I have always considered the early type Blenheim a rather ugly looking aircraft and much prefer the longer nose Mk IV version but when I saw a review of this all-new kit by Airfix I was sold! The moulding quality appeared to be a lot better than some of their recent releases with very good surface details particularly on the wings which have very fine panel lines and rivets both raised and recessed. I have shown a number of photos of different stages of the build process to convey something of the above average complexity of this kit.
It was the first modern bomber to be delivered to the RAF and one of the first aircraft to use all-metal, stressed-skin construction, powered gun turret, retractable landing gear, flaps and variable pitch propellers.
Despite these advantages, the Blenheim stood little chance against the German Messerschmitt Bf109 during daylight operations and was soon relegated to a night fighting role.
The Blenheim was one of the stop-gap bombers that the RAF had to use until the new generation of ‘heavies’ came into service such as the Avro Lancaster.
Here is what Len Deighton has to say about the Bristol Blenheim IF in his book, ‘Battle of Britain’:
‘This unfortunate aircraft was an attempt to operate a long-range heavy fighter variant of the Blenheim light bomber. Equipped with four Brownings in a ventral pack under the fuselage, one gun in a rear turret and one in the port wing, it was hopelessly slow and clumsy in action against German fighters. Even when transferred to a night fighter role, it proved too slow to catch most German bombers to which it was vectored. The seven Blenheim squadrons in Fighter Command on 1 July 1940 could play little part in the Battle. Their fate showed the futility f the Air Ministry doctrine that it was better to put anything into the air than nothing.’
