Bristol Blenheim

Description

The Type 135 civil twin design was on Bristol drawing boards by July 1933. In 1934 Lord Rothermere, owner of the Daily Mail, issued a challenge to the British aviation industry to build a high-speed aircraft capable of carrying six passengers and two crew members. At the time German firms were producing a variety of high-speed designs that were breaking records, and Rothermere wanted to recapture the title of fastest civilian aircraft in Europe. Bristol had been working on a suitable design as the Type 135 since July 1933, and further adapted it to produce the Type 142 to meet Rothermere's requirements. Blenheim cockpit. Note the asymmetry of the instrument console, which indicates the "scooped out" area of the nose in front of the pilot. The ring-and-post gunsight for the forward firing guns is also visible.When it first flew as Britain First at Filton on 12 April 1935, it proved to be faster than any fighter in service with the Royal Air Force at the time. The Air Ministry was obviously interested in such a aircraft, and quickly sent out Specification B.28/35 for prototypes of a bomber version of the Bristol called the Type 142M (M for "military"). The main changes were to move the wing higher on the fuselage from its former low position, to allow room under the spar for a bomb bay. The aircraft was all-metal with twin Bristol Mercury VIII radial engines of 860 hp (640 kW) each. It carried a crew of three -- pilot, navigator/bombardier and gunner/wireless operator and <b>...</b>

Keywords

Bristol, Blenheim, Type, 142, ww2, bomber, aviation, history, aircraft

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