The Beaufort was a light bomber and torpedo bomber developed by Bristol as the Type 152, based on the earlier Blenheim. With a crew of four it was heavier than its predecessor, and from 1940 it was the RAF’s standard torpedo bomber. It took part in attacks on the German battleships Scharnhorst and Gneisenau, but it was not considered a successful aircraft. In all 2,080 were built, 700 of them under licence in Australia.
British crews called it the flying coffin, and Turkish pilots did not like it much either. Because the Blenheim Mk Vs of the Turkish Air Force could not do the job required of them, the British government undertook to supply 32 Beauforts. They came from RAF Middle East in Egypt in March 1944 and replaced the Blenheims of the 105th Torpedo Group. The Beauforts served until 1947, when Beaufighters took their place.
The build
Built in Turkish Air Force markings as aircraft 02, in desert camouflage over azure undersides, with the red squares and the Turkish flag on the rudder.
Finished
Adapted and translated from the original Turkish-language ModofWar archive entry.
