Blenheim IV reconnaissance configuration

[TheBaron]

Evening all.

 

I was wondering if anyone had ever seen diagrams for the camera installation points used in reconnaissance work on the Blenheim IV. I'm intending at a future date to make Alastair Panton's aircraft (in which he flew recon sorties during the Battle of France) as detailed in his extraordinary memoir Six Weeks of Blenheim Summer.

 

There are a few photos in the IWM archives of cameras being lugged into various aircraft but what I really need is some kind of installation or maintenance diagram to give an idea of structures and mounting points - the pilot's notes of course don't cover this level of detail.

 

Having spent many fruitless months trying to track down digital copies of parts and maintenance manuals for the Mk.IV to no avail - if anyone was able to point me in the right direction I'd be most grateful.

 

Thanks for reading this.

Tony

[Gmat]

There was a round window on a squarish ventral panel aft of the bomb bay and on the right side. It was about half the width of the fuselage. The panel was hinged on the right side and could swing down. All of the 1/72 kits including the recent Airfix kit do not have this. I suspect that this would be the set up used for a recon sortie. 

Pictures showing this are hard to find. The Classic Airframe Blenheim kit color profile show this. 

 

Grant

Edited February 2, 2018 by Gmat

[dogsbody]

Some pictures might help:

 

https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205234787

 

https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205210131

 

https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205210132

 

https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205195483

 

 

Chris

[TheBaron]

10 hours ago, Gmat said:

There was a round window on a squarish ventral panel aft of

Cheers Grant. I think I've an oblique shot of that region in close up.

6 hours ago, dogsbody said:

Some pictures might help:

Already got "em Chris, thanks - there really are some excellent shots on the IWM archive aren't there?