FASTEST BOMBER

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXXII, 9 December 1938, Page 6

FASTEST BOMBER

REMARKABLE MACHINE THE BRISTOL BLENHEIM ( FEATURES OF NEW CRAFT LONDON, 10th November. Speed and range of the fastest bomber yet in service with the Royal Air Force are greatly enhanced in the modified version of the Bristol Blenheim monoplane, which is in large production in three factories. Hundreds of I these formidable craft have already been delivered to the squadrons. The introduction of ingenious changes in design gives the new Blenheim a top speed of 295 miles an hour, a speed noteworthy in a modern fighter, but outstanding in a bomber. This performance has not been obtained at the sacrifice of essential and basic bombing requirements; carrying full military load, the modified Blenheim will fly non-stop 1900 miles. NEW DESIGN OF NOSE The nose of the aeroplane has been extended to provide improved accommodation for navigation and bombaiming; it contains a chart table, instruments, a folding seat, and redesigned bomb-aiming facilities. The resultant change in shape of the nose gives exceptional field of vision, thereby enhancing the accuracy of the navigation or bomb-aiming duties being undertaken.

Extra fuel tanks are located in the wings. Power is supplied by tw6 Bristol Mercury VIII air-cooled engines, neatly encowled and merged into the wing contour, which drive controllable pitch airscrews. Take-off power of the Mercury engine is raised to 920 horsepower, against the former take-off rating of 725 horse-power, an increase which means that the modified Blenheim, although it carries a much heavier load than its predecessor, can take off and climb as rapidly. INTERNAL BOMB CELLS Blenheim construction uses the latest ideas in all-metal aeroplane building. It embodies the “stressed-skin.” covering to the wings and fuselage, which carries much of the loads and stresses imposed in flight. Two legs forming the undercarriage are separate units, located one under each engine, extended when the machine is on tho ground and folding up wi|iin the engine nacelles during flight. To assist streamlining, bombs are carried internally. Accommodation is provided for pilot, navigator, and radio-operator-gunner in an amidships cockpit. In addition to large-scale manufacture at the Bristol works, the Blenheim is also in production at the Avro factory in Manchester and at the Roots “shadow” factory near Liverpool. Performance figures recently released of the older models include a top speed of 285 miles per hour at 13,000 feet. It climbs to that height, with full military load, in just over 11 minutes. Service ceiling—height at which the rate of climb does not exceed 100 ft a minute—is 27,280 ft. In spite of its high speed, the Blenheim may be landed at only 50 miles an hour, comparable with the landing speed of most light aircraft a fraction of its size.