Kuvaus

Airfix 1/72

The Bristol Beaufort (manufacturer designation Type 152) is a British twin-engined torpedo bomber designed by the Bristol Aeroplane Company, and developed from experience gained designing and building the earlier Blenheim light bomber. At least 1,180 Beauforts were built by Bristol and other British manufacturers.

Beauforts first saw service with Royal Air Force Coastal Command and then the Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm from 1940. They were used as torpedo bombers, conventional bombers and mine-layers until 1942, when they were removed from active service and were then used as trainer aircraft until being declared obsolete in 1945. Beauforts also saw considerable action in the Mediterranean; Beaufort squadrons based in Egypt and on Malta helped interdict Axis shipping supplying Rommel's Deutsches Afrikakorps in North Africa.

Beaufort Mk.I

1,013 built. Torpedo bomber, reconnaissance version for the RAF, powered by two Bristol Taurus II, III, VI, XII or XVI sleeve valve radial engines. First British production version

Mk.IA variant was based on its predecessor but benefitted from increased strengthening and the addition of a Bristol B1 MK.V turret.