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The Fuerza Aérea del Perú acquired the Danish-designed and built DAF Eagle IV in some numbers from 1944 onward, employing it not only as a light bomber and reconnaissance aircraft but, in modified form, as a low-level attack bomber and night intruder.

Crew: 3 (bomber), 2 (attack)

Engines: Two Alfa-Romeo 136 RC.40 air-cooled radial engines each rated for 2,000 hp at takeoff
Wingspan: 19.81 meters
Length: 17.75 meters
Height: 6.05 meters
Wing area: 48.12 square meters
Empty weight: 11,456 kg
Maximum weight: 17,120 kg
Speed: 443 kph at 6,500 meters
Service ceiling: 7,200 meters
Range: 1,800 kilometers with maximum fuel

Armament:

Bomber: Two 13.2mm Breda-SAFAT machineguns with 400 rpg forward; internal bomb cell for one four 220 kg, two 500 kg, or one 1,000 kg bomb plus up to four 220 kg bombs on underwing racks

Attack: Four 13.2mm Breda- SAFAT machineguns with 400 rpg forward; internal bomb cell replaced by two forward-firing 23mm Madsen cannon with 120 rpg; under-wing racks for up to four 220 kg bombs retained.

Bomber Variant -



Attack Variant -

In the middle 1930s Peru sought to expand its air arm and selected the British-designed Bristol Beaufort to serve as a light bomber and general reconnaissance aircraft. However, a decision was made to power the Peruvian aircraft not with the Bristol Taurus sleeve valve radial engines of the original design but with Junkers diesel aircraft engines obtained in Germany, which were expected to give the Peruvian variant enhanced performance. Factory tests in Dessau were satisfactory, but the complex engines failed to live up to expectations in the Andean conditions in which the aircraft would operate; reliability was also an issue due in large measure to loss of spares support from the manufacturer.

To address the issue technicians at the recently formed Empresa Nacional de Aviación tested several alternative engines and selected the Avia-Minerva Faucon I 14-cylinder air-cooled radial piston engine to replace the Jumo diesels; tests proved successful – the Faucon engine was much more reliable and suited to Peruvian conditions. Between 1940 and 1942 the 28 Beauforts in the Peruvian inventory were re-engined and refurbished at the Limatambo works with the assistance of Belgian and Czech technicians.

With the success of the refurbishment program a decision was made to acquire from Britain additional Beaufort airframes, as well as a large quantity of spares, from surplus stocks of the Royal Air Force and additional Faucon engines in Belgium. Fifty airframes were eventually acquired and brought up to Peruvian standards with the Faucon engine. The Fuerza Aérea del Perú has applied the sobriquet Canastero to the modified aircraft.

Crew: 4

Engine: Two Avia-Minerva Faucon I 14-cylinder radial air-cooled engines rated at 1,375 hp (combat rating)
Wingspan: 17.63 meters
Length: 13.46 meters
Height: 4.34 meters
Wing area: 46.73 square meters
Empty weight: 5,980 kg
Maximum weight: 9,830 kg
Speed: 420 kph at 2,000 meters
Service ceiling: 5,100 meters
Range: 2,000 kilometers

Armament:

Two 7.65mm FN-Browning machineguns with 200 rpg in wing (one each port and starboard), two 7.65mm FN-Browning machineguns with 200 rpg in dorsal turret. Up to 900 kg of bombs, mines, or torpedoes carried in internal bomb cell. External racks for 100 kg bombs can be fitted on wing inboard of engines for short-range missions.