The Bristol Blenheim fighter bomber

Ranked #2,090 in Culture & Society, #48,196 overall

About the Bristol Blenheim

The Bristol Blenheim was originally built as a civillian plane, sponsored by the Daily Mail who wanted something to get their reporters on scene first.

When it was found to outperform the existing fighters, it was presented to the nation and served in roles including fighter, bomber and reconnaisance among others. Often called "The Forgotten Bomber" its achievements, including as a night fighter in the Battle of Britain, have been overlooked in favour of the more glamorous Spitfire and Hurricane day fighters.

Image from allfree-clipart.com

The origin of the Blenheim

A newspaper competition for the fastest aircraft

Bristol Blenheim Prototy
Bristol Blenheim Prototype
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The Bristol Blenheim, one of the most overlooked aircraft of the Second World War, has its origins in a civilian aircraft. The owner of the Daily Mail ran a competition to design a fast aircraft to get its reporters to stories before other newspapers.

The winning prototype, called "Britain First" was built to challenge speed records, and was quickly discovered to be 50mph faster than the fighters in service at the time. Viscount Rothmere presented the aircraft to the nation in 1935, and it was developed into the Bristol Blenheim.

The Bristol Blenheim: A Complete History

Amazon Price: $41.43 (as of 05/26/2012)Buy Now
List Price: $54.95
Used Price: $41.69

Release Date: 12/31/1969

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The Blenheim at War

Bomber and Nightfighter

Bristol Blenheim shirt
Bristol Blenheim by Hanger_19
More Bristol T-Shirts

On the outbreak of war in 1939, it made up the bulk of the RAF's front-line forces. Unfortunately it was quickly outstripped by other aircraft and its flaws exposed. A total of three Victoria Crosses were awarded to Blenheim crewmen (according to the RAF site).

By 1943 it had been almost entirely replaced, but its service in the early years of the war was vital. As a bomber it handled a number of raids, taking horrific casualties as the aircraft's speed was reduced by a full bomb loads. As a fighter it served well early on, but was quickly outperformed by the newer machines.

However, while the daylight of the Battle of Britain belonged to the Spitfire and Hurricane, it handled the majority of night fighting over the UK. Allowing the development of nightfighting tactics, it had some notable successes until replaced eventually by the Bristol Beaufighter and of course the "Wooden Wonder" - the deHavilland Mosquito.

RAF 'Bristol' Blenheim Fighter-Bombers; Second World War
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In India it had a prolonged lease of life, as the glue that held the Mosquito together did not fare well in heat and humidity.

The last Blenheims were part of the Finnish airforce, used in every role from bombing to reconnaisance over their long lifespan and were finally retired in 1957.

One surviving Blenheim still displays, appropriately painted as a nightfighter.

Speed Problems

The prototype's great speed was never fully realised in production. The weight of the bombs and the redesign to fit cannon both slowed her significantly, leaving her vulnerable to better armed, more modern fighters.

A Tribute to the Blenheim

The Forgotten Bomber

This tribute starts with shots of the Blenheim in action, covers many of its various roles and ends with shots of a surviving Blenheim (from some years ago) displaying.
Blenheim "The Forgotten Bomber" Tribute
by funtimesteve3 | video info

11 ratings | 7,710 views
curated content from YouTube

Technical Information

The specifications of the Bristol Blenheim

The specifications for the Bristol Blenheim varied depending on its role. Those below are based on the bomber.

Type:

Light Bomber / Nightfighter


Crew:

2/3


Max Speed:

266mph


Service Ceiling:

22,000ft


Range:

1500 miles


Engines:

2 x Bristol Mercury engines


Length:

42 ft 7 inches


Wingspan:

56 ft 4 inches


Height:

9 ft 10 inches


Weight:

15,000lbs






Two technical diagrams of the Blenheim are available from Amazon.co.uk:




Photographs of the Blenheim

Photographs from Flickr

Commercial images of the Blenheim are available from Media Storehouse



Below are images from Flickr which users have kindly made public.

Bristol IV T by San Diego Air & Space Museum Archives
Bristol IV T by San Diego Air & Space Museum Archives
Bristol IV T by San Diego Air & Space Museum Archives
Bristol IV T by San Diego Air & Space Museum Archives
Bristol IV T by San Diego Air & Space Museum Archives
Sergeant Pilot John (Jack) Milburn in Bristol Blenheim over Arabian Ocean with depth charges ca 1942 by suzlizjohnson
Bristol Blenheim 3 by FotoSleuth
Bristol Blenheim by smaedli
Bristol Blenheim by smaedli
Bristol Blenheim by smaedli
automatically generated by Flickr

The Blenheim in flight

Videos from Youtube

Bristol Blenheim Air to Air
by FlyingMachinesTV | video info

48 ratings | 2,933 views
automatically generated by YouTube

Featured Item: The Blenheim Story

A 3 DVD set covering history and operations



The full story of the Bristol Blenheim bomber is available on DVD in this 3 disc set from Amazon.co.uk.

Covering the development of the plane after Vicount Rothmere presented his protoype to the nation, through to its performance during World War II and the Dieppe landings.

Pilot's Manuals and Notes

Flying the Bristol Blenheim

The pilot's manual for the Bristol Blenheim is available from Amazon.
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Faith, Hope and Charity

An unlikely role was playing in the defense of Malta, when the three Gloucester Gladiator biplanes that made up the island's only air defense were fitted with engines from a Bristol Blenheim to improve performance.

They were fast enough to make Italian intelligence think there were more planes!

More Aviation Lenses

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British Aviation

Blog Posts from fans

More about the Bristol Blenheim

With restoration attempts underway and one Bristol Blenheim still displaying, please find other supporters' opinions below.
WWII pilot Flt Sgt Angus McBean honoured at Hempholme
Flt Sgt McBean, who was 25, died when his Bristol Blenheim MK1 twin-engined aircraft crashed on a night-time training flight. Richard Hampshire, Yorkshire Water's Tophill Low warden, said: "The family were absolutely elated to find out more news.
The Oldest Cars Still In Production
Bristol Blenheim (Type 603) This car is like a vampire that lives on snobbery instead of blood. First built in 1976, you can still buy a Blenheim, provided you've got around $250000 and a staggering blindness to massive panel gaps and outdated ...
TOP: cele mai bătrâne modele în producţie
Bristol Blenheim (Type 603) a fost pus pentru prima oar? în vânzare, în anul 1976, ?i de atunci se tot produce. San?ele ca aceast? ma?in? s? se fabrice ?i peste zece ani sunt destul de mari dintr-un motiv foarte simplu: sunt produse foarte pu?ine ...
Девять автомобилей-долгожителей
Bristol Blenheim Type 603: ??????-??????, ?????????????? ???? ?????????????, ????????? ????? ?? ??????? ??????. ? ??? ????? ??????? ?????, ??????? ???????? ???????? ???????? ?? ?????????? 1976 ???? ? ?????? ??????? ? ????? ????? ?????????

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  • TheWhistler Nov 10, 2009 @ 1:42 pm | delete
    Great lens, very informative.

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