The Blenheim Update Thread (merged)

Blenheim Progress

With regard to the engines, a deal of work has taken place in that two reconditioned crankcases complete with con rods, cranks, blowers etc are ready for fit but the main stripping of the original engines has not taken place yet. We are hoping a great deal of the original engines can be rescued most certainly all of the ancilleries and most of the cylinders this will save a deal of time.
Engine wise we need to employ a full time engineer on these as we not only have the Blenheim to consider but also two Lysander engines, but again finance rears its ugly head. John Romain needs to oversee the builds, so it needs to be done in the top hanger and we do have a engineer lined up. All we have to do!! is find some cash, to clear some of the work load and to find some space to do it in, simple isn`t it.
As for my expertise with a spirit level I`m pretty useless at shelves, much better with a hammer in my hand.

Smudge

looking good indeed!!

I just bumped into this topic for the first time. Great to learn about the recent progress on this project. It’s also very nice to notice that Smudge has joined the tread. That MKI nose will certainly make a huge difference on this plane. I can hardly wait to see and read about it in the future.

I will need to follow this one!

Greets,

Stieglitz

If so I hope he does a better job than I do. Even with the use of a spirit level I still manage to get them on a slant.

With skill like that with a sprit level I bet Smudger puts up all his own Shelves at home!

Well done to all concerned

KIGAS – What sort, if any progress has been made on the big pair of Bristols? Good to hear that lots is going on behind the scenes.

I would imagine that’s common with restorations and rebuilds. It’s very easy to make comments complaining that nothing much seems to be happening without knowing about all the hard labour taking place away from the public eye. There is so much to do that a large ammount takes place out of public view more by necessity than intention. Best wishes to all the team for the future and well done for what they’ve acieved so far.

Message to Bri

Hi Bri have tried to PM you but cant get through, am interested in the Blenheim Magazine could you sent it to me C/o ARC Building 66, Duxford Airfield, Duxford, Cambs CB22 4QR.

Many thanks Smudge

If you have any question relating to the Blenheim’s progress, or have any information pertaining to its progress, please feel free to post away on this thread.

BlueRobin
Moderator

Blenheim Progress

Sunday the 30th March saw a major step forward with the restoration of the Bristol Blenheim, When for the first time in what seems many years the Mk.1 nose was re-positioned and the jig internal structure was removed.
this enabled us to check the lateral and horizontal levels against the datum, and as can be seen smudge was more than pleased with the results.
the next phase is to replace or repair all of the tubular structure which supports the glazing.
Following that stage we will be in a position to remove the nose from the jig and trial fit it onto the fuselage and our first real chance to see what a Blenheim Mk.1 will look like.

OK Gentlemen

Should we not be discussing how we are going to raise the miserly sum of £150,000 to get the old girl up flying rather than discussing the pros and cons as to what went wrong 20 years ago. both accidents have been weel documented and disected over the years, and all to the same conclusion,
I am certain the Blenheim will not be a one flight wonder money pit and as before grace the skies for many years.

I agree, to discuss the pro’s & con’s of pilot ability is superfluous given that when first produced, like many other aircraft of the time there were no trainers, instructors or simulators to assist- the pilot read his notes & got on with it – like-wise with the Blenheim today. The few that have the experience have enduered the lessons the hard way,picked themselves up & learned.

A good start to funding might be to add a couple of quid to the entry price of the flying displays & events at Duxford then put the extra money to the project.

Kigas, I sent you a PM

Bri

i know the usual answer is when its done its done, but i would guess the project is porbably still a couple of years until its completed?

I’m sure it will be worth the wait!!!

These were taken last May, so are a little out of date but thought that might be worth showing how far the nose has come on and also to be able to compare it to what it looks like now when you go back to Duxford

Bloody good for you, you great people. Can’t wait!

I heartily agree! May she return safely to the skies, and remain a fitting tribute for a long time!

DS

And the Blenheim will still fly again.

Bloody good for you, you great people. Can’t wait!

Blenheim Cockpits

There seems to be some misunderstanding over the Blenheim cockpits, well to clear this it up the control layout in the British built MKI and MKIV are exactly the same, its the Bolingbroke version that had a different layout for the throttles, carb cutouts, pitch change and hydraulic levers.
As for accidents the main cause of Blenheim accidents was excessive idling of the engines prior to take off which would cause the engines to oil the plugs up so losing power or allowing the cylinder head temperatures to rise above the recommended levels which would cause pre detonation just as full power was required. Also the single engine safety speed for a fully laden Blenheim was far in excess of take off speed so if you lost an engine on take off you would not climb out, this I might add was the same for all WWII twins even a fully laden Mosquito would not climb out on a single engine.
We operated Blenheim with the full knowledge of the likely problems with the Mercury so there was no excessive idling of the engines and cylinder head temperatures watched closely. Single safety speed was addressed by the fact that our lighter weight brought the single engine speed down to 90 mph, so the aircraft was not taken off until that speed had been reached and passed through.
As for saying that the Blenheim was accident prone I might point out that the vast majority of accidents took place when the aircraft was used in the operational training establishments with very inexperienced pilots and this is well documented. Ask any veteran Blenheim pilot and they will tell you how well they rated the aircraft.
To clear up another point the Duxford Blenheim will have its control systems as a standard MKI the reasons for are set out above.
As for the two accidents these have been well documented and NEITHER was caused by any mechanical fault or by the control layout.
Finally when we do fly it will be more than likely in a desert scheme.
And the Blenheim will still fly again.

Smudge

What mrkings is it planned to have?

OK Gentlemen

Should we not be discussing how we are going to raise the miserly sum of £150,000 to get the old girl up flying rather than discussing the pros and cons as to what went wrong 20 years ago. both accidents have been weel documented and disected over the years, and all to the same conclusion,
I am certain the Blenheim will not be a one flight wonder money pit and as before grace the skies for many years.

Lastly, John Romain, apart from being ARCo Managing Director, Chief Engineer and Chief Test Pilot, must also surely be the most experienced current Blenheim pilot in the country.

…if not, ever?

Far be it from me to say whether a pilot who climbs into a twin-engined WWII aircraft, and who was judged to be competant at the time its owner/the authorities, let him take it up, was later guilty of ‘gross incompetance’.

Well, Graham Warner spoke of several prior incidents that had caused some question over Roy Pullan’s suitability as a display pilot, and blames himself for failing to heed these previous incidents when allowing Pullan to fly the Blenheim. Pullan agreed beforehand with the owner (Warner) and the venue (Denham) that no landing would be made at that venue, due to the relatively short runway there. However, on the spur of the moment Pullan announced a touch and go, and blew it- he landed late, got in a panic, slammed the throttles open against the advice in the pilot’s notes, and then sat there practically trance-like as poor John Romanin tried to claw his hand off of the throttles. Weall know what happened next.

I’d say that was ‘gross incompetance’, and what’s more, so then did the CAA!

G-MKIV was essentially binned by an utter numpty; no fault of the superb aircraft at all.

As for the second aircraft’s crash, I must admit I know next to nothing about that, and never really knew the outcome of what had happened- pilot error, mechanical fault? No idea.