Editing Bristol Beaufighter (section)

===Production===
[[File:Royal Air Force Fighter Command, 1939-1945. CE21.jpg|thumb|upright=1.3|Ground crew loading ammunition for the cannon of an RAF Beaufighter Mk.VI night fighter]]
Large orders for the Beaufighter were placed around the outbreak of the Second World War, including one for 918 aircraft shortly after the arrival of the initial production examples.<ref name = "moyes 5"/> In mid-1940, during an official visit to Bristol's Filton facility by the Minister of Aircraft Production, [[Lord Beaverbrook]], the minister spoke of the importance of the Beaufighter to the war effort and urged its rapid service entry.<ref name = "moyes 5"/> While the aircraft's size had once caused scepticism, the Beaufighter became the highest performance aircraft capable of carrying the bulky early aircraft interception radars used for night fighter operations, without incurring substantial endurance or armament penalties, and was invaluable as a night fighter.<ref name = "moyes 5"/>

For the maximum rate of production, sub-contracting of the major components was used wherever possible and two large shadow factories to perform final assembly work on the Beaufighter were established via the [[Ministry of Aircraft Production]]; the first, operated by the [[Fairey Aviation Company]], was at [[Stockport]], [[Greater Manchester]] and the second shadow, run by Bristol, was at [[Weston-super-Mare]], [[Somerset]].<ref name = "moyes 5"/> Output of the Beaufighter rose rapidly upon the commencement of production.<ref name = "moyes 5"/>

Through 1940–41, the manufacturing rate of the Beaufighter steadily rose.<ref name = "moyes 10"/> On 7 December 1940, the 100th Filton-built aircraft was dispatched; the 200th Filton-built aircraft followed on 10 May 1941. On 7 March 1941, the first Fairey-built Beaufighter Mk.I performed its first test flight; the first Weston-built aircraft reached the same milestone on 20 February 1941.<ref name = "moyes 10"/> The volume of production involved, along with other factors, had led to a shortage of Hercules engines being expected, jeopardising the aircraft's manufacturing rate.<ref name = "moyes 5"/> The next variant, the ''Beaufighter Mk.II'', used the Merlin engine instead.<ref name = "moyes 10"/> On 22 March 1941, the first production Beaufighter Mk.II, ''R2270'', conducted its maiden flight; squadron deliveries commenced in late April 1941.<ref name = "moyes 10"/>

By mid-1941, manufacture of the Beaufighter varied to meet the demands of [[RAF Fighter Command]] and [[RAF Coastal Command]].<ref name = "moyes 11"/> Early aircraft were able to be outfitted and perform with either command but later, the roles and equipment diverged, leading to the production of distinct models, distinguished by the [[suffix]]es ''F'' for Fighter Command and ''C'' for Coastal Command.<ref name = "moyes 11"/> Often, one command opted for modifications and features that the other did not. This occurred with the [[bellows]]-type [[Air brake (aeronautics)|dive brake]] that became standard for Coastal Command Beaufighters for its usefulness in torpedo-bombing.<ref name = "moyes 11 13">Moyes 1966, pp. 11, 13.</ref>

Production of the earlier Beaufort in Australia and the great success of British-made Beaufighters used by the [[Royal Australian Air Force]] (RAAF), contributed to the Australian government deciding in January 1943 to manufacture Beaufighters under the [[Department of Aircraft Production]] (DAP) organisation at [[Fishermans Bend]], [[Melbourne]], [[Victoria (Australia)|Victoria]] from 1944.<ref name = "moyes 14">Moyes 1966, p. 14.</ref> The DAP Beaufighter was an attack and torpedo bomber known as the "Mk.21". Design changes included Hercules VII or XVIII engines and some minor changes in armament. By September 1945, when British production ended, 5,564 Beaufighters had been built by Bristol and the Fairey Aviation Company at Stockport and [[Manchester Airport|RAF Ringway]] (498); also by the Ministry of Aircraft Production (3336) and [[Rootes Group|Rootes]] at [[Blythe Bridge]] (260). When Australian production ceased in 1946, 364 Mk.21s had been built.<ref>Franks 2002, p. 171.</ref><ref>Hall 1995, p. 24.</ref>