Two Early Blenheim Questions, One General, One Specific

[Old Man]

On a Munich-era Blenheim I, would the undercarriage legs and bay interior be Night?

 

Does anyone have details of the service career of Blenheim Mk I serial K7040? It is featured on the XtraDecal sheet. I am curious what happened with the aeroplane subsequent to the '37 Hendon Air Show.

[dogsbody]

Lots of Blenhein photos here:

 

https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/search?query=Bristol Blenheim&pageSize=&media-records=records-with-media&style=image

 

 

Just click on individual images to see larger version and read the captions.

 

 

Chris

[RJP]

I was idly playing around in Google and found this:

 

"One of the first Blenheim Mk Is handed over to 114 Squadron at RAF Wyton was K7040 which was delivered on March 22, 1937. The aircraft escaped operational service without incident. Its tour with 114 Squadron was short, as it was renumbered 1042M on April 8, 1938 and continued to serve as an instructional airframe with 1 SoTT. Andy Hay/www.flyingart.co.uk"

 

at this reference:

https://docer.tips/raf-inter-war-bombers.html

[Graham Boak]

Is this the very first one, that was overturned on its first Landing?  If so, there is a picture of it in the Blenheim profiler, I believe - it's too late to dig it out tonight.

[dogsbody]

51 minutes ago, Graham Boak said:

Is this the very first one, that was overturned on its first Landing?  If so, there is a picture of it in the Blenheim profiler, I believe - it's too late to dig it out tonight.

 

Is this the one you were thinking about, Graham?

 

 

Then no, this is K7036.

 

 

Chris

[Geoffrey Sinclair]

https://www.worldwarphotos.info/gallery/uk/raf/blenheim1/blenheim-i-k7040-114/
https://www.destinationsjourney.com/historical-military-photographs/bristol-blenheim-mk-i-light-bomber/

 

K7040 taken on charge 15 March 1937, to 114 Squadron, Struck Off Charge 22 February 1938, became 1042M, which in turn was Struck Off Charge 20 August 1943.  What happened to cause the first SOC is unclear, the squadron summary of events does not have any mention, nor does Graham Warner in his Bristol Blenheim book.

[Old Man]

On 4/3/2022 at 11:27 AM, RJP said:

I was idly playing around in Google and found this:

 

"One of the first Blenheim Mk Is handed over to 114 Squadron at RAF Wyton was K7040 which was delivered on March 22, 1937. The aircraft escaped operational service without incident. Its tour with 114 Squadron was short, as it was renumbered 1042M on April 8, 1938 and continued to serve as an instructional airframe with 1 SoTT. Andy Hay/www.flyingart.co.uk"

 

at this reference:

https://docer.tips/raf-inter-war-bombers.html

 

18 hours ago, Geoffrey Sinclair said:

https://www.worldwarphotos.info/gallery/uk/raf/blenheim1/blenheim-i-k7040-114/
https://www.destinationsjourney.com/historical-military-photographs/bristol-blenheim-mk-i-light-bomber/

 

K7040 taken on charge 15 March 1937, to 114 Squadron, Struck Off Charge 22 February 1938, became 1042M, which in turn was Struck Off Charge 20 August 1943.  What happened to cause the first SOC is unclear, the squadron summary of events does not have any mention, nor does Graham Warner in his Bristol Blenheim book.

 

 

Many thanks, Gentlemen. Odd, such an early consignment to mechanic's school. Still, I suppose there was a need for modern items to train on. Perhaps it just drew the short straw....

[Old Man]

On 4/3/2022 at 11:04 AM, dogsbody said:

Lots of Blenhein photos here:

 

https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/search?query=Bristol Blenheim&pageSize=&media-records=records-with-media&style=image

 

 

Just click on individual images to see larger version and read the captions.

 

 

Chris

 

 

Thanks a lot! Still haven't got through all of it.

 

I've never figured out how to unlock the IWM, though often image searches get me there.

[dogsbody]

6 minutes ago, Old Man said:

 

 

Thanks a lot! Still haven't got through all of it.

 

I've never figured out how to unlock the IWM, though often image searches get me there.

 

I just go there, enter an aircraft's name, such as Bristol Blenheim, into the search space then wait for the photos to show. I then click on Image View to see just the photos.

 

 

 

Chris

[RJP]

On 4/3/2022 at 9:55 PM, Geoffrey Sinclair said:

https://www.worldwarphotos.info/gallery/uk/raf/blenheim1/blenheim-i-k7040-114/

Just visible is the hyphenated underwing serial presentation.  MJF Bowyer (Bombing Colours, 1973)  records the first dozen Blenheims had this feature, the serials being 30 inches in height and placed nearer the wingtip than later examples, illustrated by an Alfred Alderson drawing on page 37.

In addition, the aircraft letter is illustrated by Alderson at this time as very light grey.  Perhaps it is though the picture looks more like white (thinks:  white?).  Elsewhere in the book Bowyer refers to squadron codes on Battles as being in various shades of grey.  I guess this means not what I always thought was Medium Sea Grey - perhaps the standard hadn't settled down yet.  I shall have to pursue this before committing grievous offence on a Battle.

The squadron number is recorded as red although he states in the same volume that all he recorded himself were in yellow.  FWIW in the picture  it looks red to me.  Flight colours?

[Old Man]

On 4/4/2022 at 8:21 PM, RJP said:

Just visible is the hyphenated underwing serial presentation.  MJF Bowyer (Bombing Colours, 1973)  records the first dozen Blenheims had this feature, the serials being 30 inches in height and placed nearer the wingtip than later examples, illustrated by an Alfred Alderson drawing on page 37.

In addition, the aircraft letter is illustrated by Alderson at this time as very light grey.  Perhaps it is though the picture looks more like white (thinks:  white?).  Elsewhere in the book Bowyer refers to squadron codes on Battles as being in various shades of grey.  I guess this means not what I always thought was Medium Sea Grey - perhaps the standard hadn't settled down yet.  I shall have to pursue this before committing grievous offence on a Battle.

The squadron number is recorded as red although he states in the same volume that all he recorded himself were in yellow.  FWIW in the picture  it looks red to me.  Flight colours?

 

 

Thank you very much, Sir.

 

Not tongue in cheek, though I had already put the underwing serials on, and the XtraDecal sheet knows nothing of this hyphen. I have managed to insert a small one between the 'K' and the '7' which looks about right (a key-note on this build), and I appreciate the information.

[Old Man]

Thanks again, gentlemen, for your help.

 

Here is the model, ready for a stand....