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Bristol Type 156 Beaufighter Mk.IIF
Design and service History:
The Bristol Type 156 Beaufighter Mk.IIF was a product of compromise, as though the Beaufighter had originally been designed as a reconnaissance torpedo bomber, it was soon found that the original design lent itself well to being modified into a heavy fighter, allowing the type to rapidly evolve beyond its design intentions into a multi-role fighter. The large size of the initial Beaufighter Mk.I allowed it to carry both early radar systems, but more importantly, a heavy armament of four 20mm cannons and six .303 machine guns, allowing it to be transformed into an effective night fighter with minimal modification.
The Bristol Beaufighter Mk IIF was birthed by a necessary concession, as its inception came about due to the nature of the powerplant that the previous Mk.IF I had used. The Mk.IF had been powered by the Bristol Hercules 14-cylinder radial engine, and though there was nothing wrong with the powerplant, all Hercules engines at the time had been allocated to the Short Stirling Bomber program. This necessitated a change in the powerplant if Beaufighter production was to continue, so Bristol selected the readily avalible and proven Rolls Royce Merlin XX engine to serve as a substitute, though in the end the deficiencies in Hercules production didn’t actually didn’t manifest.
With this change the First Mk.II Beaufighter took to the sky on the 14th of June 1940, powered by a pair of Merlin X engines uprated to Mk.XX standard. The design was found more than Satisfactory, and the modified type was taken into production to serve as a stopgap until Hercules production could meet demand. This would be faster than initially expected, and in comparison to the Mk.I only a limited number of Mk.II Beaufighters would actually be produced, compared to their Hercules-powered kin.
With the production in place the Mk.IIF Beaufighter would enter service in April of 1941, and would remain as a front line Night Fighter until May of 1943, when it was completely replaced by later Beaufighter variants and the more powerful D.H Mosquito. In addition to this role, the Mk.IIF would be used for night fighter training from February of 1942, where, due to the same powerplant as the Mosquito, they were a good machine for both ground crews and pilots to train on. In the end, the Mk.IIF was a stepping stone in British nightfighter development, but a successful one, as it just further cemented the already stellar reputation of the legendary Beaufighter family of aircraft.
Aircraft Specification:
Technical Data:
Empty Weight: 13900 lb
Take-off Weight: 21000 lb
Wingspan: 57 ft 10 in
Length: 42 ft 9 in
Height: 15 ft 10 in
Wing Area: 503 ft2
Number of Engines: 2
Type: Rolls-Royce Merlin XX, take-off power 1320 hp, three-bladed constant-speed propeller Rotol
Fuel Tank Capacity: 550 Imp gal, 74 gal drop tank
Performance:
Maximum Speed: 301 mph in 20200 ft
Cruise Speed: 177 mph in 29700 ft
Climb Rate: 1930 ft/min
Service Ceiling: 26500 ft
Range: 1040 mi
Armament: 4x 20mm Hispano cannon in ventral bay
6x .303 Browning Mk.II machine gun in the wings
Radar: AI Mk.IV radar
Additional Photos:
Sources:
- Bristol Beaufighter - Wikipedia (Wiki for beau)
- Night fighter Bristol Beaufighter Mk IIF R2270 | World War Photos (List of improvements and changes between the Beau mk.1 and 2)
- Bristol Beaufighter Mk.IIF : Bristol (Source of spec)
- https://www.destinationsjourney.com/historical-military-photographs/bristol-beaufighter-mk-iif/ (More history)