Taking inspiration from the Blenheim, the Bristol Beaufort Mk.1 was an RAF-designed monoplane and was the 2nd of 3 twin-engined aircraft developed and designed in the 1930s by the Bristol Aeroplane Company. The aircraft entered combat service with the No.22 Sqn. Coastal Command (1940) and later served in operations battling the Scharnhorst and Gneisenau German warships, as well as the Prinz Eugen. In Egypt and Malta, the Beauforts served in operations targeting Axis shipping vessels.
