Beaufort Restoration Group

Beaufort Restoration Group
Street Address:
Hangar 106
Lot 4
McNaughton Road
Caboolture Airfield
Caboolture, Queensland 4510

Postal Address:
P.O. Box 463, Caboolture Queensland 4510 Australia
Phone: +61 (07) 5495 4951
E-Mail: info@beaufortrestoration.com.au

For many years Ralph Cusack and his team of volunteers and staff have been labouring to restore a DAP Beaufort to flying condition. I believe it will then be the sole flying example of the type.

The Beaufort holds a significant place in Australian aviation history. At the start of the Second World War, Australia had only a fledgling airforce with very few and outdated airframes. Initially, the Department of Aircraft Production (DAP) was set up to manufacture Beauforts for both the RAAF and RAF using jigs and components from England. With the outbreak of war and with England immediately ceasing the export of any material needed for home defence, the jigs and engines expected did not arrive. Consequently, a major aircraft manufacturing industry sprang up in Australia virtually overnight with the DAP having to produce nearly every Beaufort component from scratch.

DAP went on to produce a total of 700 Beauforts of which 47 were later converted to Beaufreighters.

As with many military types, the Beauforts were taken off charge and scrapped at war’s end. A few survived and the Beaufort Restoration Group’s bird is made from components of several survivors. I visited BRG and saw the extensive restoration in progress. Every single component has been stripped down, examined and either refurbished or replaced with a new-build part.

At the Australian National Aviation Museum, at Moorabbin Airport, we have a Beaufort nose section that Ralph and his team have restored and it is an absolute pearler!

You can visit the Beaufort Restoration Group’s website here:
Beaufort Restoration Group Website

Go to Australian Air Museums page from Beaufort Restoration Project page
Go to Grubby Fingers Home from Beaufort Restoration Group page