What is this vehicle

[Tony Smith]

For those that haven't: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jfuUvfxWrWM

"The two Beauforts A9-27 and A9-268, of the RAAF's 8 OTU, collided over Jervis Bay on 14 April 1943 while performing a 'Prince of Wales' break for people of the media."
"All eight crew members were killed when both aircraft hit the water: Crew of A9-27 F/O Raymond Sydney Green (Pilot), F/O Maurice Francis Hoban, F/Sgt Eric William Sweetnam, Sgt Albert John Bailey. Crew of A9-268 F/Lt David George Dey (Pilot), P/O Jack Norman, P/O Rex Lindsay Solomon, Sgt Hugh Sydney George Richardson."

[David Dunlop]

Interesting how this thread has morphed, Lang.

I looked up the Gas School and it appears to have been quite an establishment, involved in development of warfare chemicals, both offensively and defensively. In the process, I ran across a low resolution photo of a Beaufort making a pass over some part of the school, laying a smoke screen, but the plane was too far away to get any details of the equipment it carried.

I would suspect, however, that the aircraft attached to the school probably carried quite an assortment of kit, and it was constantly changing.

David

[Mike K]

http://www.adf-serials.com.au/2a9.htm

[Lang]

Mike

I have never looked at Beaufort statistics before. This aircraft must have the worst safety record of any plane axis or allies during WW2. Absolutely unbelievable they persisted with them!

Their P&W engines were probably some of the best and most reliable of all time (same as the DC3 and Liberator) so the aircraft must have been crap.

The poms only built 400 (with Bristol engines) of them before they were withdrawn from active service in 1942 and declared obsolete in 1944. Meanwhile Australia kept punching out 700 so they could maintain the aluminium hail storm anywhere near where they flew.

The squadrons that got B25 Mitchells or A20 Bostons must have been dancing in the streets. The unsung Hudson/Ventura blokes who are unrecognized for doing more useful bombing and strafing than any other Australian type and having more shot down (as opposed to falling out of the sky like the Beauforts) would still be pleased to not fly Beauforts.

They pulled the Vigilante dive bombers out of service because of accidents but they have a 5 star rating when compared with the Beaufort.

Lang