Bristol Type 152 Beaufort

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

Contents

Type Description - UK 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. The fuselage was an all metal stressed-skin monocoque structure of Z-section frames and extruded angle stringers, with a riveted Alclad skinning, and built in three sections. The two-spar wings were also built in three sections, with main spars featuring alclad webs and extruded hiduminium booms. Ribs were alclad and the whole alclad plated with spanwise skin stiffeners. The centre win featured no dihedral, while the outer wings had dihedral of 6.5 degrees. Frise type ailerons and hydraulically operated split trailing edge flaps were fitted. The undercarriage featured twin oleo unit main units and a fixed tailwheel. The tailplane was a single piece, two-spar structure, bolted directly onto the fuselage, with split elevators. All main control surfaces were fabric covered. Defensive armament consisted of a Daimler-built Bristol B.IV dorsal turret, initially with one, then later twin, .303 in Vickers K machine gun, along with a .303 in machine-gun in the port wing. Offenive armament usually comprised one 1,650 lb Mk XII 18 inch torpedo or up to 2,000 lb of bombs or mines. Later Mk.Is featured ASV radar. Two Bristol Taurus powerplants (See Note 6).

• 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 R-1830-S3C4G powerplants fitted with Curtiss Electric propellers. Improved armament included the Bristol B.I.Mk.V dorsal turret and Frazer-Nash F.N.54 under-nose turret with a periscopic sight and remote control, firing rearward. Mk.II aircraft were produced to Production Specification Beaufort II/P1.

• Type 152 Beaufort Mk.IIA
• As Mk.II 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.

Type 152 Beaufort Mk.I Specification
Span	Length	Height	Wing Area	Empty Wt	Max AUW	Cruise Speed	Maximum Speed	Range	Service Ceiling
57 ft 10 in	44 ft 2 in	14 ft 3 in	503 sq ft	13107 lb	21228 lb	255 mph/ 222 kn	272 mph/ 236 kn	1600 mi	16500 ft
17.63 m	13.46 m	4.34 m	46.73 m2	5945 kg	9629 kg	410 kph	438 kph	2575 km	5029 m

Type Description - Australian Variants

• Type 152 Beaufort Mk.V
• Mk.II modified for Australian production. Two 1,200 h.p. Pratt & Whitney Twin Wasp R-1830-S3C4G powerplants fitted with Curtiss Electric propellers. 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 de Havilland Australia built Hamilton Standard constant speed propellers.

• Type 152 Beaufort Mk.VI
• As the Mk.V with 1,200 h.p. Pratt & Whitney Twin Wasp R-1830-S1C3G powerplants and Curtiss Electric propellers..

• Type 152 Beaufort Mk.VII
• As the Mk.VI but fitted with de Havilland Australia built Hamilton Standard constant speed propellers.

• Type 152 Beaufort Mk.VIII
• As the Mk.V, but fitted with an ASV radar and able to carry American or British mines or torpedoes.

• 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. See Note 7.

Projected Variants

• Type 152 Beaufort Mk.III
• As the Mk.I but fitted with two 1,250 h.p. Rolls-Royce Merlin XX powerplants.

Production Tables Index

Type 152 Beaufort - UK Built
Type 152 Beaufort - UK Built Exports
Type 152 Beaufort - Australian Built

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Production Summary

Notes

1. Beauforts for Australia.
1. On 12 February 1937 Australia placed a formal order, Air Board Overseas Indent 550, for 40 Bolingbroke General Reconnaissance aircraft from Bristol, along with Indent 551 for spares [8], with serials A9-1 to A9-40 allotted [8]; 10 more were ordered in November, to Indent 591 [17]. The Bolingbroke design as it stood was cancelled in December 1937 and, following a review of both the Beaufort and Blackburn Botha, an Air Board Memo "Purchase of Aircraft for the Royal Australian Air Force" [15] dated 18 February 1938 recommended replacing the Bolingbroke order with a similar number of Beauforts. A Cypher Message from the Air Board to the Australian Liaison Officer in the UK on 3 February 1938 (RAAF File 1/501/96 [15]) confirmed this substitution, and a following message on 10 March (RAAF File 1/501/96 [15]) referenced the probable need for a further 83 Beauforts to cover the Governments expansion plans. Indents 550 and 591 were consolidated under 550 in July 1938 (RAAF File 121/25/175 [8]).
2. Per Cypher Message Y.675 (RAAF File 1/501/120 [15)] of 13 June 1938, ". . . On our current forecast delivery 50 Beauforts on Indent 550 will begin in July 1939. A.M.S.O has agreed to release 2 Beauforts to be probably delivered about 2 or 3 months before balance on order of Indent 550 commences to be delivered. Regarding proposed order for an additional 45 to 50 Beauforts decision is that an additional 50 Beauforts could be supplied for Australia on completion of current RAF order for 350 Beauforts”.
3. A following Cypher, Y.695 (RAAF File 1/501/120 [15)] of 13 July 1938 stated that Air Ministry had allotted 50 Beauforts (i.e., the order on Indent 550) numbers 28, 29 and 49 to 98 in the production series, thereby making them available earlier. In the end, only one of the promised two early aircraft, L4448, was actually delivered. A second airframe, the 100th on the production line (L9811), was allocated (Cablegram 746 of 31 Jan 1940 [10]), but was instead delivered to the RAF in August 1940 [5].
4. Air Board Minute: Agenda No.2284, dated 24 August 1938 [18], stated "Fifty Beaufort aircraft are on order. As stated by A.M.S., 87 additional Beauforts will be needed to complete requirements in this class of twin-engined aircraft for initial equipment reserves and wastage under the development plan. At this stage the Board proposes, owing to restricted funds, to order only 40 of the additional Beauforts and 12 spare engines". This was sanctioned per Air Board Overseas Indent 657 in August 1938 [18], giving a total of 90 on order from Bristol. Meanwhile, in an extract from a Liaison Officer's report of 1 November 1938 (RAAF File 1/501/144 [15]), ".....50 Beauforts indent 550, Ministry states as Ministry has taken up all Lockheed's capacity for Lockheed G.R., the Chief of the Air Staff has agreed allot Australia Beauforts which are earlier in production series than those shown in contract 780809/38, see my AB.1415 25th July. Ministry will first equip one R.A.F. squadron of 12 Beauforts initial equipment and 4 Beauforts immediate reserve to try out machines and clear teething trouble. Ministry's latest promise Beauforts for Australia is numbers 17 to 26, 31 to 70 inclusive in production series. Under this scheme 50 Beauforts for Australia will be delivered between July and end October 1939."
5. Following the British Air Mission to Australia's report on 18 March 1939 [26][30], Australian production of the Beaufort was agreed in June, with the first batch of 90 going to the RAF, against Requisition 11/39, (RAF Contract Delivery Cards MFC 78-8-1 Scan 871 and 872 [5]), the second 90 to the RAAF (eventually against Department of Aircraft Production Demand No 55/40). Contract No. B.978309/39, dated 26th January 1939, had earlier been raised with Bristol for supplying the pattern aircraft, Jigs, Tools and Materials etc. for Beaufort production; Bristol were also to supply parts to manufacture the first 10 aircraft to be produced in Australia, including gun turrets, with raw materials for a further 10, as laid out in Indent Order AC.6 (S.D.8) of 20 September 1939 [24]. However, a report "The Beaufort Scheme" of 1 August 1940 [15], stated "Due to the conditions brought about by the war, much of the data supplied by the Company has been incorrect and unreliable, necessitating vast amount of checking and re-checking of drawings, planning, data etc. The company has found it to be impossible to supply the tooling; it undertook to furnish, as a result of which we have had to manufacture in Australia 26,000 of the 88,000 Jig and tools necessary for production purposes . . . the delivery of the fabricated parts and materials for the first 20 aircraft is now to be completed as early as practicable."
6. With production now planned for Australia, the question of location was discussed in Air Board memos of 1 May and 27 June 1939 [26], with the recommendation that it should go to the Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation (CAC). Instead, in 1939 the government set up the new Department of Supply and Development with an Aircraft Construction Branch within that department; both organisations officially came into being on 1 July 1939. In March 1940 the Aircraft Construction Branch was renamed the Aircraft Production Commission (APC). Three months later oversight responsibility was removed from the Minister for Supply and Development and transferred to the Minister for Munitions. In June 1941 (by which time production work had begun) the Aircraft Production Commission was removed from the Department of Supply and Development, placed within the newly created Department of Aircraft Production (DAP) and was soon after renamed the Aircraft Advisory Committee for the Co-ordination of Aircraft Production with the actual aircraft manufacturer being constituted as the Beaufort Division, usually referred to as the Beaufort Division of the DAP.
7. The Beaufort Division was primarily responsible only for final assembly, on two lines, one at Fishermans Bend and the other at Mascot. A suitable production organisation was established which made extensive use of existing facilities at Chullora Railway Workshops in Sydney, Newport Workshops in Melbourne and Islington Railway Workshops in Adelaide, and at the General Motors Holden factory in Woodville, South Australia, for the manufacture of major subassemblies. These were then moved either to Mascot or to Fishermen's Bend for final assembly. At Fishermen's Bend, a new factory was constructed alongside CAC so that both could make use of the existing aerodrome. The factory was completed in March 1940 and placed under the control of the Aircraft Production Commission which had replaced the Aircraft Construction Branch.
8. With production now agreed in Australia, the order from the UK was slowly reduced, firstly by 10 from Indent 657 in June 1939, replaced by an equal number of Beaufighters (RAAF File 9/18/16, Cypher L.374 [9]), by the 50 from Indent 550 (War Cabinet Agendum 51/1939 [16] of 20 December 1939), being replaced by an equal number of Hudsons [19] and a further 16 from Indent 657 in March 1940 as a cost saving (Memorandum 6/301/89, War Cabinet Minute of 22 Dec 1939 [16]) until final cancellation in April 1940 (RAAF File 9/18/58 [25], dated 29 April 1940), following which the RAAF serials A9-1 to 90 were reallocated to the 90 Australian built Beauforts ordered for the RAAF under A.P.C. 55.
9. Although production of the first batch of 90 aircraft for the RAAF had been much discussed, in wasn't until July 1940 that Demand A.P.C. 55 was actually raised, at that time for Beaufort Mk.III with Twin Wasp S1C3G powerplants [20] (see Note 4 for details on Mark Numbers).
10. Air Board Agendum 2928 of February 1941 (which became War Cabinet Agendum 151/40) approved the purchase of 90 more Beauforts for the RAAF, but War Cabinet Minute 810A [29] reduced the order by 52 the same month to provide funds to purchase the equivalent amount of Lockheed Hudsons, the final 38 being cancelled under War Cabinet Minute 1110A Supplement 5 to 151/1940 [26] in May, as there were better prospects for delivery of additional Hudsons [29].
11. In April 1941 the RAF ordered a further 90 aircraft from Australia. Air Board Agendum 3954/42 of 13 May 1942 [21] approved another 127 Beauforts to increase RAAF order to 217, and at the same time, due to the urgent need for Beauforts in Australia, the UK agreed that all Australian production, beyond those first order for 90 aircraft already allocated to RAF in the Far East, should be delivered to the RAAF. [21]. Production was further increased by another 143 to a total of 450 by War Cabinet Agendum 257/1942 [16]) of 16 July 1942, these 270 (127 +143) being ordered against DAP Demand No 963/42 [2]. War Cabinet Agendum 41/1943 [22] added a further 250, ordered against DAP Demand No 1156/43 [2], bringing overall Australian production to 700.
12. A much more extensive discourse on the matters covered in the above note can be found at http://www.adf-serials.com.au/research/Beaufort_Matters.pdf
2. Production for the first RAF order took place at Fishermans Bend and Mascot, Fishermen’s Bend commenced assembly before Mascot and three aircraft (T9540, T9541 and T9542) were flown at Fishermen’s Bend before the first Mascot aircraft (T9545) flew on 22 October 1941. Two other aircraft, T9543 and T9544, were already well advanced on the production line at Fishermen’s Bend. From this time, an odds and evens numbering system was introduced for the RAF T-serials, with aircraft from Fishermen’s Bend being given even numbers and odd numbers from Mascot. When the direction was received to change to the RAAF A9 serials and because the conversion resulted in a T even number becoming an A9 odd number (ie T9540 to A9-1), this resulted in aircraft from Fishermen’s Bend serialed with odd numbers (i.e., A9-61) and those from Mascot with even numbers (i.e., A9-62).
3. The first T-serialed aircraft were issued to 100 Squadron of the RAF in the Far East. There is some disagreement in official documents as to which aircraft these were, and their fates. The Aircraft Production Commission Master Schedule for Production Aircraft [11], dated 27 October 1941, showed 11 aircraft to be produced by the end of December, presumably representing T9540 to T9550.
   According to 100 Squadrons Operations Record Book (ORB) [31], the first 6 aircraft arrived at Seletar on 5 December 1941 (concurred in Cypher Message 1074 of 7 December [11]). One aircraft (presumed to be T9543 [3]) was strafed and set on fire, Kota Bahru, on the 8th. On the 19 December, four aircraft (T9541, ‘2, ‘5, ‘7) left Seletar under movement order 8/41, the fifth and last leaving on the 22nd, to form at Operational Training Unit (OTU) at Laverton. Between the 23rd and 27th, 37 air and ground crew also left for Australia under movement 8/41.
   Details of the movements of the first 11 aircraft, per Australian documents, are as follows (it is interesting to note that the DAP memos of 1946 make reference to the aircraft being returned to the RAAF, whereas they had in fact been owned by the RAF until that point):
   • T9540 - Initially used for Type Trials, this was to be delivered on 18 December, if Type Trials at Laverton discontinued, per Cablegram A.959 of 8 December 1941 [11] from the Air Board to the AOC RAF FE. The aircraft's Status Card [27] shows it remained in Australia. Per 1 OTU's ORB, it was delivered to that unit on 6 January 1942.
   • T9541 - Cypher Message A.638 of 6 December 1941 (RAAF File 9/18/93 [11]) refers to damage sustained by T9541, probably on 4 December, on landing at Surabaya. With T9540 remaining in Australia for Type Trials, this would appear to be the first aircraft despatched to the RAF in FE. The aircraft's Status Card [27] gives no mention of delivery to the RAF, the first entry shows it being issued to APC ex 1AD on 10 January 1942.
   • T9542 – Per DAP Memo of 12 August 1946, plus earlier Memo 14144 of 12 March 1946 (RAAF File 9/18/93 [11]), it was delivered to the RAF on 31 December 1941, returned to the RAAF 19 April 1942, received in flyable condition. The aircraft's Status Card [27] shows it suffered a significant accident on 5 October 1941, and then was delivered to RAF Malaya on 13 December. It was received by 1 OTU ex APC/1AD on 4 May 1942, but caught fire in the air and was written off on the 18th.
   • T9543 – Per DAP Memo of 12 August 1946, plus earlier Memo 14144 of 12 March 1946 (RAAF File 9/18/93 [11]), it was delivered to the RAF on 31 December 1941, crashed on delivery flight to Malaya and was converted to components by the RAAF. The aircraft's Status Card [27] shows it crashed on 14 December.
   • T9544 – Per DAP Memo of 12 August 1946, plus earlier Memo 14144 of 12 March 1946 (RAAF File 9/18/93 [11]), it was delivered to the RAF on 31 December 1941, returned to the RAAF on 1 January 1942, received in flyable condition. The aircraft's Status Card [27] concurs
   • T9545 – Per DAP Memo of 12 August 1946, plus earlier Memo 14144 of 12 March 1946 (RAAF File 9/18/93 [11]), it was delivered to the RAF on 31 December 1941, returned to the RAAF on 1 January 1942, received in flyable condition. The aircraft's Status Card [27] concurs with RAF delivery, but has it received by HQ Richmond for use by 100 Sqn on 9 February 1942.
   • T9546 – Cablegram A.959 of 8 December 1941 [11] from the Air Board to the AOC RAF FE stated it was to be delivered on 12 December. Per DAP Memo of 12 August 1946, plus earlier Memo 14144 of 12 March 1946 (RAAF File 9/18/93 [11]), it was delivered to the RAF on 24 December 1941, returned to the RAAF 19 April 1942, received in flyable condition. The aircraft's Status Card [27] concurs with RAF delivery, but has it issued to OTU ex Laverton on 24 December 1941, therefore apparently did not leave Australia.
   • T9547 – Per DAP Memo of 12 August 1946, plus earlier Memo 14144 of 12 March 1946 (RAAF File 9/18/93 [11]), it was delivered to the RAF on 24 December 1941, crashed at Tennant Creek. Returned to the RAAF 2 March 1942 for record purposes and written off. This disagrees with the aircraft's Status Card [27], which states it was repaired at Tennant Creek and awaiting collection by 12 February 1942. It was indeed received by the RAAF on 2 March 1942, but continued to serve until being lost in action on 10 January 1943.
   • T9548 – Cablegram A.959 of 8 December 1941 [11] from the Air Board to the AOC RAF FE, stated that it was to be delivered on 18 December. The aircraft's Status Card [27] indicates it was delivered to Service on 17 December and issued to the OTU on 24 December, so appears not to have left Australia.
   • T9549 – Cablegram A.959 of 8 December 1941 [11] from the Air Board to the AOC RAF FE, stating that it was to be delivered on 15 December. The aircraft's Status Card [27] has no entry before 17 February 1942, when it was allotted to ANA ex 1AD, presumably for repairs. Repairs must have been extensive, as it was not returned to RAAF service until 24 August 1942 [27].
   • T9550 – The aircraft's Status Card [27] gives received 1AD ex APC on 11 January 1942, issued to 100 Sqn on the 25th. It crashed on 3 February before transfer to the RAAF.
   From this one can see that Australian records do not show any aircraft lost to enemy action, as recorded in the 100 Sqn ORB. In addition, it seems unlikely that T9547 was actually delivered to Malaysia.
   On arrival in Australia, 100 Squadron became an OTU on loan to the RAAF until 25 February 1942, when it was fully absorbed into the RAAF, at which point it had 18 Beauforts on hand [28]. Deliveries continued with RAF serials, as the aircraft themselves were still considered on loan (D of E Minute 8 Mar 42 [13]). Per Air Board Agenda 3954 [29] of May 1942, it was agreed to absorb all Australian Beaufort production into the RAAF, thus the T-serialed aircraft now became the first Beauforts in the RAAF, rather than those ordered to A.P.C. 55, and were re-serialed in the A9-1 to A9-90 range in June and July that year. All 90 serials were allocated, but 7 (A9-3/T9542 w/o 18 May 42, A9-4/T9543 w/o 14 Dec 41, A9-11/T9550 w/o 3 Mar 42, A9-40/T9592 w/o 5 Jun 42, A9-50/T9602 w/o 5 Jun 42, A9-52/T9604 w/o 26 Jun 42 and A9-56/T9608 missing 12 Jun 42) were lost before they could be applied. T9625/A9-58 was possibly the last aircraft delivered with an RAF serial, as the RAAF Aircraft Status Cards [27] for A9-59 and on no longer refer to a previous RAF identity. The ORB [28] uses the A9 serials exclusively from 22 June.
   Strangely, neither RAF Contract Cards [5] nor RAF Serial Registers [6] include the T-serialed Beauforts. Currently this author has found no specific contract details for Beaufort aircraft built in Australia for the RAF. Hayward [2] gives the T-serialed aircraft as against contract 780809/38 and that may be considered feasible in their eventual absorption into the RAAF: contract 780809/38 covered 90 aircraft for the RAAF built in the UK that were eventually absorbed into the RAF (see Note 1), so possibly the transfer of the RAF aircraft to the RAAF was put under 780809/38 as quid pro quo. That is purely speculation by this author.
4. Australian Mark Numbers and Powerplants
   Per RAAF 19/501/1 of 25 October 1938 [8], it was noted that all RAF Beauforts were to be powered by the Taurus III. In September 1939, initial Beaufort production in Australia was to be fitted with the Bristol Taurus powerplant, 100 of which were to be supplied for fitment to the first 50 of the RAF order [10][14]. At this point, the specific Taurus mark was yet to be defined. There was much discussion in the latter part of 1939 about the viability of the Taurus, as well as Bristol's ability to supply enough or support Australian production of the engine [10]. Although it was agreed that all 180 Taurus powerplants, plus 10% spares, would eventually be available for the Australian built RAF order, Australia were asked to consider production of the Pratt & Whitney Twin Wasp (Cablegram of 3 November 1939 [14]), and in November approval was given for Twin Wasp production in Australia (Message D.425, 9 November 1939 [14]); it was agreed that the final 40 of the RAF order could be powered by Twin Wasps (Cablegram 866, 17 November 1939 [10][14]). In January 1940 Australian licence production was agreed and by February 1940 it was agreed that all RAAF aircraft on order were to be fitted with the Twin Wasp, these, plus the RAF aircraft, to be fitted with de Havilland built Hamilton Standard Constant Speed propellers. Beaufort Marks I and II were defined as being Taurus II and III powered respectively, those with Twin Wasp powerplants being designated Mk.III (Dept. of Air Memo S.C.9/18/56 of July 1940 [25]). 100 Twin Wasps were delivered in 1940, taken over from a French Government order following the fall of France, with Curtiss Electric propellers replacing the Hamilton Standard.
   In June 1941 the Chief Engineer of the Beaufort Program noted that the first 90 aircraft to be built, the RAF order, would be have Twin Wasp S3C4G, fitted with Curtiss Electric propellers, with the second 90, destined for the RAAF, would have Twin Wasp S1C3G, fitted with de Havilland built Hamilton Standard Constant Speed propellers, as would all further aircraft [23]. Memo 506/41 from the Resident Technical Officer at Fishermans Bend to the Director of Production , dated 2 August 1941 [12], states "Owing to numerous changes in the Australian Beaufort, it is felt that demands for spare parts practically, may cause confusion unless a definite distinction is made between Australian and English built Beaufort aircraft." As Hayward [2] points out, there were over 1600 major modifications, and substitute materials were used as much as possible. With the Taurus III now having been dropped, the replying message AL.865 in November [12] read "Ref allocation of separate Mark Numbers to distinguish Australian and British built Beauforts for RAF with S3C4G engines. Ministry have decided that these aircraft are sufficiently similar for both to be covered by same mark, namely Mark 2. Ministry agree that Beauforts built in Australia for RAAF with SC3G [sic] repeat SC3 (Note – various Australian communications incorrectly used SC3G instead of S1C3G) engines should be given separate mark number and have allotted Mark 5 for that purpose." This was repeated in a Memorandum to the Aircraft Production Division on 8 Dec 1941 [12]. Clearly this situation was reconsidered, as in June 1942, Beaufort Instruction No.2 (Issue 2) [12] defined the Australian built aircraft to be Mk.V with S3C4G engines (i.e., as Mk.II but built with all the Australian modifications), along with the similar Mk.VIII (differing only by the turret used), plus the Mk.VI and Mk.VII with S1C3G engines, these differing by propeller fitment. Finally issue 3 of the document added the Mk.VA on 2 December, to give the Australian Mark numbers as defined here.
5. UK Contract Cards and contract 780809/38.
   UK contract 552815/36 was originally for 78 aircraft against Requisition 40/36, increasing to 350 with 272 aircraft against Requisition 20/38. RAF Contract Delivery Card MFC 78-8-1, scan 867 [5], shows 552815/36 to now be for 440 aircraft (or, as stated on the card, 400 +40). Lxxxx and Nxxxx serials covered on the card cover the first 350 aircraft, with a further 50 serials (W6467 - W6506 and W6518 - W6527), all delivered, making the total of 400, with the "+40" being W6528 - W6543 and X8916 - X8939, 7 of which are indicated as being delivered by 16 February 1941. The card also indicates contract 780809/38 was for 50 aircraft for Australia against requisition 69/38, but noting the aircraft later being diverted to the RAF. Scans 871 & 872 indicate contract 552815/36, Requisition 20/38 had increased by 50 to 322, showing the transfer of 50 aircraft from contract 780809/38. It seems reasonable to conclude that the 50 aircraft (W6467 - W6506 and W6518 - W6527) were the result of the first part of the order against contract 780809/38.
   Scans 871, 872, 900 and 902 indicate contract 780809/38 for 26 aircraft against Requisition 20/38 and 14 against 69/38. These, the final 40 aircraft of the Australian order, although transferred to the RAF and indicated as all delivered, appear to have remained on contract 780809/38. Scans 900 and 902 definitely indicate W6528 - W6543 (26 aircraft to Requisition 20/38), and X8916 - X8939 (14 aircraft to Requisition 69/38) to contract 780809/38. It is, of course, possible that the contract cards simply were not updated and these aircraft were transferred to 552815/36.
6. Taurus powerplants for Beaufort Mk.I aircraft.
   Initially, the Beaufort was to be powered by the Taurus Mk.III, and the prototype first flew as such. Unfortunately, published and available sources differ on the mark of Taurus fitted to the production Beaufort Mk.I. Per Barnes [1], they were fitted with Taurus Mk.VI, Mk.XII or Mk.XVI. Per Hayward [2], they were fitted with either the Taurus Mk.II or Mk.VI. For the most part, the RAF Contract Delivery Cards MFC 78-8-1 [5] only refer to the Taurus, without mark number, but details for the first 78 aircraft on Contract 552815/36 (Scan 872) does indicate 10 Taurus Mk.II and 68 Mk.III, and Scan 871 indicates Taurus Mk.II for Taurus powered aircraft to the first part of contract B.136959/40. Details for Contract B.136959/40 on scan 906 also identify Taurus Mk.II for the 38 Beaufort Mk. I built under this part of the contract, while for the same Contract, the MAP Price Books [35] indicated Taurus Mk.XII.
7. In 1943, a Beaufort Mk VIII (A9-201) was modified by the Beaufort Division for communications duties. After the first flight in February 1944, the bomb bay was enlarged to permit a large crate to be installed. This latter experiment proved unsuccessful, and A9-201 was reverted to its original form with gun-turrets removed to provide a cabin for five passengers. The RAAF became interested in the project because transports were required in the forward areas for dropping of supplies as the Japanese withdrew. Consequently, as Beaufort Mk VIIs became due for major overhauls, they were converted for communication duties. Although designated Beaufort Mk IX, these aircraft soon became known as Beaufreighters and were given serial numbers A9-701 to A9-746.

Production References

1. Bristol Aircraft Since 1910, C.H. Barnes (Putnam, 1964, 1970 and 1988)
2. The Beaufort File, Roger Hayward (Air Britain Publications, 1990)
3. Air Britain RAF Aircraft Register Series, Various Volumes (Air-Britain Publications)
4. RAF Air Historical Branch: RAF Aircraft Movement Card (A.M. Form 78) (Dept of Archive and Aviation Records, RAF Museum, Hendon, Records MFC-77-15-16 & -17)
5. RAF Air Historical Branch: Contract Delivery Cards (Dept of Archive and Aviation Records, RAF Museum, Hendon, Records MFC-78-8-1)
6. RAF Air Historical Branch: Serial Ledger (Dept of Archive and Aviation Records, RAF Museum, Hendon, Records MF-1 thru 5)
7. Fishermens Bend - A Centre Of Australian Aviation, J.L. Kepert (Department Of Defence, Defence Science And Technology Organisation, Aeronautical Research Laboratory, General Document 39, 1993) available from the National Library of Australia.
8. National Archives of Australia NAA: A705, 9/18/15 Overseas Indents 550 & 591 - Bristol Beaufort aircraft & taurus engines
9. National Archives of Australia NAA: A705, 9/18/28 Two-seater fighter - Selection of type
10. National Archives of Australia NAA: A705, 9/18/49 Beaufort - Local Manufacture
11. National Archives of Australia NAA: A705, 9/18/93 Beaufort Aircraft - supply to United Kingdom
12. National Archives of Australia NAA: A705, 9/18/108 Australian made Beaufort - proposed renaming
13. National Archives of Australia NAA: A705, 9/18/180 Policy - taking over of RAF Beaufort by RAAF
14. National Archives of Australia NAA: A705, 69/19/22 Re manufacture in Australia of Beaufort and Taurus engines - whether to proceed with scheme
15. National Archives of Australia NAA: A1196, 1/501/213 Purchase of (Beaufort) Aircraft for RAAF Policy file
16. National Archives of Australia NAA: A2671, 51/1939 War Cabinet Agenda - No 51/1939 - Supply of aircraft to the RAAF
17. National Archives of Australia NAA: A14487, 11/AB/2128 Air Board Agenda 2128 (RAAF) - Supply of Bolingbroke aircraft with Mercury VIII engines - Overseas Indent No. 591
18. National Archives of Australia NAA: A14487, 12/AB/2284 Air Board Agenda 2284 (RAAF) - Supply of forty (40) Bristol Beaufort aircraft - Overseas Indent No. 657
19. National Archives of Australia NAA: A14487, 13/AB/2600 Air Board Agenda 2600 (RAAF) - Supply of fifty (50) additional Lockheed Hudson aircraft - Overseas Indent No 730
20. National Archives of Australia NAA: A14487, 15/AB/2928 Air Board Agenda 2928 (RAAF) - Supply of Beaufort aircraft - Demand Aircraft Production Commission No. 55
21. National Archives of Australia NAA: A14487, 23/AB/3954 Air Board Agenda 3954 (RAAF) - Air Board Agenda 3954 (RAAF) - Supply of additional 127 Beaufort aircraft
22. National Archives of Australia NAA: A14487, 29/AB/4574 Air Board Agenda 4574 (RAAF) - Further extension of Beaufort production and proposed manufacture in Australia of Beaufighter aircraft
23. National Archives of Australia NAA: MP287/1, 996 Beaufort Aircraft delivery of 90 for RAF
24. National Archives of Australia NAA: MP287/2, B1264 First 20 sets materials [for Beaufort Aeroplane] 10 sets fabricated, 10 sets unfabricated, indent SD8 (AC6)
25. National Archives of Australia NAA: MP287/2, B1507 Beaufort serial numbers (RAAF) and RAF
26. National Archives of Australia NAA: MP450/1, 77 Beaufort early papers
27. National Archives of Australia NAA: A10297, BLOCK 68 to BLOCK 74 - Aircraft status cards [RAAF form E/E88]
28. National Archives of Australia NAA: A9186, 123 RAAF Unit History sheets (Form A50) [Operations Record Book - Forms A50 and A51] Number 100 Squadron Mar 42 - Aug 46
29. National Archives of Australia NAA: MP287/1, 812 Beaufort Aircraft - future manufacturing program
30. National Archives of Australia NAA: M276, 4 Aircraft - Manufacturing of in Australia Air Mission Papers
31. The National Archives AIR 27 - Operations Record Books and Appendices, 100 Squadron
32. Australian and New Zealand Military Aircraft Serial Numbers at adf-serials
33. Bristol Air Ministry Contracts Ledger via The Bristol Aero Collection Trust Library
34. Ministry of Aircraft Production Aeroplane Price Books (Dept of Archive and Aviation Records, RAF Museum, Hendon, Records X005-2126)

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