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Bristol Type 152 Beaufort

For a description of the format and data included in Production Tables, see here.

U.K. Produced Variants

Type 152 Beaufort Mk.I
 
 		 4-place torpedo bomber, derived from Bristol's submission to meet Air Ministry Specifications M.15/35 and G.24/35, to Specification 10/36 to meet the requirements of OR.38. Initially fitted with two 1130 h.p  Bristol Taurus VI powerplants, later Mk.Is featured ASV radar and  Bristol Taurus XII powerplants.
Type 152 Beaufort Mk.IA As late built Mk.I but featuring a strengthened structure and fitted with Bristol B.I.Mk.V turret in place of the B.IV of the Mk.I.
Type 152 Beaufort Mk.II As Mk.I but featuring two 1200 h.p. Pratt & Whitney Twin Wasp S3C4G powerplants.
Type 152 Beaufort Mk.IIA As Mk.I but featuring a strengthened structure and fitted with Bristol B.I.Mk.V turret in place of the B.IV of the Mk.II.
Type 152 Beaufort Mk.IIA(T) Trainer variant of Mk.IIA; all armament except wing guns removed and dorsal turret position faired over.
Type 152 Beaufort Mk.IV As Mk.II fitted with 4-gun B.15 dorsal turret, enlarged fin and 1250 h.p. Bristol Taurus XX powerplants.


Australian Produced Variants

Type 152 Beaufort Mk.V
 		 Mk.II modified for Australian production. Two 1200 h.p. Pratt & Whitney Twin Wasp S3C4G powerplants fitted with Curtiss Electric propellors. An enlarged fin was introduced on the 91st production Beaufort and retrofitted to all existing aircraft.
Type 152 Beaufort Mk.VA As the Mk.V but fitted with Hamilton Constant Speed propellors.
Type 152 Beaufort Mk.VI As the Mk.V with 1200 h.p. Pratt & Whitney Twin Wasp S1C3G powerplants.
Type 152 Beaufort Mk.VII As the Mk.VI but fitted with Hamilton Constant Speed propellors.
Type 152 Beaufort Mk.VIII As the Mk.V but fitted with Bristol B.I.Mk.V turret, similar to the Mk.IIA
Type 152 Beaufort Mk.IX
 		 Four crew, five passenger aircraft modified for communications duties from Mk.V, Mk.VI and Mk.VIII airframes. All armament and armour removed and fitted with a long dorsal fairing.


Projected Variants

Type 152 Beaufort Mk.III As the Mk.I but fitted with two 1250 h.p. Rolls-Royce Merlin XX powerplants.


Production List Page Top
Type 152 Beaufort - UK Built
Type 152 Beaufort - UK Built Exports
Type 152 Beaufort - Australian Built



Type 152 Beaufort U.K. Built

Production List Top Page Top 

Serial Range C/n Type Batch Qty Conv. Canc'd Notes
 78 aircraft ordered from the Bristol Aeroplane Company, Filton, Bristol, Somerset, to contract 552815/36. Delivered between April 1939 and June 1940.
 L4441 - L4518  8302-8379  Mk.I  78      L4448 to Australia as pattern aircraft.
 272 aircraft ordered from the Bristol Aeroplane Company, Filton, Bristol, Somerset, to contract 552815/36. Delivered as 271 Mk.I and one Mk.II between March and October 1940.
 L9790 - L9838  8950-8998  Mk.I  49      
 L9851 - L9897  8999-9045    47      
 L9932 - L9972  9046-9086    41      
 N1000 - N1047  9087-9134    48      
 N1074 - N1109  9135-9170    36      
 N1110  9171  Mk.II  1      Prototype MkII, delivered November 1940
 N1111 - N1118  9172-9179  Mk.I  8      
 N1145 - N1186  9180-9221    42      
 50 aircraft ordered from the Bristol Aeroplane Company, Filton, Bristol, Somerset, to contract 552815/36. Delivered   between December 1940 and January 1941.
 W6467 - W6506  9472-9511  Mk.I  40      
 W6518 - W6527  9512-9521    10      
 40 aircraft ordered from the Bristol Aeroplane Company, Filton, Bristol, Somerset, to contract 780809/38 (originally 552815/36). Delivered between January and April 1941.
 W6528 - W6543  9522-9537  Mk.I  16      
 X8916 - X8939  9538-9561    24      
 150 aircraft ordered from the Bristol Aeroplane Company, Filton, Bristol, Somerset, to contract 136959/40. Delivered as 45 Mk.I, 55 Mk.II and 50 Mk.IIA between April 1941 and February 1942.
 AW187 - AW221  9894-9928  Mk.I  35      
 AW234 - AW243  9929-9938    10      
 AW244 - AW253  9939-9948  Mk.II  10      
 AW271 - AW315  9949-9993    45      
 AW335 - AW384  9994-10043  Mk.IIA  50  (1)    AW372 converted to prototype Mk.IV
 120 aircraft ordered from the Bristol Aeroplane Company, Filton, Bristol, Somerset, to contract 136959/40. Delivered as 61 Mk.IA and 59 Mk.IIA between March and July 1942
 DD870 - DD911  10962-11003  Mk.IIA  42      
 DD927 - DD933  11004-11010    7      
 DD934  11011  Mk.IA  1      
 DD935 - DD944  11012-11021  Mk.IIA  10      
 DD945 - DD959  11022-11036  Mk.IA  15      
 DD974 - DD999  11037-11062    26      
 DE108 - DE126  11063-11081    19      
 200 aircraft ordered from the Bristol Aeroplane Company, Filton, Bristol, Somerset, to contract 136959/40. Delivered   between June 1942 and March 1943.
 DW802 - DW836  11082-11116  Mk.IA  35      
 DW851 - DW898  11117-11164    48      
 DW913 - DW962  11165-11214    50      
 DW977 - DW999  11215-11237    23      
 DX114 - DX157  11238-11281    44      
 50 aircraft ordered from the Bristol Aeroplane Company, Filton, Bristol, Somerset, to contract 136959/40. Delivered   between February and April 1943.
 EK969 - EK999  11282-11312  Mk.IA  31      
 EL123 - EL141  11313-11331    19      
 111 aircraft ordered from the Bristol Aeroplane Company, Filton, Bristol, Somerset, to contract 136959/40. Delivered   between April and July 1943.
 JM431 - JM470  11336-11375  Mk.IA  40      
 JM496 - JM517  11376-11937    22      
 JM545 - JM593  11398-11446    49      
 108 aircraft ordered from the Bristol Aeroplane Company, Filton, Bristol, Somerset, to contract 136959/40. Delivered   between July 1943 and January 1944.
 LR885 - LR908  11447-11470  Mk.IA  24      
 LR920 - LR963  11471-11514    44      
 LR976 - LR999  11515-11538    24      
 LS113 - LS128  11539-11554    16      
 21 aircraft ordered from the Bristol Aeroplane Company, Banwell, Somerset, to contract 136959/40. Delivered between August and November 1943.
 LS129 - LS130  11555-11556  Mk.IIA  2  (1)    LS130 converted to Mk.IIA(T)
 LS131 - LS149  11557-11575    19      
 229 aircraft ordered from the Bristol Aeroplane Company, Filton, Bristol, Somerset, to contract 136959/40. Delivered as 130 Mk.IA and 81 Mk.IIA between November 1943 and November 1944
 ML430 - ML476  11576-11622  Mk.IIA  47      
 ML489 - ML524  11623-11658    36      
 ML540 - ML564  11659-11683    25  (9)    ML556 - ML564 converted to Mk.IIA(T)
 ML565 - ML586  11784-11805  Mk.IIA(T)  22      
 ML599 - ML635  11806-11842    37      
 ML649 - ML692  11843-11886    44      
 ML705 - ML722  11887-11904    18      
  Total Production 1429 (11)    



Type 152 Beaufort - UK Built Exports

Production List Top Page Top 

Ex-RAF Aircraft Refurbished (In alphabetical order by country)
Serial Range Type Qty Notes
Canada  12 aircraft supplied from RAF stocks on Vancouver Island, BC. Delivered between November 1942 and April 1943.
   Mk.I  12    Ex-RAF L9967, L9968, N1005, N1007, N1021, N1027, N1029, N1030, N1045, N1078, N1107, W6484
       
South Africa  18 aircraft supplied from RAF stocks. Delivered between December 1941 and February 1942.
 752 - 769  Mk.I  18    Ex-RAF N1032, L9941, L9956, N1076, N1011, N1008, L9957, L9940, N1031, L9954, N1004, N1145, L9960, L9958, N1046, N1010, N1111, N1047
   40 aircraft supplied from RAF stocks. Delivered between June and November1943. These retained their RAF serials.
   Mk.I  2    W6488, W6497
   Mk.II  2    AW287, AW313
   Mk.IIA  9    DD882, DD883, DD889, DD890, DD895, DD903, DD905, DD942, DD944
   Mk.IA  27    DE111, DE119, DE122, DW807, DW829, DW830, DW835, DW870, DW875, DW877, DW881 - DW884, DW886, DW887, DW892, DW896, DW917,
       DW924, DW936, DW946, DW984, DW989, DX150, DX151, EK990
Turkey  13 aircraft supplied from RAF stocks. Delivered in February 1944. Only 11 received Turkish Air Force serials.
 4601 - 4604, 4606, 4608,  Mk.IA  13    Ex RAF DW893, DW930, DW945, DW954, DW960, DW981, DW985, DX125, DX144, DX147, DX149, DX153, EK976.  
 4611, 4613, 4615, 4616,      Relationship to Turkish Air Force   serials is unknown.
 4629      
   12 aircraft supplied from RAF stocks. Delivered between February and April 1945. Only 10 received Turkish Air Force serials.
 4621 - 4623, 4625 - 4628,  Mk.IIA  12    Ex RAF ML492, ML495, ML499, ML500, ML501, ML506, ML515, ML518, ML542 -   ML545.
 4630 - 4631      Relationship to Turkish Air Force serials is unknown.
Total 95  



Type 152 Beaufort - Australian Built

Production List Top Page Top 

Serial Range C/n Type Batch Qty Conv. Canc'd Notes
 90 aircraft ordered from the Beaufort Division, Dept. of Aircraft Production, Mascot (N.S.W.) and Fishermans Bend (Vic.)(see note 1), to contract 780809/38, originally delivered to the RAF in the
 Far East, but see note 2. Delivered between February and November 1942. The first 18 aircraft were built from kits supplied by Bristol.
 T9540 - T9559    Mk.II  20      Later A9-1 to A9-20. Redesignated Mk.V. T9545 was the first machine built at Mascot
 T9560 - T9569      10      Later A9-21 to A9-30. Redesignated Mk.V
 T9583 - T9602      20      Later A9-31 to A9-50 (but see note 2). Redesignated Mk.V
 T9603 - T9608      6      Later A9-51 to A9-56 (but see note 2). Redesignated Mk.VI
 T9624 - T9657      34      Later A9-57 to A9-90. Redesignated Mk.VI
 90 aircraft ordered from the Beaufort Division, Dept. of Aircraft Production, Mascot (N.S.W.) and Fishermans Bend (Vic.)(see note 1), to DAP Demand No 55/40. Delivered as 30 Mk.V and 60 Mk.VII  
 between August and December 1942.
 A9-91 - A9-150    Mk.VII  60      
 A9-151 - A9-180    Mk.VA  30      
 270 aircraft ordered from the Beaufort Division, Dept. of Aircraft Production, Mascot (N.S.W.) and Fishermans Bend (Vic.)(see note 1), to DAP Demand No 963/42. Delivered between
 November 1942 and September 1943.
 A9-181 - A9-450    Mk.VIII  270      
 250 aircraft ordered from the Beaufort Division, Dept. of Aircraft Production, Mascot (N.S.W.) and Fishermans Bend (Vic.)(see note 1), to DAP Demand No 1156/43. Delivered between
 October 1943 and September 1944.
 A9-451 - A9-700    Mk.VIII  250      
 46 aircraft converted from Mk.V to Mk.IX. Delivered between November 1944 and October 1945.
 A9-701 - A9-746    Mk.IX    (46)    Ex A9-14, 17, 221, 292, 62, 79, 673, 288, 379, 59, 605, 310, 403, 293, 309, 184, 235, 193,
             198, 342, 328, 187, 216, 218, 206, 234, 231, 213, 208, 521, 315, 410, 367, 543, 246, 203, 232,
             254, 433, 312, 316, 320,   201, 420 363, 477 respectively.
 L4448 pattern aircraft re-serialed in the A9 series in February 1943.
 A9-1001    Mk.II        
  Total Production 700 (46)    



Production Summary

Page Top 
All Aircraft By Mark
Type Built New Conv. Canc'd Total
 Type 152 Beaufort Mk.I 484      
 Type 152 Beaufort Mk.IA 530      
 Type 152 Beaufort Mk.II 56      
 Type 152 Beaufort Mk.IIA 238      
 Type 152 Beaufort Mk.IIA(T) 121 (10)   131
 Type 152 Beaufort Mk.IV   (1)   1
 Type 152 Beaufort Mk.V 50      
 Type 152 Beaufort Mk.VA 30      
 Type 152 Beaufort Mk.VI 40      
 Type 152 Beaufort Mk.VII 60      
 Type 152 Beaufort Mk.VIII 520      
 Type 152 Beaufort Mk.IX   (46)   46
  2129 (57) 0  

U.K. Built Aircraft Supplied to Foreign Air Arms
Country  Mk.I  Mk.IA  Mk.II  Mk.IIA Total
 Canada 12       12
 South Africa 20 27 2 9 58
 Turkey   13   12 25
  32 40 2 21 95


Notes
  1. Fishermans Bend built A9-1 to A9-5 then odd RAAF serials, starting A9-7. Mascot built even RAAF serials starting with A9-6 [8].
     
  2. The T-series aircraft had originally belonged to 100 Squadron of the RAF in the Far East, but, following the fall of Singapore, this squadron and its aircraft were handed over to the RAAF on 25 February, 1942. The T-series aircraft were re-serialled in the A9 series in June and July 1942. All 90 serials were allocated, but 4 (T9592, 9602, 9604, 9608) were SOC before they could be applied.

Production References
  1. Bristol Aircraft Since 1910, C.H. Barnes (Putnam, 1964)
  2. The Beaufort File, Roger Hayward (Air Britain Publications, 1990)
  3. Air Britain RAF Aircraft Register Series, Various Volumes (Air-Britain Publications)
  4. RAF Contracts - Air Britain Aeromilitaria, various issues
  5. RAF Contract Cards, held by the Air Historical Branch of the RAF and retained at the RAF Museum, Hendon.
  6. RAF Serial Registers, held by the Air Historical Branch of the RAF and retained at the RAF Museum, Hendon.
  7. RAAF Record Cards, courtesy of Geoff Sinclair.
  8. National Archives of Australia , record NAA: A11252, 1 - Report by Chief of the Air staff on activities of the Air Force (Weekly) May 1941 - December 1941.

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Page Revision History Page Top

Revised at Version 1.4.2
  • Corrected note 1.

V1.4.4 Created by Roger Moss. Last updated August 2020