Blenheim

[kfz]

Originally Posted by Canberra Man

The early short nosed Blenheim was found wanting. Under powered, one gun in the turret, one side mounted in the nose fired by the pilot, hopeless. They even tried to make a fighter of it by producing a meccano style bolt on gun pack, but with no increase in power, was even more hopeless. But then the light dawned. The nose was extended, more armament, more power, but it still was not a viable bomber. But, then, the fuselage was deepened, the wings were moved mid position to give a bigger bomb bay to carry torpedes, bombs or mines and became the Beaufort, an ideal anti shipping intruder and was well liked by the crews.
Then came the next mod, short nose, four cannon, four machine guns, still the ability to carry a torpedo. it became the Beaufighter. With airbourne radar, it became feared by night bombers and shipping, because, now the airbourne rocket had come of age. The Japs used to call it whispering death, because, throttled back approaching a target in the jungle, it could not be heard.

CB,

I take your ppoint but I thin kthere wasa bit on the development between the Blenheim and the Beaufighter.

Im glad you brought the thread up though cos I found some great pics of the pre war aircraft being made round the corner from me. I wil lget them posted up.

Kev

[Warlord]

I´m glad! After all, I started the thread...

Now, I´ll agree with that; I don´t see much of a family resemblance between the Beau and the Blenheim, both in looks and in the nature of the craft. Aren´t you talking about the Bisley/Bolingbroke?

Let those pics come!

[phylo_roadking]

if i remember right the only flying condition Blenheim crashed on landing a few years ago?

Yes it did. I was able to see it flying before it did though, it put in a beautiful display at the Ulster Air Show some number of years ago now. It was an almost total writeoff...but being an almost total replica itself, rather than a restored aircraft, work is well advanced on rebuilding it.

[Warren F]

Back in the late 80's I was involved starting up the BC Aviation museum at Patricia Bay airport near Victoria, British Columbia. Our only real exibit at that time was a rather tired Bolingbroke ( Canadian built version of the Blenheim). While talking to ex aircrew on the Blenheim I was told the B/A could get out through the forward lower hatch. During this time I met 3 who had in fact hurriedly exited their aircraft this way and all were missing the ring and little finger of their right hand, saying the digits were left in the aircraft because of a very shap piece of aluminum at the edge of the hatch. All became guests of the Luftwaffe for a few years. Two of these gentlemen were from England and one had been a Canadian in the RAF.

Warren

[aussie_59]

In my research of 59 Squadron I was wondering the same of the Blenheim, as a large chunk (atleast 60-70%) of the CWGC list was made up of casualties from the period they flew Blenheims and the cross over period with the integration of the Hudsons.

Certainly other factors would have come into play, such as the missions they were flying, for at the time (with the Blenheim) they were mainly flying bomb/recon missions over France and the Dutch Coast and then later on, the fatality rate seems to decrease so to speak as they start to fly anti-shipping strikes and U-Boat hunting missions in Liberators and perhaps flying in a far better aircraft than the Blenheim...

Now I'm far from an expert, but I would certainly agree that it seems the Blenheim had it's issues!