History Bristol Aeroplane Company Bristol Type 156 Beaufighter "the Beau"
The Bristol Type 156 Beaufighter (often called the Beau) is a British multi-role aircraft developed during the Second World War by the Bristol Aeroplane Company. It was originally conceived as a heavy fighter variant of the Bristol Beaufort torpedo bomber. The Beaufighter proved to be an effective night fighter, which came into service with the Royal Air Force (RAF) during the Battle of Britain, its large size allowing it to carry heavy armament and early airborne interception radar without major performance penalties.
A Bristol Beaufighter, with "arrowhead", folded twin-dipole antenna on the nose for its VHF-band AI radar.
Bristol BeaufortsThe concept of the Beaufighter has its origins in 1938. During the Munich Crisis, the Bristol Aeroplane Company recognised that the Royal Air Force (RAF) had an urgent need for a long-range fighter aircraft capable of carrying heavy payloads for maximum destruction. Evaluation of the Beaufort concluded that it had great structural strength and stiffness in the wings, nacelles, undercarriage and tail, so that the aircraft could be readily developed further for greater speed and manoeuvrability akin to a fighter-class aircraft. The Bristol design team, led by Leslie Frise, commenced the development of a cannon-armed fighter derivative as a private venture. The prospective aircraft had to share the same jigs as the Beaufort so that production could easily be switched from one aircraft to the other."
Photo Gallery Bristol Aeroplane Company Bristol Beaufighter "Whispering Death"
Bristol Aeroplane Company Bristol Type 156 Beaufighter
Bristol Aeroplane Company
Bristol Type 156 Beaufighter the Whispering Death
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General Info 1
Crew: 2
Length: 41 ft 4 in (12.60 m)
Wingspan: 57 ft 10 in (17.63 m)
Height: 15 ft 10 in (4.83 m)
Wing area: 503 sq ft (46.7 m2)
2
General Info 2
Empty weight: (7,072 kg)
Max takeoff weight: 25,400 lb (11,521 kg) with one torpedo
Fuel capacity: 550 imp gal (660 US gal; 2,500 L) normal internal fuel
Maximum fuel capacity: 682 imp gal (819 US gal; 3,100 L) (with optional 2x 29 imp gal (35 US gal; 130 L) external tanks / 1x 24 imp gal (29 US gal; 110 L) tank in lieu of port wing guns
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The Blackburn Beverley was a large transport aircraft, designed for carrying large and bulky payloads and landing on rough or imperfect runways, or dirt strips. In terms of its basic configuration, it was a high-wing cantilever monoplane with a fixed undercarriage
