Bristol Sea Beaufighter

[MAD]

I have always loved the idea of a carrier-based Bristol Beaufighter, and the range, endurance and fire-power it could have offered to the Royal Navy
So I did a 'Sea Beaufighter to go with it

Well this is my back story -





It is 1944

The Allies have the Germans are on the defensive both on the Western, Southern and Eastern Fronts
The British know that the war in Europe is still not over, but like the Americans, the British Commonwealth knows it has to start focusing more effort and materials in the Pacific, with the likely hood that the Japanese will only be defeated by a costly invasion of Japan itself.
This p and coming focus on the Pacific will bring the Royal Navy into the fore front of the services to take the fight to the tenaciously defended Japanese home islands.
With this in mind the Royal Navy is somewhat concerned with its experience and knowledge of what will be expected of them, and the inadequacy of its carrier capability – especially when consulting and studying what the US Navy had been going through for so many years almost alone.
The preliminary study highlights very early the Fleet Air Arms inadequacy's in British-built carrier-based aircraft – especially when compared to the likes of the Japanese Zero and Oscar, which will have the advantage of operating so close to their home bases.
The study also showed that unlike the FAA's experience in the Baltic and Mediterranean, the FAA will be required to give a greater degree of close-air support to amphibious operations, interdiction and ground attack, whilst staying off a fanatical air interception.
The FAA thought their problems would have been solved with the introduction of the American designed and built Grumman Avenger torpedo-bomber. But experience still showed that although a vast improvement in versatility, payload, range and speed, when compared to their Swordfish, Albacore, Barracuda and Fulmar, the American experience had shown that the Avenger still in great need and dependence on a strong fighter escort to achieve its missions.
Compounding the Royal Navy's problem even more was the known fact that the British aircraft carriers although better protected with armoured flight-decks, they were both smaller and slower than the American and Japanese carrier designs, as they had been designed with escort in mind as opposed to multi-purpose, and stand alone operations both the Japanese and Americans had come to experience.
For what the Royal Navy had thought to have been adequate in aircraft embankment at the beginning of the war, which had dictated their aircraft carriers sizes, which was know inadequate in the Pacific Theatre. All this meant that the British aircraft carriers, would be limited in what type and how many aircraft that they would be able to carry and operate
What was need by the Royal Navy was a true multi-role aircraft, which could both self-escort and attack surface seaborne and ground based targets.
It had been hoped that this exact requirement could be meet by the powerful and promising Blackburn Firebrand torpedo-fighter design, which had been in development since as early as 1939 under Air Ministry Specification N.11/40. But continueing problems had plaged this promising design, to the point that their was no sign of service entry in the near future.
So an alturnitive had to be found quickly, this ruling out a completely new design.

The Royal Navy's sleepless nights were partly eased when they had been vindicated by the performance and capability of the Vought-Chance Corsair and Grumman Hellcat fighter-bomber designs, so their efforts became focused on a long-range multi-roled fighter-bomber, with torpedo attack capability, that the Corsair and Hellcat lacked.
Investigations lead to the idea of a carrier-based Mosquito, which proved promising.
But this the Naval Staff were soon dismayed when it became knowlage that the 'Wooden Wonder's own construction method and its materials (plywood) were its own demon in the humidity of the tropics.
It was then that an Royal Australian Air Force pilot, flying with Costal Command suggested that his Bristol Beaufighter would be able to land and take off from a carrier.
Added to this was his knowladge and experience fighting in the Pacific with his Beaufighter, before his reposting to Coastal Command, that the Japanese were poo-poo scard of the Beaufighter, what with its speed, firepower and rugedness. So scared and respected was the Japanese of the Beaufighter, they had christened it 'Whispering Death'.
The Royal Navy was warmed to the carrier-based idea even more when it was noted that with the Beaufighter in production in Australia, for the RAAF, this would ease the logistical burden for the repair, maintance, overhaul and even replacement of the Beaufighter, than having to do this from Britain – the other side of the world!

The Australian pilot was eager and willing to prove his point and his aircrafts ability to land on a carrier - and he stimulated the Navy top-brasses interest and wiliness when he carried out nine touch and goes in his standard Beaufighter, after he had been taught the fundamentals of carrier landing and the signals of the carrier landing deck officers.

After consultation with Bristol Aircraft Company engineers and designers, the FAA was most pleased when they said that the strong and sturdy Beaufighter design would need very limited modifications or strengthening for carrier operations.
Within three-months Bristol had finished modifying a Beaufighter on the production line.
This entailed the following modifications:
-   Outer wing-folding mechanisms, just after the engines
-   FAA radio fitted
-   A retractable arrestor-hook (as used by the Grumman Avenger)
-   Self-sealing fuel tanks
-   Plumbed outer-wing pylons/hard points for drop-tanks


After further testing of prototypes and pilot and crew training, the Royal Navy put the carrier-based Beaufighter into production (including in Australia) and front-line service.
As the Beaufighter had already blooded its teeth in the Pacific, the carrier-based FAA Beaufighters would further exasperate the already imbedded fear by the Japanese of the 'Whispering Death', when it would bring death all the way to the Japanese mainland.
Weather it was blasting dug in Japanese troops with rockets, cannon and machine gun, or sinking the reminisce of the once powerful Imperial Japanese Navy capital ships with airborne torpedoes, bombs, rockets, cannon and machine guns, or destroying vast numbers of the fuel staved Imperial Japanese Army's Air Force on the ground or in the air, in conjunction with Hellcats and Corsairs, the 'Sea Beaufighter' would become one of the FAA's most powerful and feared aircraft in its inventory.
Perhaps its greatest acknowledgment of its fire-power and staying power, would come from the United Stated Marines, who would always request FAA Beaufighter support in their amphibious assault where ever and when ever available.
The USMC was said to be so impressed by the FAA's Sea Beaufighter and the RAAF's Beaufighter fire-power and endurance over the beach-heads that they made formal enquires into purchasing their own aircraft. But the end of the war put an end to this need.

Unfortunately for the RN FAA, the end of the war brought the end for the Sea Beaufighter, when the likes of the Blackburn Firebrand and Wyvern finally came into service.
But the Royal Australian Navy was quick to put their Australian new-built versatile aircraft into service aboard their new aircraft carrier in time for action in Korea, where its fire-power was desperately needed!



M.A.D

[dogsbody]

Over on the AirWarfareForum site, member Zamex drew this image for me a few years ago.

[MAD]

Very nice and very detailed!

I was not sure whether to do a straight wing-fold or a Grumman style wing-fold!
I feel better now – Thanks

P.S. was it only the side-on view that he did for you??

M.A.D

[wolfik]

to high...I would say they would made the wing fold mech. like in the Firefly .
or Bristol Brigand...(?) I mean the two engined big aircraft with folded wings....
sorry..I forgot the name...

[GTX]

But the Royal Australian Navy was quick to put their Australian new-built versatile aircraft into service aboard their new aircraft carrier in time for action in Korea, where its fire-power was desperately needed!

I've been thinking a while about how to have Australian Beaufighters in use during Korea - I think this may be it.  With the added twist of being carrier based and RAN FAA!!!  Love it.

Regards,

Greg

[Zeke]

Madness!...it's madness I tells ya!...or maybe it's something 'they' put in the coffee...marvellous!...I think we should build one!

[dogsbody]

Yes, only the side view. As for the wing fold, why not a double fold, like the Seafire: the wings fold up, the wingtips fold down.
Would the hook be under the fuselage, on an "A" frame, or stinger mounted, under the rudder, like a Seafury?

[GTX]

I mean the two engined big aircraft with folded wings....
sorry..I forgot the name...

Do you mean the Tigercat:



Regards,

Greg

[jcf]

A Tigercat style fold would be easier than trying to fold immediately outboard of the nacelles, from both a modeling and a real-world engineering standpoint.

Jon

[kitnut617]

to add to Jon' comment, at least to where the arc of the prop would intersect the wing centerline which would clear the air intake.

[jcf]

to add to Jon' comment, at least to where the arc of the prop would intersect the wing centerline which would clear the air intake.

Yep, you'd want to avoid having to mess with the oil cooler plumbing.

Jon