The Bristol Bedouin jet-bomber

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Bristol Bedouin B.III - No.39 Squadron, RAF Desert Air Force, 1949

 

The failure of the French resistance to carry out a planned coup d'état in Algiers during Operation Torch saw Axis forces eventually repel the Allied invasion of North Africa in November 1942. Following this failure there followed bitter disagreement amongst the Allies as to 'what next' with the United States eventually electing to renege on the previously agreed policy of 'Europe First' and committing heavy resources to the defeat of Japan. Subsequent Axis victories in the North African campaign led to a bolstering of the Axis position leading to a long-term stalemate in that theatre and the release of substantial Axis forces that were quickly diverted to the Eastern Front.

 

During the Spring and Summer of 1943 the Wehrmacht pushed ahead slowly at first but gained momentum before eventually smashing the Soviet 5th Guards Tank Army at Kursk and continuing on to inflict further defeats on Soviet forces at Orel and Kharkov during the Autumn of 1943 and making substantial gains into the Ukraine where a popular anti-Russian uprising led to an uneasy truce. But the cessation of hostilities in the Ukraine led to an overall strengthening of the Wehrmacht's position on the Eastern Front and ultimately extended the war allowing Germany to field their advanced jet and rocket powered aircraft during 1945 and 1946.

 

Meanwhile, in the UK during the Spring of 1944 the success of the Derwent powered Gloster Meteor and the high expectations of the forthcoming Rolls-Royce Nene led the RAF to request a jet-powered replacement for the Boston, Marauder and Mitchell light bombers of the Desert Air Force and the Bristol Aeroplane Company designed a fairly conventional three-seat tactical bomber utilising two of the proposed Nene centrifugal engines and developed in parallel with a radar equipped two-seat night fighter variant. Design progressed quickly with the prototype Bristol Bedouin taking to the air at Filton on February 28th 1947 and entering service with No.39 Squadron in October 1948 and eventually serving in eight Squadrons of the Desert Air Force during the successful North African campaigns of 1949 and 1950.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Hans Topp]

Nice work, the background history is really good, please more planes (and more background history)..... :kudos:

[+Stratos]

I'm speechless. One of your bests!!!

Edited July 21, 2013 by Stratos

[Trotski]

I must say, they do look very smart in RAF desert cam always did like the look of the Beagle, are you going to be releasing it when the downloads section is up and running again ?

[+76.IAP-Blackbird]

works well with the meteor design!

[+SidDogg]

...That's a good look for a Beagle, dude.

 

BZ!!!

 

 

 

 

 

SidDogg

[FrankTB]

Looks great and really like the what if story.