}
The Bristol Beaufort
The Bristol Type 152 Beaufort was Frank Barnwell's last design. Developed from the Blenheim, it was a twin-engined torpedo bomber that first flew on 15 October 1938, 11 weeks after his death.
It initally served with Royal Air Force Coastal Command and then with the Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm. In all, 2129 Beauforts were produced: 1429 Mks I and II were manufactured at Filton and Banwell in England, and 700 Mks V-VIII were made in Australia.
Beauforts saw action in the European, Mediterannean and Pacific theatres of World War II, being used variously as torpedo bombers, conventional bombers and mine-layers. They were most widely used by the Royal Australian Air Force in the Pacific. Withdrawn from operational service in Europe in 1942, they served as trainer aircraft until 1945.
In the UK, Beauforts were celebrated for inflicting heavy losses on enemy shipping. E. A. Wren, writing in The Aeroplane, described the aircraft in an affectionate rhyme: "Little Beau-Fort likes dangerous sport | And knows just where to find it - | Trust it to roam and it'll come home | And leave a wreck behind it." In the Mediterranean, Beaufort squadrons were instrumental in putting an end to Axis shipping supplying the German Africa Corps in North Africa.
Mechanically, the Beaufort was not a great success, with more losses attributable to technical failure than to combat. However, it did give rise to a highly successful long-range fighter, known as the Beaufighter (Type 156) which was one of the most versatile British-built aircraft of WWII.
It initally served with Royal Air Force Coastal Command and then with the Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm. In all, 2129 Beauforts were produced: 1429 Mks I and II were manufactured at Filton and Banwell in England, and 700 Mks V-VIII were made in Australia.
Beauforts saw action in the European, Mediterannean and Pacific theatres of World War II, being used variously as torpedo bombers, conventional bombers and mine-layers. They were most widely used by the Royal Australian Air Force in the Pacific. Withdrawn from operational service in Europe in 1942, they served as trainer aircraft until 1945.
In the UK, Beauforts were celebrated for inflicting heavy losses on enemy shipping. E. A. Wren, writing in The Aeroplane, described the aircraft in an affectionate rhyme: "Little Beau-Fort likes dangerous sport | And knows just where to find it - | Trust it to roam and it'll come home | And leave a wreck behind it." In the Mediterranean, Beaufort squadrons were instrumental in putting an end to Axis shipping supplying the German Africa Corps in North Africa.
Mechanically, the Beaufort was not a great success, with more losses attributable to technical failure than to combat. However, it did give rise to a highly successful long-range fighter, known as the Beaufighter (Type 156) which was one of the most versatile British-built aircraft of WWII.