The Blenheim Bomber



Blenheim Bomber

The Blenheim was a development of the Bristol model 142 civil transport, that was faster than the
R.A.F. fighters when it first appeared. It was the result of the initiative of Lord Rothermere, owner of
the Daily Mail, who ordered a fast, twin engine private transport plane, capable of carrying 6
passengers and 2 crew members. He wanted it to be the fastest commercial plane in Europe. It was.
The Air Ministry immediately saw it's potential and began tests in 1935. The aircraft had to be
substantially altered for military use. The wings were raised and the fusilage altered to accomodate a
bomb load. It was first received in 1937, the Mk IV model was available in 1939. Both models saw
a great deal of use in the first three years of WWII. The MkI made the first Allied operative mission
of the war flying a reconnaissance flight over Germany. The Blenheim MkI, shown above, was used
mostly as a light bomber, while the Mk IV model (shown below) was used as a light bomber, fighter,
nightfighter, reconaissance aircraft and close-support aircraft. All models of the Blenheim were very
vulnerable to enemy fighters as they didn't have the power to evade them, and the rear-facing
armament wasn't heavy enough to defend them properly. Early models (Mk I) had a blunt, glazed
nose, while the Mk.IV and later Blenheims featured an elongated 'stepped' nose with an assymetric
shape. Over 5500 were built.