Champs-Élysées avenue at low level, dropped a French flag, and then lauched its rockets on the Gestapo main building. About 5900 units were built. The Bristol Beaufigter remained in service until 1959.
the best aircraft EVER!! OK, I maybe a bit biased but the Beaufighter was an amazing aircraft. Andy posted a link to the restoration work being carried out in Australia The variety of tasks and theatres that the Beaufighter covered is amazing: Night Fighter squadrons No. 25: Mk IF – October 1940 to January 1943 No. 29: Mk I – November 1940 to June 1943; Mk VI – March to May 1943 No. 68: Mk I – May 1941 to March 1943; Mk VI – January 1943 to July 1944 No. 96: Mk II – May 1942 to June 1943; Mk VI – September 1942 – August 1943 (Intruder duties from April 1943) No. 125: Mk IIF – February 1942 to September 1942; Mk VI – September 1942 to February 1944 No. 141: Mk I – June 1941 to June 1943; Mk VI – May 1943 to February 1944 No. 219: Mk I – October 1940 to May 1943 No. 255: Mk IIF – July 1941-May 1942; Mk VI: March 1942-November 1942 No. 256: Mk I: May 1942-January 1943; Mk VI: June 1942-May 1943 No. 307 (Polish): Mk IIF: August 1941-May 1942; Mk VI: May-December 1942 No. 409 (RCAF): Mk IIF: August 1941-June 1942; June 1942-May 1944 No. 410 (RCAF): Mk IIF: April 1942-January 1943 No. 456 (RAAF): Mk II: September 1941-January 1943; Mk VI: July 1942-March 1943 No. 488 (RNZAF): Mk II: June 1942-March 1943; Mk VI: March 1943-September 1943 No. 600: Mk I: September 1940-June 1941; Mk II April 1941-April 1942; Mk VI: February 1942-September 1942 (Then to North Africa) No. 604: Mk I: September 1940-April 1943; Mk IV: April 1943-April 1944 (Intruder duties from early 1943) Coastal Command No. 143 Mk I: June 1941-December 1941; Mk IIF: September 1942-March 1943; Mk XI: March 1943-April 1944; Mk X: February 1944-October 1944 July 1941-December 1941: Convoy patrols on east coast November 1942-August 1943: Anti-shipping raids as part of strike wing August 1943-February 1944: Fighter support for anti-submarine warfare over Bay of Biscay February 1944-October 1944: Anti-shipping raids No. 144 Mk X: May 1943 – May 1945 May 1944-June 1944: Covering D-Day invasion June 1944-January 1945: Torpedo bomber squadron in strike wing January 1945-end of war: Anti-flak squadron in strike wing No. 235 Mk I: December 1941-May 1942; Mk VI: May 1942-October 1943; Mk X: October 1943-May 1944; Mk XI: March 1944-June 1944 June 1941-May 1942: Anti shipping from Scotland May 1942-January 1943: Anti shipping from East Anglia January-August 1943: Back to Scotland August 1943- June 1944: Supporting anti submarine aircraft over Bay of Biscay No. 236 Mk I: October 1941-February 1942 & March-July 1942; Mk VI: June 1942-August 1943; Mk X: June 1943-May 1945 October 1941-February 1942: Anti-shipping from Cornwall and Pembrokeshire March 1942-April 1943: Anti-shipping duties from East Anglia April 1943-May 1945: Part of North Coates strike wing No. 248 Mk IC: July 1941-February 1942; Mk VIC: February 1942 – June 1943; Mk X: June 1943-January 1944 Anti shipping duties from a variety of UK bases. One brief (two day) trip to Malta in August 1942 to deliver aircraft No. 252 Coastal Command’s first Beaufighter squadron Mk I: December 1940-December 1942; Mk VI: November 1942-April 1944; Mk X: January 1944-December 1946; Mk XI: June 1943-January 1944 November 1940-May 1941: Convoy protection from Northern Ireland, then to Malta No. 254 Mk VI: June 1942-October 1943; Mk X & XI: October 1943-October 1946 November 1942-January 1946: Torpedo bomber element of North Coates strike wing No. 404 (RCAF) Mk IIF: September 1942-March 1943; Mk XI: March 1943-December 1943; Mk X: September 1943-April 1945 Various anti-shipping duties around British coast No. 406 (RCAF) Mk IIF: June 1941-June 1942; Mk VIF: June 1942-August 1944 Various anti-shipping duties around British coast No. 455 (RAAF) Mk X: December 1943-May 1945 March 1944-May 1945: Anti shipping operations from Scotland, then over Dutch Coast, then finally back to Scotland No. 489 (RNZAF) Mk X: November 1943-August 1945 Anti-shipping strikes along Dutch coast and then from Scotland Target Tug (TT Mk 10) No. 5: January 1950 to September 1951 No. 17: May 1949 to March 1951 No. 20: February 1950 to September 1951 No. 34: February 1949 to July 1951 No. 42: October 1946 to October 1947 No. 45: December 1946 to February 1950 No. 84: November 1946 to March 1949 No. 695: December 1948 to February 1949 Far East No. 22: Mk X – June 1944 to September 1945 (Anti-shipping December 1944, ground attack over Burma after than) No. 27: Mk VI: November 1942 to March 1944, Ground attack over Burma to late 1943; Mk X: March 1944-February 1946. Anti-shipping from March to November 1944; Ground attack from November 1944. No. 47: Mk X: November 1944-April 1945: Ground attack over Burma No. 89 Mk VI (with some Mk Is to October 1944): October 1943-April 1945: Night fighter duties for entire period, intruder duties over Burma from September 1944. No. 176 Mk I: January 1943 – December 1943; Mk VI: January 1943 – July 1945 Night fighter duties from January 1943; Intruder duties over Burma from January 1944 No. 177 Mk VI: May 1943 – August 1944; Mk X and XI: November 1943 – July 1945 May 1943-July 1945: Ground attack missions over Burma No. 211 Mk X: October 1943 – June 1945 January 1944-May 1945: Ground attack over Burma No. 217 Mk X: June 1944 – September 1945 July 1944-May 1945: Defensive duties in India May 1945-September 1945: Preparing for invasion of Malaya No. 684 Mk VI and X: August 1945-October 1945 Post war reconnaissance duties Mediterranean No. 39: Mk X: June 1943 to February 1945: Anti-shipping duties, later combined with intruder duties, from North Africa, Sardinia then Italy. No. 46: Mk I: May 1942-July 1942; Mk VI: May 1942- December 1944; Mk X: April 1944-July 1944 Night fighter duties from May 1942 to December 1944; Intruder duties from August 1943, return to UK and converted to Stirlings, December 1944. No. 47: Mk X: June 1943-October 1944: Anti shipping strikes as both torpedo bombers and fighters No. 69: Mk I: January 1941-February 1942: Only in small numbers, performing reconnaissance No. 89 Mk I: November 1941-October 1943: Night fighter duties from various bases No. 108 Mk VI: March 1943-February 1945: Night fighter duties combined with intruder duties No. 144 Mk VI: January 1943-May 1943; Mk X: May 1943 – May 1945 June-August 1943: Anti-shipping from North Africa No. 153 Mk I: January 1942 – January 1943; Mk VI: August 1942 – September 1944 May 1942-September 1944: Night fighter and intruder duties No. 219 Mk VI: May 1943 – January 1944: Night fighter duties No. 227 Mk I and VI: August 1942 – August 1944; Mk X and XI: September 1943 – August 1944 Anti-shipping duties from Malta and later Egypt No. 252 Coastal Command’s first Beaufighter squadron Mk I: December 1940-December 1942; Mk VI: November 1942-April 1944; Mk X: January 1944-December 1946; Mk XI: June 1943-January 1944 May 1941-: Anti shipping duties from Malta, then Egypt, then Libya No. 255 Mk VI: March 1942-February 1945 November 1942-November 1943: Night fighter duties from Algeria and Sicily November 1943-January 1945: Intruder duties over Balkans No. 272 Mk I: April 1941-June 1943; Mk VI: November 1942-February 1944; Mk XI: September 1943-August 1944; Mk X: February 1944-April 1945 May 1941-November 1942: Long range fighter missions over Crete, convoy escort, ground attack from Egypt November 1942-September 1943: Ground attack against Sicily and Tunisia, from Malta September 1943-April 1945: Ground attack from Sicily, Sardinia and finally Italy No. 600 Mk VI: February 1942-February 1945 November 1942-June 1943: Night fighter duties from North Africa June-September 1943: Night fighter and intruder duties from Malta September 1943 to end of war: As above but from Italy No. 603 Mk I and VI: February 1943- October 1943; Mk X and XI: August 1943-December 1944 February 1943-December 1944: Anti-shipping strikes along African and Greek coasts No. 16 SAAF Mk X: December 1943-June 1945 Anti-shipping strikes with rockets over Aegean, then over Adriatic No. 19 SAAF Mk X and XI: August 1944-July 1945 Ground attack missions to support partisans over the Balkans Other Duties No. 285 Mk 1: September 1943-November 1944 Used to help train anti-aircraft gunners to target fast moving aircraft. No. 287 Mk I, VI and X: November 1944-July 1946 Target towing and gun laying targets duties No. 288 Mk I: March 1944-November 1944 Practise targets for anti-aircraft guns No. 515 Mk IIF: June 1943-February 1944 Worked with the Aeroplane and Armament Experimental Establishment and the Telecommunications Research Establishment working on electronic countermeasures. No. 577 Mk I and X: November 1944-July 1945 Army cooperation squadron http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/weapons_beaufighter_squadrons.html
My music teacher was a nav on beaufighter nightfighters for a tour. I always remember his stories of rearming the cannons during the flight! he left beaufighters, moved to mosquitos nightfighters, where he lost an eye. He ended up flying as a nav during the berlin airlift. In 1956, he was recalled from the reserve for Suez, he reported to the training centre and walked through the door. He was met by the faces of most of his old mosquito sqn!
Duxford's airworthy Beau resto has had problems with finding the right Hercules engines. I think they were going to use a different nodel from a Hastings (?) but think it's all sorted now. Wouldn't be "right" with Merlins. http://www.cybermodeler.com/aircraft/beau/beau.shtml What was the name of your music teacher, Morse?
The Mk II did have Merlins, but this wasn't a principal version and the longer nacelles increased the tendency to lateral instability
Beau as art A good man by the sounds of it. http://aarg.com.au/beaufighterprints.htm http://www.aviationart.com.au/index.php?main_page=product_paint_info&products_id=26 http://www.richthistle.com/product_info.php/products_id/382/language/en http://www.aviationartprints.com/beaufighter.htm http://www.aviationartgallery.co.uk/Images/Print-info/Black-friday.htm http://www.chesterfieldarmament.com/taylor/rangersrampage/rangers.htm (scroll down) http://www.chesterfieldarmament.com/taylor/maltageorgecross/malta.htm (scroll down again) http://www.aviationartgallery.co.uk/Images/Print-info/Glorious-summer.htm (scroll...)
Colour: http://www.ww2incolor.com/gallery/British/beaufighter http://www.ww2incolor.com/gallery/British/beaufighter252sqn http://www.ww2incolor.com/gallery/British/beaufighter_at_malta
ebay do some - search beaufighter, and then have a look under toys - diecast. They're not usually cheap though.
Thanks Kyt, been banging around there. No luck so far. Would prefer an Aussie one too to make things harder!
Ooh, ooh, ooh look what I just came across!!!!!!!!!! :becky: http://www.aviationmegastore.com/?s...d603066&action=prodinfo&parent_id=0&art=62192 Another one for the list. Mmmm, coastal strike...
Flicking through some books I found a piccie I'd forgotten about. The straight smoke trail shows that the rockets weren't as inaccurate as sometimes claimed.
I noticed in that Mossie shipping strike posted last week that one of the Mossies salvoed its rockets and they dropped short. Bet there was some cursing there.
