Bristol Aeroplane Co: Beaufighter
Note: This is a sub-section of Bristol Aeroplane Co.
Type
- Fighter
Designers
Manufacturers
- Bristol Aeroplane Co
- Fairey Aviation Co
- RAF Ringway
- Ministry of Aircraft Production (3,336)
- Rootes Motors (260)
Production Dates
- 1940-1946
Number produced
- 5,928
Engines
The Bristol Type 156 Beaufighter, often referred to as simply the Beau, was a British long-range heavy fighter derivative of the Bristol Aeroplane Company's earlier Beaufort torpedo bomber design. The name Beaufighter is a portmanteau of "Beaufort" and "fighter".
Unlike the Beaufort, the Beaufighter had a long career and served in almost all theatres of war in the Second World War, first as a night fighter, then as a fighter bomber and eventually replacing the Beaufort as a torpedo bomber. A variant was built in Australia by the Department of Aircraft Production (DAP) and was known in Australia as the DAP Beaufighter.