Bristol Blenheim Prototypes

The Bristol Blenheim was a light bomber, developed for the Royal Air Force from the Bristol Type 142 civil airliner in the mid 1930s. The Blenheim Mk.I entered service with the RAF in 1937 and was used extensively during the first two years of the Second World War.

The Mk.I was replaced by the Mk.IV, with an extended nose, more powerful engines and increased defensive armament. The initial Mk.IV had an extended forward fuselage to provide more room for the bomb aimer. This extension hindered the pilot’s forward vision and was modified with a stepped, curved forward section. This was again modified with a scooped out section, giving the aircraft an asymmetrical nose, but improving the pilot’s vision.