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Author Topic: The mighty mighty Beaufighter  (Read 5164 times)

Offline bozon

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The mighty mighty Beaufighter
« on: February 25, 2015, 02:27:38 PM »
https://www.scribd.com/doc/165400655/Beaufighter

Just finished reading this free download on scribd. Very good read on this forgotten hero of WWII. This plane did it all before the Mossie, but the two could not have been more different - while the mossie is the revolutionary race car with the sexiest looks, the Beau was hastily made out of older Blenheim and Beaufort parts, Dr. Frankenstein style, and had the grace of a farm tracktor.

Nevertheless, it was highly successful and served from 1940 till the end of the war in numerous roles and in all theatres of operations. It pioneered airborne radar interceptions and held the line against the Luftwaffe nightly raids on London till the arrival of the Mosquito night fighters. Provided long range air cover to allied shipping, till the arrival of the Mosquito. Lead the coastal command anti-shipping raids... till the arrival of the Mosquito and then soldiered on along side it. Was a prime ground attack plane, till the arrival of the Mosquito fighter-bombers, and kept this role in the far east where conditions were too harsh, wet and muddy for a fine princess like the Mossie. Served in multiple airforces, including the USAAF and the Israeli airforce during its war of independence (even bagged a kill on a Hawker Fury... :lol).

It may not have been the hottest RAF ride, or the sexiest of planes, but it was a mean brute, tough and reliable that made an enormous contribution and got non of the glory.

I highly recommend this read if you don't know much about the Beau. Good overview of its many roles combined with pilot action stories.

and to the HTC crew I say:
GIVE US A DAMN BEAUFIGHTER!




I would sure not want to be on that ship...  :eek:
« Last Edit: February 25, 2015, 02:49:50 PM by bozon »
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Mosquito VI - twice the spitfire, four times the ENY.

Click!>> "So, you want to fly the wooden wonder" - <<click!
the almost incomplete and not entirely inaccurate guide to the AH Mosquito.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RGOWswdzGQs

Offline bustr

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Re: The mighty mighty Beaufighter
« Reply #1 on: February 25, 2015, 05:56:27 PM »
I bet with a low fuel load out, it will handle like a twin engine Jug in a furball...... :O
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Offline Oldman731

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Re: The mighty mighty Beaufighter
« Reply #2 on: February 25, 2015, 07:37:56 PM »
Quote from: bozon on February 25, 2015, 02:27:38 PM
I would sure not want to be on that ship...


Good lord, I wouldn't have wanted to be in that airspace!

- oldman
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Offline Karnak

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Re: The mighty mighty Beaufighter
« Reply #3 on: February 25, 2015, 07:46:15 PM »
Quote from: Oldman731 on February 25, 2015, 07:37:56 PM

Good lord, I wouldn't have wanted to be in that airspace!

- oldman
It does seem awfully crowded with maneuvering aircraft.
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Offline Oldman731

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Re: The mighty mighty Beaufighter
« Reply #4 on: February 25, 2015, 07:54:21 PM »
Quote from: Karnak on February 25, 2015, 07:46:15 PM
It does seem awfully crowded with maneuvering aircraft.


Not to mention the odd bomb floating around.

- oldman
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Offline Guppy35

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Re: The mighty mighty Beaufighter
« Reply #5 on: February 25, 2015, 08:32:00 PM »
Been begging for the Beau for a long time.  One of the biggest oversights in the game considering it's length of service, the number of places it served and it's versatility.
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Offline Devil 505

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Re: The mighty mighty Beaufighter
« Reply #6 on: February 25, 2015, 09:02:52 PM »
Quote from: Guppy35 on February 25, 2015, 08:32:00 PM
Been begging for the Beau for a long time.  One of the biggest oversights in the game considering it's length of service, the number of places it served and it's versatility.

indeed. Numbero Uno in my book for what this game needs.
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Offline Guppy35

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Re: The mighty mighty Beaufighter
« Reply #7 on: February 25, 2015, 10:13:33 PM »
I made this a few years back now for the day the Beau gets here and we can for a group similar to SAPP for the Beaufighter fans :)

Beaufighter Operators Support Services

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Dan/CorkyJr
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Offline Rich46yo

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Re: The mighty mighty Beaufighter
« Reply #8 on: February 25, 2015, 10:30:27 PM »
The Beau was a Beast against enemy shipping. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YVLV67xILI4 The video shows what a great view the Beau's pilot had of its enemy and how The Battle of the Bismark Sea was such a slaughter of an enemy who showed no quarter and for sure wasnt going to get any.

It really was a Historic airplane. Just the right plane at the right time. I'd like to find a book about Beau operations.
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Offline bozon

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Re: The mighty mighty Beaufighter
« Reply #9 on: February 26, 2015, 12:36:59 AM »
Quote from: Oldman731 on February 25, 2015, 07:54:21 PM

Not to mention the odd bomb floating around.

- oldman
The thing on the left is not a bomb. It is a balloon being towed by one of the ships, or so I think.
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Mosquito VI - twice the spitfire, four times the ENY.

Click!>> "So, you want to fly the wooden wonder" - <<click!
the almost incomplete and not entirely inaccurate guide to the AH Mosquito.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RGOWswdzGQs

Offline Scherf

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Re: The mighty mighty Beaufighter
« Reply #10 on: February 26, 2015, 02:28:14 AM »
Quote from: bozon on February 25, 2015, 02:27:38 PM
https://www.scribd.com/doc/165400655/Beaufighter



(Image removed from quote.)

I would sure not want to be on that ship...  :eek:

25 August, 1944, off the Friesian Islands. The ship is a minesweeper, M347, and she was sunk, more details at:

https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/P05831.013/
« Last Edit: February 26, 2015, 03:00:35 AM by Scherf »
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... missions were to be met by the commitment of alerted swarms of fighters, composed of Me 109's and Fw 190's, that were strategically based to protect industrial installations. The inferior capabilities of these fighters against the Mosquitoes made this a hopeless and uneconomical effort. 1.JD KTB

Offline bozon

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Re: The mighty mighty Beaufighter
« Reply #11 on: February 26, 2015, 08:24:58 AM »
Quote from: Scherf on February 26, 2015, 02:28:14 AM
25 August, 1944, off the Friesian Islands. The ship is a minesweeper, M347, and she was sunk, more details at:

https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/P05831.013/
Cool, thanks!
Lots more interesting beau related pics on that website.
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Mosquito VI - twice the spitfire, four times the ENY.

Click!>> "So, you want to fly the wooden wonder" - <<click!
the almost incomplete and not entirely inaccurate guide to the AH Mosquito.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RGOWswdzGQs

Offline Rich46yo

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Re: The mighty mighty Beaufighter
« Reply #12 on: February 26, 2015, 09:13:19 AM »
Look at this poor bugger during his encounter with a Beau.
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Offline PJ_Godzilla

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Re: The mighty mighty Beaufighter
« Reply #13 on: February 26, 2015, 10:53:15 AM »
Quote from: bustr on February 25, 2015, 05:56:27 PM
I bet with a low fuel load out, it will handle like a twin engine Jug in a furball...... :O

Only it will turn better, steady state (the wing loading is a lot lower than the Jug), assuming the airframe can take the load (given its ordnance carrying capability, I think it likely). The transient response into that turn won't be so great, based on the roll rate (which is pretty mundane), but this thing has a lot of wing for its weight.

I think it'll be a bit of a dangerous mofo down low and slow and in the company of other mofoes. The good news: you can always run.
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Offline bozon

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Re: The mighty mighty Beaufighter
« Reply #14 on: February 26, 2015, 12:36:39 PM »
Australians sure have a sense of humor. I love Beaufighter 93 sqd. RAAF motto:

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Mosquito VI - twice the spitfire, four times the ENY.

Click!>> "So, you want to fly the wooden wonder" - <<click!
the almost incomplete and not entirely inaccurate guide to the AH Mosquito.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RGOWswdzGQs
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