Bristol Beaufighter Mk VIF 'F-Freddie' of 272 Sqn on the taxiway at Luqa, Malta

Bristol Beaufighter

Bristol Beaufighter

Originally designed as a heavy fighter version of the Bristol Beaufort torpedo bomber, the Beaufighter developed into a multi-role aircraft. Its large size enabled it to carry early AI radar sets along with a heavy armament of four 20mm cannon and six .303 machine guns, making it an effective night fighter.

Later variants were able to carry torpedoes and rockets for the strike role, where it was employed for anti-shipping strikes and ground attack.

Photographs of each variant and operators of the Beaufighter can be found in the links below.

Variants

Operators