Beaufighter Mk X - the “Torbeau”
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Beaufighter Mk X - the “Torbeau”
During my last visit to England in April, I met my brother at the Victory Services Club in London and he suggested I should look at an aeroplane picture in the lobby. It was a closeup of a twin-engined aircraft with a torpedo underneath and a strange “wing” behind the torpedo and a very odd-looking square box on the nose. I thought initially that it could be a Beaufort, but the nose was all wrong
I couldn’t immediately identify the aircraft (sorry Uncle Roger) and meant to take a picture of it, but I forgot. The other day, my brother sent me a photo that he had taken on a recent visit to the club and as soon as I looked at it, I saw the tailplane dihedral and realized it had to be a Beaufighter. I don’t know how I missed that first time around!
I soon discovered that nearly half of the Beaufighters produced were Mk X “Torbeaus”!
Having discovered what it was and found some pictures, I have two questions. What is the box on the nose and what was the “torpedo stabilizer” for?
I couldn’t immediately identify the aircraft (sorry Uncle Roger) and meant to take a picture of it, but I forgot. The other day, my brother sent me a photo that he had taken on a recent visit to the club and as soon as I looked at it, I saw the tailplane dihedral and realized it had to be a Beaufighter. I don’t know how I missed that first time around!
I soon discovered that nearly half of the Beaufighters produced were Mk X “Torbeaus”!
Having discovered what it was and found some pictures, I have two questions. What is the box on the nose and what was the “torpedo stabilizer” for?
In their attack on Pearl Harbor the Japanese fitted wooden fins which broke away on water entry, these being fitted due to the shallow water. Perhaps a similar reason? Other photos of Beaus with torps don't have the stabiliser fitted.
Edited to add "Mark XV torpedo being loaded onto a Bristol Beaufighter. This torpedo is fitted with a Mark IV Monoplane Air Tail (MAT) which used a gyroscope to stabilize the torpedo in flight. The MAT broke off upon water entry."
http://www.navweaps.com/Weapons/WTBR_WWII.php
Edited to add "Mark XV torpedo being loaded onto a Bristol Beaufighter. This torpedo is fitted with a Mark IV Monoplane Air Tail (MAT) which used a gyroscope to stabilize the torpedo in flight. The MAT broke off upon water entry."
http://www.navweaps.com/Weapons/WTBR_WWII.php
Last edited by megan; 31st Oct 2017 at 13:55.
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Thanks Megan. I presume this was used to prevent the heading gyro toppling during the drop.
I’ve found the answer to my first question. It’s the strike camera, which was moved to a blister behind the cockpit, when centimetric AI radar was fitted in the nose.
I’ve found the answer to my first question. It’s the strike camera, which was moved to a blister behind the cockpit, when centimetric AI radar was fitted in the nose.
