The Bristol Beaufort at RAF Hendon

These photographs of the Bristol Beaufort on display at the Royal Air Force Museum in Hendon were taken by Ben Ward. Unfortunately the museum will not allow us inside the aircraft to photograph the interior because of "the high levels of radiation from the radium paint on the instrument faces". This Beaufort is one of only two survivors, the other being rebuilt in Melbourne, Australia. Hendon's plane is a composite assembled from surviving fragments of Australian-built Mark VIIIs, fitted with Pratt and Witney Twin Wasp radial engines (also built in Australia). Although the British-built Mark IIs used the Twin Wasps the engines for the British aircraft were imported from the USA. The Hendon example is assembled from various aircraft recovered from New Guinea, as recounted in the file from RAF Museum Hendon shown below the photos.

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The history of the Hendon Beaufort

Thank you very much to Patrick Hassell for all his help and for the aircraft file from the RAF Museum.