A Bristol Blenhem Mk IV stationed at RAF Wattisham, circa 1940
The Bristol Blenheim was a light bomber that was used by Great Britain during World War II.
Description[]
The Bristol Blenheim Mk I was fitted with two Mercury VIII engines that were capable of propelling it at speeds of up to 428 km/h, easily enough to outrun some of the early German fighters of the war. Furthermore, with an operational range of 2,340 kilometers and a service ceiling of 8,300 meters, the Blenheim was seen as the logical choice to base a night fighter off of as would come with the early Blenheim variants. However, the Mk I was limited by its armament of a single 7.7mm machine gun in the port wing, single machine gun in the rear turret, and bombload of 454 kilograms.[1]
The total weight of the Blenheim was around 4,440 kilograms unloaded while its total length was 12.9 meters, and wingspan, 17.1 meters. In order to operate effectively, a crew of at least three men was required.