Airfix: 1:72 Bristol Beaufort Mk.IA

The Bristol Beaufort is a British medium-range torpedo bomber of all-metal construction. The aircraft was designed for Coastal Command in 1936, and the prototype made its first flight on 15 October 1938. In total, only two versions of the aircraft were produced: the Mk.I (955 units) and the Mk.II (450 units).

Because the aircraft was intended for maritime operations, a flotation chamber was installed in the lower part of the fuselage to increase buoyancy in case of a ditching at sea. The aircraft was also equipped with the necessary emergency gear for ditching, including a life raft. After the outbreak of the war, the Beaufort was fitted with radar, which increased its effectiveness in submarine detection.

Bristol Beauforts carried out mine-laying operations in enemy waters and patrolled shipping routes in the Atlantic, the North Sea, and the English Channel. They also conducted combat operations over the Mediterranean and the Western Desert, successfully attacking both the Kriegsmarine and the Italian Navy.

These aircraft were also used in Australia, and between 1941 and 1944 they became the primary equipment of the Royal Australian Air Force. They were used as patrol aircraft, bombers, torpedo bombers and even fighters, proving particularly effective in tracking Japanese submarines during battles in the Solomon Islands and New Guinea. The Beauforts remained in service until the end of the Pacific War, and in the Australian Air Force they continued to be used as Beaufort trainers until 1946. Later, they saw occasional use in civil aviation.

Technical data:
Maximum speed: 425 km/h
Service ceiling: 5030 m
Maximum range: 1660 km
Armament: fixed – four 7.7 mm Browning machine guns; underwing – up to 906 kg of bombs or a torpedo of equivalent weight.