Bristol Blenheim flies again

[ecsrobin]

It's flying once again good work from the ARCO gents.

http://www.globalaviationresource.com/v2/2014/11/2...

[mybrainhurts]

Wow, what a fantastic job they've made of her.

Had I been trundling up the M11, I would have been more confused than usual...

[Simpo Two]

And easy on the throttles this time...

It says something for the pace of development in the 1930s that the Blenheim went from award winning super-bomber to lame duck so fast.

Nice photos BTW.

[Brigand]

Blimey they got that in running order quickly, I was at Duxford a few weeks ago and saw this in the restoration hanger looking decidedly non-airworthy! A lovely looking aeroplane, although I prefer the later model nose rather than that early boxy type.

[IanMorewood]

Excellent news lets hope to see it in the air. A Beaufighter next would be nice.....

[Eric Mc]

She looks absolutely lovely.

I hope they look after her well.

[Composite Guru]

Amazing to know that the cockpit of that aircraft was made from this little number!

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4067/4628969846_4ea...

[Simpo Two]

Brigand said:

although I prefer the later model nose rather than that early boxy type.

I think it was the later style before the prang. Amazing to see the older nose being used as a van! (and that it was a nightfighter in 1940 - pre AI radar?)

[Searider]

I was at the 1987 air show where the first Blenheim crashed.

Iirc it was doing circuits and bumps and an engine stalled and cut out.

[Brigand]

Simpo Two said:

Brigand said:

although I prefer the later model nose rather than that early boxy type.

I think it was the later style before the prang. Amazing to see the older nose being used as a van! (and that it was a nightfighter in 1940 - pre AI radar?)

I think I saw the original nose as a static display in the Battle of Britain hanger at Duxford. It was a standalone item that you could get up close to and have a look inside - it was a decidedly cosy space to say the least!

[FourWheelDrift]

Brigand said:

I think I saw the original nose as a static display in the Battle of Britain hanger at Duxford. It was a standalone item that you could get up close to and have a look inside - it was a decidedly cosy space to say the least!

I remember that, have a photo somewhere. My last visit in 2010 it looked like this, with the noses swapped over, early one on later one off and displayed separately.

[Hooli]

Excellent work to get her flying again, she looks great.

[aeropilot]

Searider said:

I was at the 1987 air show where the first Blenheim crashed.

Iirc it was doing circuits and bumps and an engine stalled and cut out.

The pilot abused the throttles in a manor he was specifically told not to.....

[hidetheelephants]

They do seem to have crashed a lot; are Blenheims particularly tricky to pilot?

[mad4amanda]

Still got the T shirt :
Happiness is a great pair of Bristols!

[Simpo Two]

hidetheelephants said:

They do seem to have crashed a lot; are Blenheims particularly tricky to pilot?

I believe that if you open the throttles too fast, the engines flood, stop, and then you run out of sky quite rapidly.

[hidetheelephants]

Are other round engines like P&W and Wright are different/less sensitive to throttle control?

[Eric Mc]

hidetheelephants said:

Are other round engines like P&W and Wright are different/less sensitive to throttle control?

The correct term is "Radial Air Cooled" engine.

To answer the question, I don't know. But it was well known that the Bristol Mercury as fitted to the Blenheim did not respond well to aggressive application of throttle.

The accident at Denham happened when the pilot decided on a whim to do a roller touchdown followed by a go around. However, he applied the throttle for the go around too quickly, the engines didn't pick up and the aircraft rolled along the grass strip, through a hedge and cartwheeled. It was very lucky that no one was killed.

[fatboy b]

Wow. My uncle was squadron leader on these in the war, so I 'm very happy to see one flying again.

[Simpo Two]

fatboy b said:

Wow. My uncle was squadron leader on these in the war, so I 'm very happy to see one flying again.

You might be interested in http://www.blenheimsociety.org.uk/