Based on the Beaufort, the first of four Beaufighter prototypes (R2052) flew on 17th July 1939, a fortnight after 300 Mk 1F's had been ordered. The first reached Fighter Command in September 1940 being fitted two months later with A.I. radar for night fighting. With its high speed, 1,500 mile range and firepower from its four cannon and six machine guns of 9,600 rounds a minute,the Beaufighter was a most welcome arrival. The Mk IC joined Coastal Command in the Spring of 1941 and was followed into production by the dihedral tailplane Mk IIF, powered by 1,280 h.p. Merlin XX since the Stirling programme had first call on Hercules production. No Mks III or IV and only two Mk V's were built the next major version being the Hercules powered Mk VI which came into service in 1942. More than 1,000 Mk VI were built including the first rocket firing version ("Flakbeau") and the first to carry a torpedo ("Torbeau"). In January 1943 the Mk VI arrived in the Far East where it quickly acquired the title "Whispering Death" from the Japanese. It also served with U.S.A.A.F night fighter units. The Mks VII, VIII and IX did not materialise and the mark XIC (163 built) was an interim version of the VIC without torpedo gear. The last major version (2,231 built) was the Mk X, probably the finest torpedo and strike aircraft of its day counting many U-boats amongst its victims. This version introduced the "thimble" radar nose and compensating dorsal fin which were afterwards added to certain earlier models. R.A.A.F. Beaufighters included the Fairey built IC and the Australian built Mk 21. The latter (to which the R.N.Z.A.F. Mk XX was also similar) resembled the Mk X except for the .5" gun armament. Beaufighter production at home and abroad totalled 5,962. The type performed the last operational sortie of the European war and remained in R.A.F service, latterly as a target tug until 1960.
Handling:
The Beau was know for its difficult handling. It has a free tailweel, so the only way to control it on the ground is to use diferential brakes or diferential engine power. Unfortunatly, this panel has no such nicetys. So the only way to change your heading is to aply full power and wait to have aerodinamic control. The good news is that the panel includes a GPS and an autopilot, not historical but very functional.
This plane, a Beaufighter TF.MkX of the 455 Squadron, Royal Australian Air Force, Serial no. NE775, served on Langham, Norfolk, on June 1944, with brown/dark grey stripes over hemp colors, armed with bombs. I have pictures showing the same plane, and another of the same squadron, painted in extra-drak sea grey over duck egg green colors, and armed as a "Torbeau", a.k. Torpedo Beaufighter. The date was probably the first months of 1945, due to the squadron codification.
This is a textures only by Alejandro Hurtado. I don't like the "textures only" files, because sometimes is hard to find the original one, and many flightsimmers don't know how to assemble one of them. When I had finished the repaint of this plane, I re-read the file "README 1st.txt", and finded that Kazunori Ito don't allows to include the model files with the repainted files. I requested permision to do that, but he wonted. So, following strictly the 3rd condition of the "README 1st.txt", this file needs the model by Kazunori Ito called beau_f_x.zip
My previous repaints are:
For Fs2002 only:
b190ah6: Beech 1900D from Us Air Express
b190ah7: Beech 1900D from the canarian island's Air Atlantic
b737ah8: American Airlines Astrojet, a 2001 plane painted like the 60´s
b737ah12: A BWIA 737-800 in caribean decoration.
c235ah13: The CN-235 was used by the spanish line Binter Mediterraneo
d328ah15: The two Do-328 (prop) of Welcome Air
d328ah16: Air Engiadina was the launching client of the DO-328
For FS2002, in Fs2004 the night cockpit lightning doesnt looks well from outside:
b727ah1: Green and yellow Braniff's 727
b727ah2: 727 flow by Viasa when was bought by Iberia
b727ah3: Braniff 727 painted by Alexander Calder
b727ah4: One of the first 727 flow by Kulula.com
b727ah11: Alaska Airlines 727 leased to the Seattle NFL Team Seahawks
For FS2002, displays a warning in Fs2004 but works ok:
Ju52mlka: Ju-52 owned by Milka chocolats company, in flying state
tornah10: Tornado in 2001 Tiger Meet painting
For FS2004 and FS2002:
l1011ah9: Two L1011 leased by Iberia
d328ah14: The only Do-328JET of Welcome Air
atr4ah17: Two of the ATR-42 owneds by Lai, a venezuelan company
pby5ah18: A water bomber PBY Catalina, the Canso 71 was used in Spain
pby5ah19: A water bomber PBY Catalina, in red painting from Spain.
b727ah20: 727 flow by Singapore Airlines
d328ah21: DO-328 (prop) Welcome Air, upgraded for FS2004
b727ah22: Alaska Airlines 727, upgraded for FS2004
1049ah23: Super Constellation belonging to Linea Aeropostal Venezolana
b727ah24: Green and yellow Braniff's 727, upgraded for FS2004
b727ah25: Blue Braniff 727
1049ah26: Super Constellation from Iberia
d328ah27: Do-328 prop of Air Engiadina, upgraded for FS2004
p51dah28: P-51D Cripes a'Mighty 3rd, a beautifull warbird
b757ah29: Three liverys of the same B757 from LTE to Volar Airlines
b727ah30: Viasa's 727 with Iberia-like colors, upgraded for FS2004
d328ah31: Do 328 flow by VIP Airlines.
b737ah32: Rutaca's 737 in the colors of the Vinotinto Football Club
p51dah33: The only venezuelan P-51D
b727ah34: Red Braniff 727
a320ah35: A320 when LTE was renamed as Volar Airlines
b737ah36: American Airlines Astrojet, upgraded for FS2004
b727ah37: 727 charter flow by Amerijet
b757ah38: 757 Prestige, the biggest spanish private plane
p51dah39: Two P-51D Taiwan Air Force
p51dah40: Another P-51D Taiwan Air Force
p51dah41: P-51D Popular Liberation Army Air Force
p51dah42: Another P-51D Popular Liberation Army Air Force
d328ah43: Do 328-110 from Swisswings
met3ah44: Metro 3 Air Catalunya, a spanish charter company
met3ah45: Three Metro 3 operateds by Key Lime Air
p51bah46: A civilian P-51D in black and red colors.
b737ah47: The famous spanish 737 from Air Europa with Martini stickers
crvlah48: Two Finnair's Caravelle.
b737ah49: two 737-200 owned by the venezuelan company Avior.
crvlah50: Two Caravelles from the spanish line Hispania
p51dah51: This P-51D appeared in the movies "The Empire of the Sun" and "Menphis Belle"
b190ah52: Beech 1900D from Us Air Express, upgraded for FS2004
c130ah53: A civilian C-130 from Tepper Aviation.
b727ah54: Boeing 727-200 from Pride Air
b737ah55: A BWIA 737-800 in caribean decoration. Upgraded for FS2004.
b737ah56: A Boeing 737 from Lauda Air in Star Alliance painting
d328ah57: The only Do-328 owned by Federico II
pby5ah58: Two PBY Catalina in red painting
b737ah59: B737-200 of Phoenix Airlines painted in "Boeing-like colors"
b727ah60: The five prototypes of the Boeing 727 in "house" colors.
1011ah61: L-1011 converted in a Flying Hospital
b737ah62: Ryanair's Boeing 737 with Christmas decoration as was in 1995
md11ah63: Finnair's Md-11 as Official Airline of Santa Claus.
p51dah64: Swedish P-51D, Wing F21
crvlah65: The spanish line Aviaco used 11 Caravelles until the 80's
pby5ah66: The sunbird services used two PBY on the New Guinea rutes
Fixes:
fix01ah: Fixes the bottom color of b727ah24
fix02ah: Improves the flight dinamics of b757ah29 and b757ah38
fix03ah: Improves de wing textures of crvlah48 and crvlah50
Warranty:
I love the warranty wrote by Andrew W. Hall:
"None. Zip. Nada. Use at your own risk. I dont think
this will harm your computer in any way, but if it does, I
dont even want to hear about it."
