What was the RAF's last piston-engined bomber?

Short answer

The Bristol Brigand: the RAF remembers it both as its first bomber purpose-built as a multi-role aircraft and as its last piston-engined bomber. It emerged from specification H.7/42, issued in 1942, calling for a faster Beaufighter for long-range torpedo and anti-ship attacks.

Published: November 5, 2026 · Updated: November 5, 2026 · Edited by Above Ten Thousand · Editorial policy

What was the RAF's last piston-engined bomber?

1984 Bristol Brigand, front rightCharles01 (CC BY SA), vía commons

A Faster Beaufighter

The Bristol Type 164 was the result of specification H.7/42, issued by the Air Ministry in 1942, which called for a faster development of the Beaufighter for long-range torpedo dropping and anti-shipping strikes. The aircraft ended up occupying two places in RAF history at once: it was its first multi-role bomber conceived expressly for that role and, at the same time, its last bomber with piston engines.

From Torpedo to Light Bombing

In 1946, the first eleven production aircraft, finished as torpedo-fighters (TF.1), were delivered to Nos. 36 and 42 Squadrons of RAF Coastal Command; that command did not then need coastal strike aircraft, so all eleven went back to Filton, where they were converted into B.1 light bombers. The first B.1s were delivered in 1949 to No. 84 Squadron, based at RAF Habbaniya. Once in service, the type was dogged by a serious fault: some Brigands lost their wings in dives through excess speed.

A Jet Replacement

No. 45 Squadron re-equipped with de Havilland Hornets in January 1952. In another of the units that used them, the Brigands were replaced by de Havilland Vampire jets. No. 84 Squadron was disbanded in February 1953.