
Originally conceived as the Beaufort Bomber, for use during the Munich Crisis following the German occupation of Czechoslovakia, the Bristol Bristol Beaufighter night fighter and maritime strike aircraft was eventually developed as a private venture against Specification F.37/35. It was based upon re-use of the wings and tail surfaces of the Bristol Type 152 Beaufort so that both aircraft could be produced on the same jigs meaning that manufacturing could be switched between aircraft types at very short notice.
The Design Team, led by L.G. Frise, determined that one of the most notable characteristics of the Bristol Beaufighter would be the heavy armament of four 20 mm cannon mounted in the lower nose, below the cockpit and six 0.303 machine guns, four in the starboard wing and two in the port wing.
The first prototype (R2052) was flown unarmed on 17th July 1939, and two types were developed as the Bristol Bristol Beaufighter Mk.1F for Fighter Command and a Bristol Bristol Beaufighter Mk.1C for Coastal Command. The Bristol Bristol Beaufighter Mk.II however, was purely a night fighter version and was equipped with much improved Merlin XX engines.


The next full production variant was the Bristol Bristol Beaufighter Mk.VI, fitted with the more powerful Hercules VI and XVI engines. It was this variant that was used as a maritime strike aircraft, carrying rockets or an 18 inch torpedo.


UK production was split between Bristol Aeroplane Company (4,804 including the Weston-super-Mare Shadow Factory), Fairey Aviation Company at Stockport (500) and Rootes at Speke (260). Outside of the UK, the Bristol Bristol Beaufighter Mk.21 was built in Australia at the Government Aircraft Factory, where some 364 aircraft were constructed. The most significant marks were the Bristol Bristol Beaufighter Mk.I (915 built); Bristol Bristol Beaufighter Mk. II (448); Bristol Bristol Beaufighter Mk. VI (1,831) and Bristol Bristol Beaufighter Mk. X (2,205).
All in all and with the Department of Aircraft Production in Australia, the grand total was 5,928 aircraft.
Bristol Beaufighter Image Gallery

Beaufighter
Bristol Beaufighter on marine reconnaissance over the North Sea
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Beaufighter air to air
Bristol Beaufighter VIC (EL233-G) in flight from Boscombe Down in August 1942
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Bristol Beaufighter TFX
Bristol Beaufighter TFX (NT913) at SBAC Show Radlett in September 1946
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Bristol 156 Beaufighter VIC 1000th aircraft
The 1000th Beaufighter built at Old Mixon, Weston-super-Mare: Mk.VIC JL762 on 2nd January 1943.
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Bristol Beaufighter 1 X7543 16X9
Air to air photograph of Bristol 156 Beaufighter 1 X7543
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The Last Beaufighter
The last Bristol Beaufighter made at the Ministry of Aircraft Production Factory at Weston Super Mare.
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Beaufighter air to air
Bristol Beaufighter air to air
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Bristol Beaufighter in banked turn
Bristol Beaufighter in banked turn
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Specification
Bristol Bristol Beaufighter Mk. I | Bristol Bristol Beaufighter Mk. II | Bristol Bristol Beaufighter Mk. X | |
Powerplants (2) | 1,560 hp Hercules XI | 1,300 hp Merlin XX | 1,750 hp Hercules XVII |
Span | 57 ft 10 in | ||
Maximum Weight | 21,100 lb | 20,400 lb | 25,400 lb |
Capacity and armament | Two crew, four 20 mm Hispano cannon, six 0.303 Browning guns, optional carriage of one 1,760 lb 18 inch torpedo, eight 60 lb rockets, or four 500 lb bombs. | ||
Maximum Speed | 320 mph | 327 mph | 323 mph |
Endurance / Range | 1,500 to 1,750 miles with additional wing tanks |
Variants
Bristol Beaufighter Mk IF | Night fighter variant with AI Mk IV radar equipment, operational from September 1940. |
Bristol Beaufighter Mk IC | Developed for Coastal Command duties with increased fuel capacity and navigator’s table and direction finding equipment. Operational from March 1941. |
Bristol Beaufighter Mk II | Fitted with the Rolls Royce Merlin XX engines and entered service in April 1941. |
Bristol Beaufighter Mk V | Experimental version with a Boulton Paul Type A four gun turret. Two Mk Vs were built, as conversions from Bristol Beaufighter IIs, but this model did not enter production. |
Bristol Beaufighter Mk VIF | Powered by the Hercules VI, providing 1,670hp, allowing increased weight and additional external stores to be carried. Fuel capacity was also increased. The radar equipment was upgraded to the AI Mk VI or Mk VII. |
Bristol Beaufighter Mk VIC | Coastal Command version of the Bristol Beaufighter Mk VI and was equipped with the Hercules XVII with revised supercharging to increase the power available at low levels. The Mk VIC could carry an 18 inch torpedo or under wing stores. |
Bristol Beaufighter Mk X | The Bristol Beaufighter TF Mk X (Torpedo Fighter) first appeared in May 1943 and could carry a wide variety of munitions including torpedo, bombs and rockets. |
Bristol Beaufighter TT Mk 10 | Post-war, 34 Mk Xs were converted to perform target tug towing duties, as the TT Mk 10 |
Bristol Beaufighter Mk XI | Similar in many respects to the Mk X, but lacking the ability to carry a torpedo |
Bristol Beaufighter Mk 21 | A variant of the Bristol Beaufighter Mk X constructed in Australia. The first Bristol Beaufighter Mk 21 flew on 26th May 1944. 364 were completed up to the end of 1945 and were fitted with 4x Browning 50 calibre machine guns rather than the 6 x .303 installed in British planes. |
Survivors
Bristol Beaufighter Mk.21
(A8–186)
|
Camden Museum of Aviation, Narellan, Australia www.camdenmuseumofaviation.com.au |
Bristol Beaufighter Mk.21
(A8–328/ A8-39)
|
Australian National Aviation Museum, Moorabbin nr Melbourne, Australia. www.aarg.com.au |
Bristol Beaufighter TF.X
(RD253)
|
Royal Air Force Museum, Hendon, London, UK
|
Bristol Beaufighter TF.X
(RD220)
|
National Museum of Flight, East Fortune, East Lothian, Scotland, UK www.nms.ac.uk/national-museum-of-flight |
Bristol Beaufighter Mk IC
(A19-43)
|
National Museum of The United States Air Force, Dayton www.nationalmuseum.af.mil |
Bristol Beaufighter TF.X
(RD867)
|
Canada Aviation & Space Museum, Aviation Parkway, Ottawa, Canada www.casmuseum.techno-science.ca/ |
Bristol Beaufighter Mk.IC
(A19-144)
|
Duxford Aerodrome, Cambridgeshire, UK
|