It seems astonishing that it was as long 17 years ago that the ‘1st’ Blenheim flew. I have dug out some shots of the final display at Denham, and when it performed at a private airshow/garden party.
This picture is of the last fateful approach, still quite high as it crosses the perimiter road. It landed deep and ran off the the runway, at which point the go-around was attempted.
With both engines misfiring (rich cuts) she climbed to about 40 feet, the left wing stuck trees and she cart-wheeled into the ground.
By: Ant.H - 16th March 2004 at 19:46
Cheers Dh,I didn’t realise so much engine stuff had been re-used. 🙂
By: dhfan - 16th March 2004 at 10:16
According to Graham Warner’s Spirit of Britain First, most of the ancillaries such as mags, starters, pumps etc., were reused along with all the cylinders.
By: Bluebird Mike - 16th March 2004 at 09:57
Yes, very sad; wasn’t the…erm…’pilot’ the first ever to be prosecuted by the CAA for recklessly endangering the aircraft, or something on those lines?
Whatever, he took years of beautiful hard work, and literally threw it away. It wasn’t even an accident-just sheer stupidity. He attempted something he shouldn’t have, got it totally wrong, got into a panic, reacted wrongly, then just SAT THERE and let it all happen around him.
Grrrr! 😡
By: Ant.H - 15th March 2004 at 21:02
As I understand it,certain small parts from the first Blenhiem were used in the restoration of the second,such as a wing flap,navigator’s seat etc,although nothing major.I’d not heard of any engine components being reused.
The wreck of the first is now in store at Duxford,and I’ve heard that certain bits from it have been or are going to be used in the static Bolingbroke restoration for the IWM.
By: dhfan - 15th March 2004 at 15:32
IIRC, some parts of the engines were re-used and I think somebody said in a previous thread the wreckage is at Duxford somewhere.
By: Arabella-Cox - 15th March 2004 at 13:04
Dave, yes, that’s the one which came to grief on Denham golf course in June 1987. Despite being previously briefed NOT to attempt a touch and go at Denham because of the short runway length, he went ahead and did so. Landed it long, realised that he was running out of runway, slammed the throttles open in an attempt to get back up, but only succeeded in flooding the port engine, stalling the port wing, and cartwheeling the thing in. 😡
To the team’s eternal credit, they straight away started work on the second ‘Blenheim’, which has since been the sole airworthy example right up until it’s accident last year. This would have been the one you saw in an overall black scheme.
I can’t remember exactly wher I read it (Pilot magazine?) but I understand that Graham Warner has very recently set up a seperate company to restore the ‘Blenheim’ to airworthiness.
By: Dave Homewood - 15th March 2004 at 05:51
Very sad sight Propstrike. Is that the crash that occurred on a golf course?
I have little knowledge of the flying Blenheim/s. Was this same one rebuilt to fly in the black scheme, or was it a different Blenheim that was flying more recently and crashed last year?
The Blenheim Mk IV is a lovely plane, I wish more will get flying. Is the one that recently crashed going to be rebuilt?
Dave
By: Propstrike - 14th March 2004 at 21:48
The result was as follows. Happily both the engineers were able to climb out unaided, and the pilot was released by the emergency services, though they all had a spell in hospital.
That night, some toe-rag raided the wreckage and stole all the radio gear.
Sign In
March 14, 2004 at 9:44 pm