Bristol Beaufighter Mk X with rockets. This machine is NE255/EE-H of No. 404 Squadron RCAF,
of RAF Coastal Command at RAF Davidstow Moor, 21 August 1944.

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 combination of the words “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.

Bristol Beaufighter – with permission of Canada Aviation and Space Museum

I was contacted by the Conservation and Collection Services of the Canada Aviation and Space Museum with a query about the colour of the aircraft. I was able to help them with the correct British Standard colour that had been applied to the aircraft.

Bristol Beaufighter – with permission of Canada Aviation and Space Museum

The museum aircraft is a collection of components left after a RAF restoration, and was received in exchange for a Bristol Bolingbroke. No engines, cowlings or internal components were included in the trade on September 10, 1969.

Registration #: RD867 (RAF)
Manufacturer: Bristol Aeroplane Company Ltd., Great Britain
Manufacture Date: 1945
Construction #: Unknown
Aquisition Date: 1969
Provenance: Exchange with RAF Museum, Great Britain

You can follow the restoration of this aircraft on the museum website and on their Twitter page.

I am most grateful to the Canada Aviation and Space Museum for permission to use these images showing the aircraft being disassembled.




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