The aerial torpedo was a devastatingly effective weapon against ships, but it needed to be launched from an aircraft that could drop it accurately from a straight approach at low level, and at relatively close range. The tactics required lengthy training as it took constant practice to accurately judge the range to, and speed of, the target vessel. When war broke out, the RAF had four torpedo bomber squadrons - No.22 and 42 in Britain and 36 and 100 in Singapore - but all were flying antiquated Vickers Vildebeest biplanes. However, in September 1935 the Air Ministry had issued Specification M15/35, later updated as M10/36,for a twin-engined torpedo bomber. Bristol offered its Type 152. The design, substantially based on the Blenheim, was accepted and named Beaufort. The Bristol Taurus-engined prototype first flew on October 15, 1938. Rapidly ordered into production, the Beaufort was also selected for manufacture in Australia. Development was protracted, due in part to the unreliable Taurus engine, something that would plague the type throughout most of its career.
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