Bristol Aeroplane's Blenheim was a British high-speed light bomber used extensively in the early days of the Second World War. It was later adapted into a successful heavy fighter. A Canadian-made variant named the Bolingbroke was used as an anti-Submarine and training aircraft. It was the first British aircraft to have all-metal stressed skin construction and one of the first to utilize retractable landing gear, flaps, powered gun turret and variable-pitch propellers.

The Type 135 civil twin design was on Bristol drawing boards by July 1933.

In 1934 Lord Rothermere, owner of the Daily Mail, issued a challenge to the British aviation industry to build a high-speed aircraft capable of carrying six passengers and two crew members. At the time German firms were producing a variety of high-speed designs that were breaking records, and Rothermere wanted to recapture the title of fastest civilian aircraft in Europe. Bristol had been working on a suitable design as the Type 135 since July 1933, and further adapted it to produce the Type 142 to meet Rothermere's requirements.

When it first flew as Britain First at Filton on April 12th, 1935, it proved to be faster than any fighter in service with the Royal Air Force at the time. The Air Ministry was obviously interested in such an aircraft, and quickly sent out Specification B.28/35 for prototypes of a bomber version of the Bristol called the Type 142M (M for "military"). The main changes were to move the wing higher on the fuselage from its former low position, to allow room under the spar for a bomb bay. The aircraft was all-metal with twin Bristol Mercury VIII radial engines of 860 hp (640 kW) each. It carried a crew of three -- pilot, navigator/bombardier and gunner/wireless operator and was armed with a forward firing 0.303 inch (7.7 mm) machine gun outboard of the port engine and a 0.303 inch machine gun in a semi-retracting dorsal turret firing to the rear. A 1,000-lb (454 kg) bombload was carried in the internal bay.

To achieve its relatively high speed, the Blenheim had a very small fuselage. Pilot's quarters on the left side of the nose were so cramped that the control yoke obscured all flight instruments while engine instruments eliminated the forward view on landings. Most secondary instruments were arranged along the left side of the cockpit with essential items like propeller pitch control actually placed behind the pilot where they had to be operated by feel alone. Like most contemporary British aircraft, the bomb bay doors were kept closed with bungee cords and opened under the weight of the released bombs. Because there was no way to predict how long it would take for the bombs to force the doors open, bombing accuracy was rather mediocre.

Pictured here is a 1:72 scale replica of a RAF Bristol Blenheim Mk. I light bomber now on display at The Imperial War Museum, Duxford Airfield, during 2015. Sold Out!

Dimensions:
Wingspan: 9-1/4-inches
Length: 7-1/4-inches

Release Date: May 2017

Historical Account: "Museum Quality" - At the time the new Bristol Blenheim made its first flight at Filton aerodrome on April 12th, 1935, it was faster than any fighter aircraft currently in service with the Royal Air Force. Initially developed as a private venture funded by Lord Rothermere, the owner of the Daily Mail Newspaper, the new aircraft set a new speed record for civilian aircraft and was donated to the Air Ministry for trials and evaluation.

Clearly impressed with the capability of this advanced new design, the RAF immediately ordered a bomber version of the aircraft straight off the drawing board. Although the Blenheim would prove to be a significant step forward in aviation technology, it would also be used as a yardstick against which all other new designs would be judged - a new breed of fighter must outclass the Blenheim. Significantly, at the outbreak of the Second World War, the RAF had more Bristol Blenheims in service than any other aircraft and it was to see extensive service in the air battles to come.

On Thursday November 20th, 2014, Bristol Blenheim Mk.I L6739 (G-BPIV) was pushed out of the Aircraft Restoration Company's hangar at Duxford airfield and given a final engine test, prior to its first post restoration flight. Moments later, this extremely rare British aircraft took to the skies once more and immediately became one of the most important historic aircraft in the world - the only flying example of its type. Configured as a short-nosed Mk.I nightfighter version of the Blenheim, which saw service during the Battle of Britain, this magnificent aircraft was destined to become highly sought after during the 75th Anniversary commemorations of the Battle of Britain in 2015.