Air Power Series>1:72 die-cast display model>Beaufighter>HA2316
Bristol Beaufighter TF.X No. 144 Sqn, RAF Banff, Aberdeenshire, Scotland, February 1945
General Background
The Bristol Beaufighter was developed in about 8 months by using sections from the earlier designed Bristol Beaufort. It was given more powerful engines and a variety of modifications making the aircraft capable of many tasks. It was a night fighter, fighter bomber and torpedo bomber performing anti-shipping duty as well as ground attack and long range interdiction. The different variants, 14 in all, were capable of carrying bombs, torpedoes, rockets, canons and machine guns. The Beaufighter was operated by 11 countries.
The Aircraft
In 1919 No. 144 Squadron was disbanded after a brief period of action. In January 1937 the
No. 144 Squadron was re-established and equipped with Handley Page Hampdens. In 1943
the 144th received the Bristol Beaufighter that was much more suited to the task of torpedo
bomber. In June 1943 the squadron moved to Algeria to operate in the Mediterranean.
Three months later the 144th returned to Great Britain. In September 1944, 144 Squadron
moved to RAF Banff for anti-shipping attacks near Norway and were disbanded in May 1945.
Specifications :
| Dimensions | |
| Wing span: | 57 ft. 10 in. (17.64 m) |
| Length: | 41 ft. 4 in. (12.59 m) |
| Height | 15 ft. 10 in. (4.84 m) |
| Weight | |
| Empty: | 15,592 lb (7,072 kg) |
| Maximum: | 25,400 lb. (11,521 kg) |
| Disposable Load: | 9,808 lb. (4,448 kg) |
| Performance | |
| Powerplant: | 2 x Bristol Hercules XVII fourteen-cylinder two-row sleeve-valve radial engines |
| rated @ 1,725 hp (1,286 kw) @ 2,900 rpm for take-off | |
| rated @ 1,395 hp (1,040 kw) @ 2,400 rpm at 1,500 ft. (457 m) | |
| Maximum Speed: | @ sea-level - 320 mph (514 km/h) |
| Service Ceiling: | 19,000 ft. (5,791 m) (without torpedo) |
| Range | |
| with torpedo and normal fuel: | 1,400 miles (2,253 km) |
| with torpedo and long-range tanks: | 1,750 miles (2,816 km) |
| Armament: | 4 x 20-mm. Hispano cannon in the fuselage nose |
| 6 x 0.303-in. machine-guns in the wings | |
| 1 x 0.303-in Vickers "K" or 1 x Browning gun in the dorsal position | |
| 1 x 18-in. torpedo under fuselage | |
| 8 x rocket projectiles instead of wing guns |