antarmike Posted September 24, 2008 Share Posted September 24, 2008 (edited) First flight of the Bristol Blenheim IV/ IVf. The Blenheim 1 /1f had first flown in Nov 36 and gone into RAF service in March 1937. The IV was a fighter/ Fighter Bomber as had been the Mk1, but it had improved armament and glazing to the nose, which vastly improved the Navigators position. He also had two glass panels below him for carrying out his second duty of bomb aimer. The IV was powered by two 920 H.P. Bristol Mercury XV 9 cylinder Radial engines. Entering service in Jan 1939, by 3rd Sept 1939 the RAF was operating 197 Blenheim IV. And it was only the second day of the war when Blenheims from 107 and 110 Squadrons (Marham) carried out the RAF first offensive operation of the war attacking German naval vessels in the Elbe estuary. Such was the pace of aviation progress, the bomber was less than a year old and it was already outclassed, and would suffer terribly in the fight for France and the Battle of Britain. Edited September 24, 2008 by antarmike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
antarmike Posted September 24, 2008 Author Share Posted September 24, 2008 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jessie The Jeep Posted September 24, 2008 Share Posted September 24, 2008 Here's the first Blenheim MkIV restoration a month after its first flight in 1988. It was cartwheeled during a touch and go through improper throttle handling. It was rebuilt over the next five years and flew until 2003 when it crash landed at Duxford through fuel starvation causing severe damage. It is now being rebuilt as a Mk1 version with the short nose. Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest catweazle (Banned Member) Posted September 24, 2008 Share Posted September 24, 2008 Hasnt had a lot of luck has it.lets wish it well in the future. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
antarmike Posted September 27, 2008 Author Share Posted September 27, 2008 (edited) Although that aircraft isn't a Blenheim. There is only one Blenheim surviving and that is BL-200. The aircraft went to the Finnish Airforce where it became the personal plane of Major Kalle Kepsu, the Commanding Officer of 42 Bomber Sqaudron. It is a veteran of 59 ops against the Russians, and after the armistice of 4th Sept 1944, went on to fly against German targets in Lapland. The Blenheim stayed with the Finnish Airforce until it retired in June 1957. It has recently been restored and is to be found in the Aviation museum in Tikkakoski, Finland. The aircraft that crashed and is being rebuilt is actually a Bristol Bolingbroke, having been built as such by the Canadians. indeed all the other "Blenheims" in the world are really Bolingbrokes. Edited September 27, 2008 by antarmike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
antarmike Posted September 27, 2008 Author Share Posted September 27, 2008 Blenheim BL-200, Finnish Air Force...the only surviving Blenheim Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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