When Britain Turned A Torpedo Bomber Into A Flying Flamethower In WW2

In one of the strangest experiments of World War II, the Royal Air Force fitted a Bristol Beaufort bomber with a fully functional flamethrower. A short clip from April 1944 shows RAF ground crew rolling a large cylindrical tank toward the aircraft and carefully securing it in the bomb bay. The device, called the Aeroflame, contained 1,500 pounds of fuel meant to turn the Beaufort into a weapon of fire.

As the flamethrower activated, it sent a massive stream of fire trailing hundreds of feet behind the bomber. The flame hung in the air before falling to the ground, igniting everything it touched. The footage also shows a second aircraft, a Douglas Boston, observing from a safe distance as the Beaufort left a trail of burning terrain below.

The Aeroflame experiment was conducted at the Aeroplane and Armament Experimental Establishment in late 1943. Its purpose remains unclear, though many believe it was meant for low-level ground attacks rather than aerial defense. The clip’s scenes of scorched fields support this theory, suggesting it was designed to target enemy vehicles, troops, or aircraft parked on airfields.

Despite the dramatic effect, the weapon proved highly impractical. Carrying so much flammable fuel made the Beaufort extremely vulnerable, especially during low-altitude flight. The heavy tank also left no space for additional bombs or torpedoes. More versatile aircraft armed with rockets and conventional bombs soon made the concept obsolete.

Even so, the Aeroflame project remains a fascinating look into wartime ingenuity.