Bristol Type 156 Beaufighter

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

Contents

Type Description - UK Variants

• Type 156 Beaufighter Mk.I
• Two seat long-range heavy day and night fighter derivative of the Type 152 Beaufort, featuring a new slim fuselage, initially to Speification F.11/37, later Specification F.17/39 to meet the requirements of OR.72. The wings, control surfaces, retractable landing gear and aft section of the fuselage were identical to those of the Beaufort. The fuselage was of all-metal monocoque construction, comprising three sections with Z-section frames and L-section stringers, the whole covered with a smooth metal skin. The cantilever all-metal monoplane wing was also built in three sections, comprising a nearly rectangular centre-section passing through and bolted to the fuselage and two tapering outer sections set at a 5 degree dihedral. The wing consisted of two spars with single-sheet webs and extruding flanges, formed ribs and a stressed-skin covering. Hydraulically-actuated flaps were located between the fuselage and the ailerons. The tailplane and fin were separate structures with flush riveted smooth metal skin, except that tips of tailplane were made of wood. All flying controls were metal framed with fabric covering. Controllable trim-tabs were fitted to the elevators and rudder. The main units of the retractable tanding gear featured two Lockheed oleo-pneumatic shock absorber legs and pneumatically operated Dunlop twin brakes, and these were hydraulically raised backwards into the engine nacelle, enclosed by hinged doors. The tail wheel retracted forward into the fuselage.
  The pilot was located in a fighter-type cockpit, while the navigator/radio/radar operator sat to the rear under a small Perspex bubble canopy. Both crew-members had their own hatch in the floor of the aircraft. The front hatch was behind the pilot's seat. As there was no room to climb around the seat-back, the back collapsed to allow the pilot to climb over and into the seat. In an emergency, the pilot could operate a lever that remotely released the hatch, grasp two steel overhead tubes and lift himself out of his seat, swing his legs over the open hatchway, then let go to drop through. Evacuating the aircraft was easier for the navigator, as the rear hatch was in front of him and without obstruction.
  The primary armament consisted of four forward-firing 20 mm Hispano Mk.III cannons mounted in the lower fuselage area. These were initially fed from 60-round drums, requiring the radar operator to change the ammunition drums manually, soon replaced by a belt-feed system. The cannons were supplemented by six .303 in Browning machine guns in the wings (four starboard, two port, the asymmetry caused by the port mounting of the landing light). Two 1400 h.p Bristol Hercules III, X or XI powerplants driving 12 ft 9 in diameter de Havilland three blade constant speed non-feathering or variable pitch propellers.
  All Mk.I aircraft were produced as Mk.IF or Mk.IC.

• Type 156 Beaufighter Mk.IF
• Dedicated night fighter variant of Mk.I fitted with A.I. Mk.IV Airborne Interception radar.

• Type 156 Beaufighter Mk.IC
• Beaufighter I adopted for Coastal Command service with long-range fuel tanks in place of wing guns and revised crew arrangements, with a navigators table and instruments for the observer, plus a direction finding loop replacing the camera gun.

• Type 156 Beaufighter Mk.II
• As Mk.I but fitted with two 1250 h.p Rolls-Royce Merlin XX powerplants, fitted with 12 ft diameter Rotol three blade, constant speed, vaiable pitch propeller. All production aircraft were delivered as Mk.IIF.

• Type 156 Beaufighter Mk.V
• Mk.II fitted with modified armament; one Boulton Paul Type A Mk.IID dorsal turret with four .303 in Browning machine guns, plus two orward-firing 20 mm Hispano Mk.III cannons were mounted in the lower fuselage area..

• Type 156 Beaufighter Mk.VI
• Mk.I with progressively-introduced improvements including dihedral on tailplane. Armament was increased, with one .303 in Vickers K gun in the dorsal cupola, plus provision for one 250 lb bomb under each wing. Two 1,670 h.p. Bristol Hercules VI or XVI powerplants. All were produced as Mk.VIF, Mk.VIC or Mk.VIC(ITF).

• Type 156 Beaufighter Mk.VIF
• Mk.VI fitted with A.I. Mk.VI or A.I. Mk.VII Airborne Interception radar in a 'thimble' nose.

• Type 156 Beaufighter Mk.VIC
• Mk.VI with additional tankage and bellows-operated dive brakes, for long range strike role. Capable of being fitted with one 250 lb bomb or four 3-in rocket projectiles under each wing. 50 gallon and 24 gallon fuel cells could replace the starboard and port wing gun bays respectively.

• Type 156 Beaufighter Mk.VIC(ITF)
• As Mk.VIC but capable of being fitted with one British 18-in or US 22.5-in torpedo externally under the fuselage, in place of the wing mounted ordanance.

• Type 156 Beaufighter T.F.Mk.X
• As Mk.VIC(ITF), progressively updated with AI Mk VIII in 'thimble' nose, long dorsal fin, enlarged tailplane, increased ammunition load for nose cannon, provision for third crewman behind pilot to assist in aiming torpedo. Two 1770 h.p. Bristol Hercules XVII powerplants.

• Type 156 Beaufighter T.T.Mk.10
• Mk.X converted as a target tug, equiped with a windmill-type winch.

• Type 156 Beaufighter Mk.XIC
• T.F.Mk.X without torpedo carrying gear.

Type 156 Beaufighter T.F.Mk.X Specification
Span	Length	Height	Wing Area	Empty Wt	Max AUW	Cruise Speed	Maximum Speed	Range	Service Ceiling
57 ft 10 in	42 ft 6 in	15 ft 10 in	503 sq ft	15600 lb	25200 lb		330 mph/ 287 kn	1470 mi	15000 ft
17.63 m	12.95 m	4.83 m	46.73 m2	7076 kg	11431 kg		531 km/h	2366 km	4572 m

Type Description - Australian Variants

• Type 156 Beaufighter Mk.XXI ⁽²⁾
• Mk.X modified for Australian production. Wing armament changed to four Browning .50 in machine guns plus two 50 gal. fuel tanks, though, owing to production difficulties the first 200 aircraft were fitted with 50 gal. wing tanks only. From Beaufighter A8-201 onwards the .5" wing guns were fitted. Torpedo equipment was deleted, allowing for the carriage of 2000 lb of bombs or a 200 gallon drop tank under the centre section. Sperry autopilot wasfitted, located in a bulge on the upper nose. Two 1735 h.p Bristol Hercules XVIII powerplants.

• Type 156 Beaufighter T.T.Mk.21
• Mk.XXI converted as a target tug, equiped with a windmill-type winch.

Projected Variants

• Type 158 Beaufighter Mk.III
• New slim fuselage and Hercules powerplants.

• Type 158 Beaufighter Mk.IV
• As Type 158 Beaufighter Mk.III with Griffon powerplants.

• Type 156 Beaufighter Mk.VII
• Australian development of Mk.VIC with Hercules 26 powerplants.

• Type 156 Beaufighter Mk.VIII
• Australian development of Mk.VIC with Wright Double Cyclone GR 2600-A5B powerplants. As these powerplants were larger than the Hecules, the nacelles were completely redesigned, with a pointed aft end considerably aft of the trailing edge. One Fairey-built Mk.IC, A19-2 (ex-T4921), was converted as a trials aircraft.

• Type 156 Beaufighter Mk.IX
• Australian development of Mk.VIC with Wright Double Cyclone GR 2600-A5B powerplants.

• Type 156 Beaufighter Mk.XII
• Development of Mk.X with strengthened wing to support a 1000lb bomb under each. Hercules 27 powerplants.

Production Tables Index

Type 156 Beaufighter - UK Built
Type 156 Beaufighter - UK Built Exports
Type 156 Beaufighter - Australian Built

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Production Summary

Notes

1. Per the Aircraft Movement Cards [11], 61 aircraft were converted to T.T.Mk.10, as indicated. Barnes [1] and Bingham [2] only give 35 aircraft converted but without further clarification. Hamlin [3] also gives 35 in the body of the book, but the indicated the 61 aircraft as converted to TT.10 in the idividual aircraft listings.
2. Later designated F.21.
3. T4931 / A19-2 converted to use Wright Cyclone powerplants in 1944 and fitted with dihedral tail later in 1944.
4. Overseas Indent 910 was initially for 54 aircraft, increased to 72 in May 1942 [13]. Overseas Indent 1110 of March 1942 was initially for 308 aircraft, but, as there was little chance of this amount being available, was dropped to 18 aircraft in September, before finally settling at 72 aircraft by January 1943 [14]. An order for another 36 in early October, quickly amended to 72, became Overseas Indent 1334 [15], finally approved in early November, raising the total order to 216. The discepency between this and the 218 allocated serials is due to two factors: a replacement aircraft for EL412/A19-105, which had been damaged and ended up in India, plus LX815, which was supplied to Department of Aircraft Production as pattern aircraft for local production, arriving in September 1943. As such it was officially not sent to the RAAF, but was eventually taken on charge in August 1945, becoming the last serial number.

Production References

1. Bristol Aircraft Since 1910, C.H. Barnes (Putnam, 1964, 1970 and 1988)
2. Bristol Beaufighter, Victor Bingham (Airlife, 1994)
3. Bristol Beaufighter, the Full Story, John Hamlin (Air Britain, 2022)
4. Air Britain RAF Aircraft Register Series, Various Volumes (Air-Britain Publications)
5. British Military Aircraft Serials, 1878 - 1987, Bruce Robertson (Midland Counties Publishing, 1987)
6. Warpaint Series 2 #01 - Bristol Beaufighter, Alan W Hall (Alan W. Hall (Publications) Ltd, UK, 1996)
7. Aircraft in Action #1153 - Bristol Beaufighter in Action, Jerry Scutts (Squadron/Signal Publishing, 1995)
8. Australian Military Aircraft Serial Numbers at adf-serials
9. Bristol Beaufighter in Israel at https://forum.keypublishing.com/archive/index.php/t-1078.html.
10. RAF Air Historical Branch: Delivery Serial Ledger (A.M. Form 622) (Dept of Archive and Aviation Records, RAF Museum, Hendon, Records MF-1 thru 5)
11. RAF Air Historical Branch: RAF Aircraft Movement Card (A.M. Form 78) (Dept of Archive and Aviation Records, RAF Museum, Hendon, Records MFC-77-15-13 through -16)
12. RAF Air Historical Branch: Contract Delivery Cards (Dept of Archive and Aviation Records, RAF Museum, Hendon, Records MFC-78-8-1)
13. National Archives of Australia NAA: Air Board Agenda 3979 (RAAF) - Supply of 18 Bristol Beaufighter aircraft - Overseas Indent No. 910 (supplementary)
14. National Archives of Australia NAA: Air Board Agenda 4547 (RAAF) - Supply of Beaufighter aircraft and spare engines to meet wastage requirements to 30 June 1943 - Overseas Indent No. 1110
15. National Archives of Australia NAA: Air Board Agenda 5203 (RAAF) - Supply of Beaufighter aircraft and spare parts to meet wastage requirements
16. National Archives of Australia NAA: A705, 9/18/28 - Two-seater fighter - Selection of type
17. National Archives of Australia NAA: A10297 BLOCK 67 - Aircraft status cards - Beaufighter - Hercules - A8-1 to A8-365 [RAAF form E/E88]
18. National Archives of Australia NAA: A10297 BLOCK 106 - Aircraft status cards - Beaufighter A19-1 to A19-218 [RAAF form E/E88]
19. National Archives of Australia NAA: A11093 452_A19B RAAF Command Headquarters - Beaufighter attack aircraft - BD45A - A19

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