Blenheim

Bristol · United Kingdom · first flew 1936 · bomber

The Bristol Blenheim was a British twin-engined light bomber that equipped much of RAF Bomber Command in the war's early years, fast for its day but soon outpaced by fighters.

Recognition (WEFT)

W — Wings	Mid-mounted, tapered
E — Engines	2 × piston, wing-mounted
F — Fuselage	12.98 m fuselage
T — Tail	Conventional

WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.

Spot it by:

Twin Bristol radials on a mid-mounted tapered wing
Long stepped glazed nose, extended on the Mk IV
Dorsal gun turret and a single fin and rudder

Identify it by the long, stepped and heavily glazed nose, especially elongated on the Mk IV. Two Bristol radial engines sit on a mid-mounted tapered wing. A dorsal gun turret and single fin complete the early light-bomber look.

Specifications

The Blenheim has a length of 12.98 m (43 ft).
It has a wingspan of 17.17 m (56 ft).
Its maximum speed is 428 km/h (266 mph).
Typical crew: 3.

Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.

History

Born from a fast civil design and first flown in bomber form in 1936, the Blenheim entered RAF service ahead of most contemporaries. It bore heavy losses on daylight raids over Europe in 1940 and 1941. It also served as a night fighter and over the Mediterranean and Far East.

Variants

The short-nosed Mk I gave way to the long-nosed Mk IV with extra fuel and a revised cockpit. The Mk V was a ground-attack and bombing development. A fighter version carried a belly gun pack.

Where you'll see it

The Blenheim is firmly part of RAF heritage, and a painstakingly restored airworthy example flies in Britain and appears at airshows including Duxford events. The type is preserved statically at the RAF Museum and the Imperial War Museum. Its early-war sacrifices are widely commemorated.

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