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7 photos from Wikimedia Commons · credits & licences
- 1. Aircraft of the Royal Air Force, 1939-1945; Bristol Type 152 Beaufort (IWM COL 181) (cropped): Unknown author Unknown author· Public domain
- 2. Beaufort colour: Royal Air Force official photographer· Public domain
- 3. Bristol Beaufort production DAP Melbourne: United States. Office of War Information. Overseas Picture Division. Washington Division.· Public domain
- 4. Aircraft of the Royal Air Force, 1939-1945; Bristol Type 152 Beaufort (IWM COL 181): Charles E. Brown· Public domain
- 5. Bristol Beaufort Mk I of No. 42 Squadron RAF, based at Leuchars in Scotland, March 1941. CH2775: Royal Air Force official photographer, Woodbine G (Mr)· Public domain
- 6. Bristol Beaufort Mk Is of No. 22 Squadron RAF at North Coates in Lincolnshire, 19 July 1940. CH644: Royal Air Force official photographer, Daventry B J (Mr)· Public domain
- 7. Bristol Beaufort Mk.1 of No. 217 Squadron RAF in flight, circa 1941 (44-PF-172t): Charles E. Brown· Public domain
what is it?
The Bristol Beaufort (manufacturer designation Type 152) is a British twin-engined torpedo bomber designed by the Bristol Aeroplane Company, and developed from experience gained designing and building the earlier Blenheim light bomber. At least 1,180 Beauforts were built by Bristol and other British manufacturers. Beauforts first saw service with Royal Air Force Coastal Command and then the Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm from 1940.
How to recognise it: 2 piston engines with propellers · 17.6 m wingspan
base stats
Bars compare against all aircraft: 3,500 km/h, 20,000 km, 850 seats; size and number built on a log scale up to 640 t (An-225) and 45,000 built (Cessna 172).
fun facts
- First flew 88 years ago, in 1938.
- Top speed is 3.4× a car on the Dutch motorway (130 km/h).
- Wingspan of 17.6 m: about 4 cars parked nose to tail.
piston: A car-like piston engine turning a propeller: simple and cheap, the classic small plane.
spec sheet
- first flight
- 1938-10-15
- introduced
- 1940
- retired
- 1944
- status
- retired
- number built
- 1,121
- role
- torpedo bomber
- origin
- 🇬🇧 United Kingdom
- makers
- Bristol Aeroplane Company
- engines
- 2× Bristol Taurus II, Taurus III, Taurus VI, Taurus XII or Taurus XVI
- crew
- 4
- length
- 13.5 m
- wingspan
- 17.6 m
- height
- 4.3 m
- max take-off weight
- 9,629 kg
- top speed
- 437 km/h
- cruise speed
- 410 km/h
- range
- —
- ceiling
- 5,029 m
Specs are for the version in the Wikipedia article's specification section. Blank means the sources don't say.
Sources: Wikidata Q534270, Wikipedia: Bristol Beaufort (CC BY-SA 4.0).Updated 2026-10-24.