Ground attack Beaufort?

fockewulf261

ACCESS: Restricted
Joined
29 December 2007
Messages
21
Reaction score
2
Was there any attempt to create a heavy ground attack version of the Beaufort by the British? It seems like it would have been doable.
 
According to the Bristol-Putnam by CH Barnes, a Merlin XX-Beaufort III was considered but never built. Hercules and later Merlins were comparable in power output.

Bristol started work on the Type 155, intended to be a fast day bomber powered by two Bristol Taurus engines, the same as used in the Beaufort which formed the basis of the 155. Armstrong Whitworth took over the Type 155 and evolved it into the Albemarle - powered by two Hercules engines.

Replacing the Taurus by the Hercules would have been logical, if the Beaufighter was not already doing much of what the Beaufort had done, and doing it better.
 
The Beaufort was also conceived as a 'colonial' or second line bomber and putting top line engines on it (Hercules) would have been a waste of resources.
 
The ultimate Beaufort proposal appears to have been the so called Mk.IV. This would have incorporated the Taurus XX with 1,250hp, a two-speed blower and fully feathering propeller. The Merlin XX powered variant would have been the Mk.III. In addition to the new engines the dorsal turret would have been a four gun version apparently designated the B.XV. Supposedly one Beaufort (AW372) was converted to that standard. There was also an experimental twin .303 browning nose mounting (separate from the under defence mounting and the gimballed Vickers K-guns) tested but never adopted.

The B.XV turret is interesting as the only other reference I have ever found to it says it was installed in the Beaufighter V (only two aircraft, R2274 and R2306) yet these were actually equipped with Boulton Paul Type A so there seems to be some confusion around this turret.

Finally, when it came to producing a Beaufort replacement the ministry preference was for a Beaufort fuselage with Hercules engines and Beaufighter wings, it was Bristol's that suggested external carriage of a torpedo on what was previously a long range fighter. No Bristol Type number seems to have been assigned to a Hercules powered Beaufort so the idea probably didn't get much beyond the suggestion phase.

As for solid noses, don't forget the 12 x .303 Martin Baker nose developed for the Havoc Night Fighter.
 

Similar threads

Back
Top Bottom