Bristol Blenheim down.

[HawkerTempest5]

In what's turning out to be a very bad year for vintage aviation, I've just heared that the worlds only flying Bristol Blenheim has made a wheels up landing at Duxford. Both crew where un hurt and walked away from the accident, but the plane looks to be quite badly damaged.
This is very, very sad that in the year that is celebrating  the century of flight so many rare and historic aircraft have been lost.

[ozzy72]

Terrible news Roger. The main thing is that the pilots are okay, I'm sure they can rebuild her.

Mark

[Professor Brensec]

I was just saying the other day that the Blenhiem must be the ugliest bomber ever made. (Must have been in he "Best Bomber" thread.
I feel like I should take it back now.

Very sad!  But as Ozzy says, the lives are worth far, far more, no matter how precious it is.  :o

[Hagar]

Very sad. At least there were no casualties. That aircraft seems to be plagued by bad luck. John Romain must be tearing his hair out. This one is basically the 2nd full rebuild. The original ARC Blenheim restoration was almost completely destroyed in a previous accident in 1987. I hope it's not too badly damaged or they might not have the heart to go through all that again. At this rate there won't be too many warbirds left to display at Shoreham.

This reminds me of 1997 when Black 6 went in. I never did get to see it fly or hear that DB 605.

[torquestripe]

Too bad for the Bristol . Happy to hear about the pilots though.

If that was the last flying example, and is salvagable, I'm sure a rebuild is already being planned.

[Felix/FFDS]

To my knowledge, a Bristol Bolinbroke (Canadian built Blenheim) is being restored to flying status in Hamilton, Ontario - (Canadian Warbird Heritage Museum -  site of a second flying Lancaster)

[Rifleman]

I wondered when it was mentioned about the Blenheim in the "Best Bomber" thread if there would be a mention of the Bolingbroke.........now I see I'm not the only one who knows of the one at the CWH.......

[Hagar]

I wondered when it was mentioned about the Blenheim in the "Best Bomber" thread if there would be a mention of the Bolingbroke................

The Duxford "Blenheim" is actually a Bolingbroke.

Bolingbroke/Blenheim Mk.IV, R3821/G-BPIV

RCAF 10201 served with the Royal Canadian Air Force from 18th May 1943 until 15th May 1946. Sir W.J.D. Roberts acquired the aircraft from Wes Agnews in the early 1980's, following long-term storage at Hartney, Manitoba. It arrived at Strathallen in late 1983, and using the wings from another Bolingbroke, 9703, the restoration to flying condition was underway.

Following the crash of its newly-restored Blenheim, The British Aerial Museum set about acquiring a replacement, and in early 1988 the Bolingbroke moved to Duxford. The restoration to airworthy condition took five years, considerably quicker than their first Blenheim. Although the aircraft was in a similar condition, some parts could be salvaged from the remains of their original Blenheim, and the facilities and skills available to the team were well established.

http://www.filton.flyer.co.uk/bristol/survb149gbpiv.htm

My first impression on seeing it for the first time was how small it is. Not much bigger than the average fighter