Bristol Beaufighter
| Bristol Beaufighter | |
|---|---|
 Bristol Beaufighter disbanding a formation |
|
| Type: | Fighter bomber |
| Design country: | |
| Manufacturer: | |
| First flight: |
July 17, 1939 |
| Commissioning: |
July 1940 |
| Production time: |
1940 to 1945 |
| Number of pieces: |
5562 |
The Bristol Type 156 Beaufighter was a twin-engined British fighter aircraft of the Second World War . It was developed from the Beaufort torpedo bomber . Originally designed as a long-range fighter, it was also built and used as a night fighter , torpedo bomber, anti-ship and low -attack aircraft . In all of these roles, the pattern was seen as very successful. The manufacturer was the Bristol Airplane Company .
The Beaufighter was one of the first aircraft with on- board radar for night hunting. However, its role as night hunter was taken over by the Mosquito after it was available in sufficient numbers. The Beaufighter focused on deep attacks and anti-ship combat.
Heavily armed with torpedoes , rockets , machine guns and machine guns , the pattern was very successfully used against enemy ships. Because of this, and because of its comparatively quiet slide-controlled radial engines, British propaganda ascribed it the nickname "Whispering Death", which was supposedly given by Japanese opponents.
The prototype first flew on July 17, 1939. Production ended in September 1945 after 5562 copies.
Production numbers
The Beaufighter was built in the UK at Rootes in Stoke, Fairy in Stockport and Bristol in Weston and Filton.
| version | Bristol / Filton | Bristol / Weston | Fairy / Stockport | Rootes / Stoke | total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mk Ic | 75 | 300 | 375 | ||
| Mk If | 275 | 240 | 25th | 540 | |
| Mk IIf | 450 | 450 | |||
| Mk VIc | 518 | 175 | 693 | ||
| Mk VIf | 668 | 260 | 150 | 1078 | |
| Mk TFX | 2143 | 110 | 2253 | ||
| Mk XIc | 163 | 163 | |||
| total | 1468 | 3324 | 500 | 260 | 5552 |
| year | number |
|---|---|
| 1940 | 111 |
| 1941 | 798 |
| 1942 | 1590 |
| 1943 | 1641 |
| 1944 | 1158 |
| until July 31, 1945 | 254 |
| total | 5552 |
After July 1945 there were a few additional deliveries (10 to 20).
| Fiscal year | number |
|---|---|
| July 1, 1943– June 30, 1944 | 3 |
| July 1, 1944– June 30, 1945 | 281 |
| July 1, 1945 to June 30, 1946 | 80 |
| total | 364 |
Military use
-
Dominican Republic
- 10 TF. Mk X from 1948 to 1956
-
Israel
- Israeli Air Force : 4 copies 1948
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- Polish Air Force in exile
- Royal New Zealand Air Force within the Royal Air Force
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- Turkish Air Force
Technical specifications
| Parameter | Data Bristol Beaufighter Mk. X |
|---|---|
| crew | 2 |
| length | 12.70 m |
| height | 4.82 m |
| span | 17.65 m |
| Wing area | 19.79 m² |
| Empty mass | 7,080 kg |
| Takeoff mass | 11,540 kg |
| drive | two double radial engines Bristol Hercules XVII with 1770 hp each |
| Top speed | 512 km / h (at 3048 m altitude) |
| Service ceiling | 5800 m |
| Range | 2350 km |
| Armament | four 20mm cannons, six 7.7mm machine guns ; a torpedo or 250 pound bomb; eight missiles |
See also
literature
- Victor Bingham: Bristol Beaufighter. Airlife Publishing Ltd., Shrewsbury 1994, ISBN 1-85310-122-2 .
- Chaz. Bowyer: Beaufighter. William Kimber, London 1987, ISBN 0-7183-0647-3 .
- Chaz. Bowyer: Beaufighter at War. Ian Allan Ltd., London 1994, ISBN 0-7110-0704-7 .
- Leonard Bridgeman: The Bristol 156 Beaufighter. Jane's Fighting Aircraft of World War II, Studio, London 1946, ISBN 1-85170-493-0 .
- Howard: Bristol Beaufighter. The inside story. Scale Aircraft Modeling, Vol. 11, No. July 10, 1989.
- Francis K. Mason: Archives. Bristol Beaufighter. Container Publications, Oxford.
- Philip JR Moyes: The Bristol Beaufighter I & II. (Aircraft in Profile Number 137) Profile Publications Ltd., Leatherhead 1966.
- Jean Louis Roba: Foreign Planes in the Service of the Luftwaffe. Pen & Sword Aviation, 2009, ISBN 1-84884-081-0 .
- Jerry Scutts: Bristol Beaufighter. (Crowood Aviation Series) The Crowood Press Ltd., Ramsbury 2004, ISBN 1-86126-666-9 .
- Jerry Scutts: Bristol Beaufighter in Action. (Aircraft number 153) Squadron / Signal Publications, Carrollton 1995, ISBN 0-89747-333-7 .
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b National Archives, Kew, stock AVIA 10/311
- ↑ Official Year Book of the Commonwealth of Australia No. 37. 1946 and 1947. p. 1168.