Substantially complete Blenheim I…in the UK…in 1975!!

When Frank Gallions P47 was recovered from the IJsselmeer during 1995 it was a rushed job and as soon as the then complete airframe emerged abover the water lever it started to break up, this was broadcasted on the evening news and it made me sick to watch it.

During the recovery of Lancaster DV286 in 2003, we were aboard the same vessel that had recovered that p47 and in the canteen there was a videotape showing the recovery. When there were some moments to spare we watched the whole recovery again with the same results to our stomachs.

Cheers

Cees

According to the Whirlwind AP only the rearfuselage skinning was made of magnesium alloy. Not the whole airframe. The rudder pedals were the same as on the Lysander. So find yourself some Lysander rudder pedals and we have a flyer;)

Cheers

Cees

Ah, you have a couple of Peregrines stashed in the garage then? 😀

From the recovery of the Skua in 2007, it seems that finding an aircraft in substantially complete condition underwater is one thing, recovering it in the same state is quite another. It seemed to me that a structure immersed for so long can erode to almost nothing but still look sound – as soon as you try to move it, however professionally and gently, it can disintegrate.

I still want to know what happened to the Roc that was discovered off Orkney in the 80s.

According to the Whirlwind AP only the rearfuselage skinning was made of magnesium alloy. Not the whole airframe. The rudder pedals were the same as on the Lysander. So find yourself some Lysander rudder pedals and we have a flyer;)

Cheers

Cees

What was the Whirlwind built from? cant see it being anything but a standard aluminium airframe and having seen a almost complete P-38 Lightning that has been sitting in pure salt water since 1944 along the Welsh coast plus a complete Fw 190 recently salvaged from the North Sea the Whirlwind which was quite a solid airframe may still stand a chance.
A mate of mine is a technician working on anything with wings in the restoration centre at Cosford which is only ten miles away from my house, right now he is working on the Battle wings,

regards, caliph

i really cant see there being much left of a whirlwind after 60 years of saltwater immersion, magnesium doesnt really hold up well to it 🙂

More is the pity, but no – we’ve had some great Whirlwind threads over the years (one in US navy scrap yard late 60’s etc) but the end is always the same. Magnesium, time, salt water, add the weight of mud and the strong tides….. bet that Blenheim looks a bit different now as well !

Parts of that blenheim from pawlett hams are on display at kemble i believe, they were gifted one of the engines and 2 prop hubs complete with the blades attached.

One of the local groups atleast are tinkering with a blenheim as they collected all the brackets,undercarrage etc to help on the project, i was shown the location of this blenheim in the severn ages ago but to be honist i would sooner put the effort looking for the westland whirlwind just down river. Perhaps if they are keen on funding a local recovery project i could help out with a sidescan sonar and towed proton magnetometer, but you will need to hire a hovercraft as i want to keep me picknic hamper dry!

Hi fighterace, I saw the Pawlett Hams Blenheim in a certain garden after recovery. I recall the undercarriage being in remarkably good condition and various parts taken for ‘reverse engineering’ for other projects.

Did we meet at archiologist boys’ Mosquito recovery last year, the one where the huge water main stopped us playing? My missus was the dishing out the ice lollies:)

Are they amateur publications ? 🙂

Very! 😉

Parts of that blenheim from pawlett hams are on display at kemble i believe, they were gifted one of the engines and 2 prop hubs complete with the blades attached.

One of the local groups atleast are tinkering with a blenheim as they collected all the brackets,undercarrage etc to help on the project, i was shown the location of this blenheim in the severn ages ago but to be honist i would sooner put the effort looking for the westland whirlwind just down river. Perhaps if they are keen on funding a local recovery project i could help out with a sidescan sonar and towed proton magnetometer, but you will need to hire a hovercraft as i want to keep me picknic hamper dry!

i really cant see there being much left of a whirlwind after 60 years of saltwater immersion, magnesium doesnt really hold up well to it 🙂

The same photo appeared in the Forest of Dean Review (Local free paper) about 15 years ago, (I sent the cutting to Flypast at the time but had no further feedback). Recovery was being mooted then, but the location of the wreck was uncertain. Apparently it has a habit of appearing and dissapearing as the mud banks move around. I was under the impression that it was somewhere near Sharpness, there was also rumoured to be a Gladiator wreck in the area, near the site of the old Severn rail bridge.

Parts of that blenheim from pawlett hams are on display at kemble i believe, they were gifted one of the engines and 2 prop hubs complete with the blades attached.

One of the local groups atleast are tinkering with a blenheim as they collected all the brackets,undercarrage etc to help on the project, i was shown the location of this blenheim in the severn ages ago but to be honist i would sooner put the effort looking for the westland whirlwind just down river. Perhaps if they are keen on funding a local recovery project i could help out with a sidescan sonar and towed proton magnetometer, but you will need to hire a hovercraft as i want to keep me picknic hamper dry!

I believe that Bristol Aero collection have parts of a Blenheim on display at Kembal, perhaps this is the one. They were interested in the Blenheim recovered from Pawlett Hams in Somerset in 2007 to add to their existing display.

“Aviation Archaeologist” and/or “Wreck Review” mags about it.

Are they amateur publications ? 🙂

Having been involved myself in an operation to recover an aircraft from the Severn Estuary (Spitfire P8208) I have to say the picture of the chap wandering across what appears to be a nearly complete Blenheim in his tweed suit and stout walking shoe’s is probally a bit misleading to its condition over thirty years later.

Alan White of Severside Aviation did look into the possiblilty of a recovery in the Eighties, but as he said to me years later ” Ow you gonna get er out ” Sorry Alan!

I think the aircraft was visible in the late Sixties and again in 1975, but as I remember not much has been seen of it since, so yes it is still there, but what is left?

I can tell you what was left of a Spitfire in the same place, that was: Engine, Cannon’s, Prop blades, Undercarridge legs, Tail wheel part of Main Spar, Raidiator, and many other small bits incrusted in a thick layer of, well almost like Rock! What I’m trying to say is that all of the wings, airframe skinning etc had dissolved in the salt water, apart from the odd bit.

Still, I know there are plans to now rebuild the cockpit of that aircraft, so it goes to show anything is possible ( I didn’t think we found that much of it!)

But if someone can recover whats left of a crumbling aircraft buried in feet of mud and full of even more mud, then good on them!

They will need very very deep pockets, but as they say ‘Never say never’.

Oh and finally a word of warning the Severn Estuary IS a very dangerous place, we took a lot of advice in our recovery and had the water baliff of the area on the team as well as the RAF and two Helicopters.

Please don’t wander out there with your Jack Russell and a picnic hamper, YOU WILL DIE!

This brings back memories
Back in the mid 80’s Allan White of the Severnside Aviation Society arranged a couple of meetings at Filton with the aim of locating and recovering the Mk1f. It was a well attended meeting which included a chap from the Royal Navy who flew helicopters and on a training mission he could locate the aircraft for us. If the Blenheim was located and recovered it would of gone to Filton for restoration.
I can remember there was a River Warden at one of the meetings, who refused us to do anything about it, so the project fell through.
G

There was a chap in the 70’s from the Bristol area called George Morley who ran something (I think?) called the South West Aircraft Recovery Group. I think he has since died. He told me he had been out to it and I am pretty sure there was something in the “Aviation Archaeologist” and/or “Wreck Review” mags about it. I will see if I can find them.

I would imagine that because the Severn Estuary has one of the biggest tidal ranges in the world, recovery would be extremely difficult. I’m up for it though, I’ve got me wellies ready 😮

Andy A.

I’ve been out on there – its scary (well, to a townie like me) with the mud and the tides.

Surely not beyond the mechanical rhelms of possibility (financial…. ummmm) to recover and it would be interesting to see if its still there in any significant state.:confused:

recover it!

It must still be there, but how far down or what condition it’s in I don’t know. I tried to find out more about it several years ago, on this forum…

http://forum.keypublishing.co.uk/showthread.php?t=587

There have been a couple more mentions on the forum but nothing substantial.

There have been many reports of a tail sticking up through the mud at low tide, but this may be the He111 that also ditched in the Severn.

I would imagine that because the Severn Estuary has one of the biggest tidal ranges in the world, recovery would be extremely difficult. I’m up for it though, I’ve got me wellies ready 😮

Andy A.