Bristol Beaufighter TF.Mk.X
| GENERAL DATA | |||
| Other Designation(s) | - |
||
| Type | Heavy
Fighter, Torpedo-Fighter |
Crew | 2 (pilot, observer) |
| Manufacturer(s) | Bristol Aeroplane
Company, Department of Aircraft Production (Australia) |
||
| Production | 5928 (all variants) since May 1940
to 1946 * |
||
| First Flight | 17 July 1939 (Prototype) |
Introduction | 27 July 1940 (Mark I) |
(*) Bristol Beaufighter Mk.I (915 built); Bristol Bristol Beaufighter Mk. II (448); Bristol Bristol Beaufighter Mk. VI (1831) and Bristol Bristol Beaufighter Mk. X (2205).
| Variants | |||
| Beaufighter Mark IF | Two-seat night fighter variant equipped with AI Mark IV radar and Hercules XI engines | ||
| Beaufighter Mark IC | The "C" stood for coastal command variant; many were modified to carry bombs | ||
| Beaufighter Mark IIF | However well the Beaufighter performed, the Short Stirling bomber programme by late 1941 had a higher priority for the Hercules engine, and the Rolls-Royce Merlin XX-powered Mark IIF night fighter was the result | ||
| Beaufighter Mark III/IV | The Mark III and Mark IV were to be Hercules and Merlin powered Beaufighters with a new, slimmer fuselage, carrying an armament of six cannons and six machine guns that improved performance. The necessary costs of the changes to the production line led to the curtailing of the marks. | ||
| Beaufighter Mark V | The Vs had a Boulton Paul turret with four 0.303 in (7.7 mm) machine guns mounted aft of the cockpit supplanting one pair of cannons and the wing-mounted machine guns. Only two (Merlin-engined) Mark Vs were built. When tested by the A&AEE, R2274 was capable of 486 km/h at 5800 m. | ||
| Beaufighter Mark VI | The Hercules returned with the next major version in 1942, the Mark VI, which was eventually built to over 1000 examples. Changes included a dihedral tailplane. | ||
| Beaufighter Mark VIC | Coastal Command version, similar to the Mark IC | ||
| Beaufighter Mark VIF | Night fighter equipped with AI Mark VIII radar | ||
| Beaufighter Mark VI (ITF) | Interim torpedo fighter version | ||
| Beaufighter Mark VII | Proposed Australian-built variant with Hercules 26 engines, not built | ||
| Beaufighter Mark VIII | Proposed Australian-built variant with Hercules XVII engines, not built | ||
| Beaufighter Mark IX | Proposed Australian-built variant with Hercules XVII engines, not built | ||
| Beaufighter TF Mark X | Two-seat torpedo fighter aircraft, dubbed the "Torbeau". Hercules XVII engines with cropped superchargers improved low-altitude performance. The last major version (2231 built) was the Mark X. The later production models featured a dorsal fin. | ||
| Beaufighter Mark XIC | Coastal Command version of the Mark X, with no torpedo gear | ||
| Beaufighter Mark XII | Proposed long-range variant of the Mark 11 with drop tanks, not built | ||
| Beaufighter Mark 21 | The Australian-made DAP Beaufighter. Changes included
Hercules XVII engines, four 20 mm cannons in the nose, four Browning
.50 in (12.7 mm) in the wings and the capacity to carry eight 5 in (130 mm) High Velocity Aircraft Rockets, two 110 kg bombs, two 230 kg bombs and one Mark 13 torpedo. |
||
| Beaufighter TT Mark 10 | After the war, many RAF Beaufighters were converted into target tug aircraft | ||
| DIMENSIONS | |||
| Length | 12.60 m |
Empty Weight | 7072 kg |
| Wingspan | 17.63 m |
Loaded Weight | ? kg |
| Height | 4.83 m |
Max takeoff weight | 11521 kg (w/ torpedo) |
| Wing area | 46.7 m² |
Wing loading | ? kg/m² |
| ARMAMENT | |||
| Main Guns | 4 × 20 mm (0.787 in) Hispano
Mark II* |
Ammunition Carried | 4 x 60 |
| Secondary Guns | 6 x .303 (7.7 mm) Browning MG ** |
Ammunition Carried | 6 x ? |
1 x .303 (7.7 mm) Browning MG *** |
1 x ? |
||
| Other Armament | 8 × RP-3 60 lb (27 kg) rockets
or 2× 110 kg bombs or 1× British 18 inch (45 cm) torpedo
or 1x Mark 13 torpedo |
||
(*) nose, (**) in wings four starboard two
port (optional, replacing internal long range fuel tanks), (***) manually
operated by observer
Some Hawker Hurricane IIBs and IICs carried six (later eight) 3 in (7.62
cm) rocket projectiles underwing, after tests starting February 1942.
| POWERPLANT | |||
| Engine | 2 × Bristol Hercules XVII
or Bristol Hercules XVIII |
Type & Displacement | 2 x 14-cyl. air-cooled radial piston,
38.7 L |
| Horsepower (maximum) | 2
x 1600 hp |
Power/Weight Ratio | 277.68 to 452.48 hp / ton |
| Fuel Capacity | 2500 L normal
internal fuel, maximum 3100 L *
|
||
(*) with optional 2x 130 L external tanks
/ 1x 110 L tank in lieu of port wing guns / 1x 230 L tank in lieu of stbd.
wing guns
| PERFORMANCES | |||
| Maximum Speed | 510 km/h at 3000 m |
Cruise Speed | 400 km/h
at 1500 m |
| Stall Speed * | ? km/h |
Service Ceiling | 8839 m |
| Rate of Climb | 8.1 m/s |
Range | 2820 km |
(*) vitesse de décrochage
| Sources | |||
| Wikipédia | fandavion.free.fr | - |
|
Drawings |
