Bristol Beaufighter TF Mk X (RD253) [@ RAF Hendon]
In October 1938, the Bristol Aeroplane Company submitted a proposal for a twin engined night fighter, heavily armed and equipped with AI radar, to the RAF Air Staff. Specification F.17/39 was written around the proposal and an order placed for 300 Beaufighters, as the aircraft would be named. The first of four Beaufighter prototypes (R2052) flew for the first time on 17th July 1939, powered by two Bristol Hercules I-SM engines (forerunners of the Hercules III). By mid-1940 Bristol had received a second contract, for 918 Beaufighters.
Bristol Beaufighter TF Mk X (RD253) [@ RAF Hendon]
Two variants were now to be produced, the Mk I with Hercules III engines and the Mk II with Rolls Royce Merlins, the Hercules being in short supply. Delays in the production of AI Mk IV radar equipment prevented the full complement of five Beaufighter squadrons from becoming operational until the spring of 1941, but despite early teething troubles those that were operational enjoyed some success. The first AI-assisted Beaufighter kill was claimed on the night of 19/20th November 1940, when Flt Lt John Cunningham [“Cats Eyes” Cunningham] and Sgt Phillipson of 604 Squadron were credited with the destruction of a Junkers 88. Thirteen more Beaufighter squadrons were assigned to the night defence of Great Britain in 1941/42 and many of the RAF's night fighter aces scored their early kills while flying the heavy twin engined fighter. Total Mk I production was 914 aircraft, while 450 Mk IIs were built. The photograph below shows a Bristol Hercules XVIII engine.
RD253 was built in 1944 at the Old Mixon Shadow Factory,
Weston-super-Mare, Somerset with Bristol Hercules XVII engines. After
fitting out by 19 MU at St. Athan, Glamorgan, RD253 was delivered to the Fôrças Aéreas
du Armada (Portuguese Navy Air Force) by sea during March 1945 as one of 16
Beaufighters. Allocated serial BF-13, RD253 served with Escuadrilha B at Portela
de Sacavem until its disbandment 1949. On withdrawal from service both RD253 and
RD220 became instructional airframes at the Lisbon Technical Institute until
1965. RD253 was then presented to the RAF for restoration during 1965 with the
restoration starting in 1967. Finally restored to a static display condition
during 1968 RD253 finally went on display at the RAF Museum in 1972. In the
photograph RD253 is displayed in D-Day invasion stripes which were added in
1994.
Bristol Beaufighter TF Mk X (RD220) [@ RAF East Fortune]
The Beaufighter Mk IC, 300 of which were produced, was a long-range strike fighter variant for RAF Coastal Command and was also used equally as effectively as a ground attack aircraft in the Western Desert. It was supplanted by the Mk VI (the Mks III, IV and V being experimental aircraft); Mk VIs for Fighter Command was designated Mk VIF (879 aircraft), and those for Coastal Command Mk VIC (693 aircraft). Sixty Mk VIs on the production line were completed as Interim Torpedo Fighters, but two new variants for Coastal Command soon appeared. These were the TF Mk X torpedo bomber and the Mk XIC, which was not equipped to carry torpedoes. Both were fitted with 1770hp Hercules XVII engines and had a dorsal cupola containing a rearward-firing 7.7mm (0.303in) machine gun. The TF Mk X was the most important British anti-shipping aircraft from 1944 to the end of the war. Production of the TF Mk X totalled 2205 aircraft, while 163 aircraft were completed to Mk XIC standard. The Beaufighter TF Mk X was also built in Australia as the TF Mk 21 (364 examples), the RAAF using it to good effect in the South-West Pacific.
RD220 was constructed at the Shadow Aircraft Factory at Old
Mixon, Weston-super-Mare, Somerset. After fitting out by 19 MU at St.
Athan, Glamorgan, RD220 (see RD253) was one of the 16 Beaufighters delivered to
the Fôrças Aéreas du Armada during 1945. Based at Portela de Sacavem RD220
served with the Escuadrilha B until its disbandment. Transferred to the
Lisbon Technical Institute to become an instructional airframe, RD220 was later
transferred to the Museo do Ar at Alverca Air Base in 1966. Stored outside
RD220 was purchased in 1983 by the South African Air Force Museum with the
intention to restoring RD220 to a flying condition. Unfortunately RD220
was put up for sale in 2000 to fund the rebuild of the Museum's Spitfire Mk.IX
that had crashed in April 2000. Bought by the National Museums Scotland
that year after raising £190,000 in just two days, RD220 is now undergoing a
comprehensive restoration to a static display condition.
