Beaufighter

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1DC
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Beaufighter

#1 Post by 1DC » Thu May 28, 2020 11:13 am

On the 2nd. April 1944 a Beaufighter serial number JM333 from 254 Sq. took off from RAF Northcotes and shortly afterwards crashed on Haile sands, Cleethorpes after engine failure. The crew escaped uninjured. This week the remains of the aircraft were uncovered from the sands and picture are to be seen on the Grimsby Evening Telegraph website..

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Re: Beaufighter

#2 Post by G-CPTN » Thu May 28, 2020 12:54 pm

Probably too far gone.

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Re: Beaufighter

#3 Post by boing » Thu May 28, 2020 5:58 pm

Although the Mosquito got most of the glamour it seems as though the Beaufighter series were the really heavy lifters.


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Re: Beaufighter

#4 Post by G-CPTN » Thu May 28, 2020 6:02 pm

Maximum speed: 320 mph versus 415 mph.

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Re: Beaufighter

#5 Post by boing » Thu May 28, 2020 7:01 pm

Yes but they could haul a lot of weaponry.

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Re: Beaufighter

#6 Post by TheGreenGoblin » Fri May 29, 2020 2:08 am

Well worth a read...
41iWMsPEvnL._SY346_.jpg
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My only criticism of the book is that while it includes input from the RAF, FAA, RAAF, RCAF it has no input from the SAAF (in the Mediterranean, Balkan theatre) and the USAF who also flew the aircraft.





Not to forget Don Tilley - https://biltongbru.wixsite.com/ww2-saaf ... ibute-page

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Interestingly the Luftwaffe flew 3 captured aircraft for evaluation purposes.
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Re: Beaufighter

#7 Post by TheGreenGoblin » Fri May 29, 2020 3:29 am

TheGreenGoblin wrote:
Fri May 29, 2020 2:08 am
Well worth a read..


Interestingly the Luftwaffe flew 3 captured aircraft for evaluation purposes.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kampfgeschwader_200
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Re: Beaufighter

#8 Post by Undried Plum » Fri May 29, 2020 8:05 am

My first Airfix kit build, aged 7, was a Beaufighter.

I've held the type in high regard ever since.

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Re: Beaufighter

#9 Post by TheGreenGoblin » Fri May 29, 2020 8:26 am

Head of the Beaufighter design team, never in a flap but knew his ailerons...

Leslie Frise

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Re: Beaufighter

#10 Post by TheGreenGoblin » Fri May 29, 2020 9:07 am

I wondered whether or not there were any airworthy Beaufighters of any marque in the world today? There are none but there are two restoration projects underway...

One being undertaken in Australia by the Historic Aircraft Restoration Society (HARS) facility at Albion Park NSW and the other at Duxord here in the UK.
The rebuilding of a Beaufighter is a very complex task and although the project based at the HARS facility has been under restoration for many years, it has not been until now that the time and resources have been available to accelerate progress on the project. There is only one other airworthy rebuild of a Beaufighter being undertaken anywhere else in the world, that being done at the Fighter Collection at Duxford in the UK.
DAP Bristol Hercules restoration ref. Beaufighter

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Re: Beaufighter

#11 Post by G-CPTN » Fri May 29, 2020 9:20 am

Bristol Beaufighter, JM135, has been one of the biggest restoration taken on by The Fighter Collection. Two centre sections and fuselages were recovered from Drysdale inAustralia and moved to Sydney. They were reputedly from A19-144 (JM135) and A19-148 (JL946) which were both Mk.11 aircraft. Both aircraft were serving with 31 Sqdn. RAAF at the time and the date of their respective incidents is given as January 1944.
One thing is certain and that is the centre section is British built, therefore putting it in the A19- RAAF serial series. Damage to the front spar web indicates that the starboard undercarriage either collapsed or was selected up on landing. A brief report on the incident which befell A19-144 states that the tailwheel collapsed on landing and the pilot retracted the gear to avoid other aircraft. The cockpit section is from an Australian built aircraft, the identity of which is unknown to us.
The structure of the aircraft is now largely complete and awaits fittings and suitable engines before progressing further.

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Re: Beaufighter

#12 Post by ian16th » Fri May 29, 2020 11:40 am

G-CPTN wrote:
Fri May 29, 2020 9:20 am
The structure of the aircraft is now largely complete and awaits fittings and suitable engines before progressing further.
How different are the various Bristol Hercules engines? I wouldn't have thought that this would be a problem area.

They were so common, and new build ones were coming of the line at least into the 50's.

What was the last new airframe fitted with a Hercules? The Varsity maybe?
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Re: Beaufighter

#13 Post by TheGreenGoblin » Fri May 29, 2020 11:52 am

TheGreenGoblin wrote:
Fri May 29, 2020 2:08 am

My only criticism of the book is that while it includes input from the RAF, FAA, RAAF, RCAF it has no input from the SAAF (in the Mediterranean, Balkan theatre) and the USAF who also flew the aircraft.
And just the barest mention of the RNZAF and the Poles!
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Re: Beaufighter

#14 Post by boing » Fri May 29, 2020 1:11 pm

There was a sectioned Hercules engine that could be rotated by electric motor in the reception area of the Varsity Ground School at Oakington. When the display was turned on this amazing collection of rotating, reciprocating and intermeshing parts was put into motion and nobody could believe that an actual engine could possible survive more than a couple of minutes before it disintegrated. Well, it did with amazing reliability despite the ham-handed attempts of ex-jet student pilots.

Watching a dumb student trying to start an Hercules on a freezing cold morning was an exercise that would make anyone with feelings for machinery cry. The engine would fire and start to rotate the darned great 4 bladed 14 foot diameter prop, then it would start to die and the student would give it more primer to bring it back to life and this sequence would go on for a while with the whole aircraft bouncing up and down until the engine finally began to run properly.

I would have thought there were many Hercules motors available but perhaps they were all scrapped.

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Re: Beaufighter

#15 Post by ian16th » Fri May 29, 2020 1:29 pm

boing wrote:
Fri May 29, 2020 1:11 pm
There was a sectioned Hercules engine that could be rotated by electric motor in the reception area of the Varsity Ground School at Oakington. When the display was turned on this amazing collection of rotating, reciprocating and intermeshing parts was put into motion and nobody could believe that an actual engine could possible survive more than a couple of minutes before it disintegrated. Well, it did with amazing reliability despite the ham-handed attempts of ex-jet student pilots.

Watching a dumb student trying to start an Hercules on a freezing cold morning was an exercise that would make anyone with feelings for machinery cry. The engine would fire and start to rotate the darned great 4 bladed 14 foot diameter prop, then it would start to die and the student would give it more primer to bring it back to life and this sequence would go on for a while with the whole aircraft bouncing up and down until the engine finally began to run properly.

I would have thought there were many Hercules motors available but perhaps they were all scrapped.

.
I've reminisced on elsewhere about being on a mixed squadron of Lincoln's and Varsity's at Lindholme, and the different sounds of the starting of the Merlin with the Hercules.

As you say, on a cold morning it was more noticeable.
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Re: Beaufighter

#16 Post by TheGreenGoblin » Fri May 29, 2020 2:14 pm

Though you remain
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"To be alive
You must have somewhere
To go
Your destination remains
Elusive."

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Re: Beaufighter

#17 Post by TheGreenGoblin » Fri May 29, 2020 2:18 pm

Please excuse the slight thread drift... but this cutaway of the Bristol Centaurus Engine is well worth a look...



Truly beautiful.

Bristol Centaurus
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Re: Beaufighter

#18 Post by G-CPTN » Fri May 29, 2020 2:23 pm

Were all Hercules engine propellers the same rotation?

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Re: Beaufighter

#19 Post by ian16th » Fri May 29, 2020 2:26 pm

The Centaurus was a step too far for the engineering capabillities of the day.

It didn't have the reliabillity of the Hercules, ask anyone who worked on Beverley's.
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Re: Beaufighter

#20 Post by ian16th » Fri May 29, 2020 2:29 pm

G-CPTN wrote:
Fri May 29, 2020 2:23 pm
Were all Hercules engine propellers the same rotation?
Dunno about all, but apparently those fitted to the Beaufighter went the same way. It was reported to be a handful at take off.
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