Another RAAF story brought to you by Aerothentic

Another RAAF Beaufort bomber has crash-landed at Kiriwina in 1943, date unknown, after bombing Rabaul.

Notice the damage to the leading edge of the wings, and the missing rear turret plexiglass, blown away by a flak explosion.

These Beauforts, built under license in Australia using U.S hardware and Pratt and Whitney engines, often flew alongside their U.S counterparts, including in the Battle of the Bismarck Sea in March 1943.

Apart from combat duties, Beauforts also served as trainers in Australia. In this role they attracted bad publicity, with more than one hundred aircraft written off in accidents. The Beaufort had a tailplane trim problem, which was responsible for many of these losses before it was isolated and rectified.

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