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Bristol Blenheim

first flew 1935· bomber with 2 engines

🎖️ military 2× piston retired
10 photos from Wikimedia Commons · credits & licences
  1. 1. Bristol Blenheim ExCC: Wikimedia Commons· Public domain
  2. 2. Antwerp Bristol Blenheim Mk.I L6739 (G-BPIV) 06: Ad Meskens You are free to use this picture for any purpose as long as you credit its author, Ad Meskens . Example: © Ad Meskens / Wikimedia Commons If you use this work outside of the Wikimedia proje· CC BY-SA 4.0
  3. 3. Blenheim-luonetjarvi: SA-kuva· Public domain
  4. 4. Blenheim - RIAT 2015 (19998104414): Airwolfhound from Hertfordshire, UK· CC BY-SA 2.0
  5. 5. Bristol Blenheim - Egypt - Royal Air Force Operations in the Middle East and North Africa, 1939-1943. CM18: War Office official photographer· Public domain
  6. 6. Bristol Blenheim Mk IVFs of No. 254 Squadron RAF flying from Aldergrove in Northern Ireland, May 1941. CH2992: Daventry B J (Mr), Royal Air Force official photographer· Public domain
  7. 7. Bristol Blenheim Mk IV (BL-200): Jukka Kolppanen· CC BY-SA 3.0
  8. 8. Bristol Blenheim restoration, Duxford Military Vehicles Day and MAFVA Nationals 2012. (7425392456): Roland Turner from Birmingham, Great Britain· CC BY-SA 2.0
  9. 9. Duxford Blenheim: Chad Kainz from Chicago, USA· CC BY 2.0
  10. 10. A.M. T1082 R1083 radio Bristol Blenheim: MKFI· Public domain
Read about it on Wikipedia ↗
Bristol Blenheim, photo 1 of 10
1/10 Wikimedia Commons· Public domain

what is it?

The Bristol Blenheim is a British light bomber designed and built by the Bristol Aeroplane Company, which was used extensively in the first two years of the Second World War, with examples still being used as trainers until the end of the war. Development began with the Type 142, a civil airliner, after a challenge from the newspaper proprietor Lord Rothermere to produce the fastest commercial aircraft in Europe. The Type 142 first flew in April 1935, and the Air Ministry ordered a bomber development as the Type 142M for the Royal Air Force (RAF).

How to recognise it: 2 piston engines with propellers · 17.2 m wingspan

base stats

  • speed 428 km/htop speed
  • range 2,352 kmwithout refuelling
  • size 6,532 kgmax take-off weight
  • built 4,422made in total

Bars compare against all aircraft: 3,500 km/h, 20,000 km, 850 seats; size and number built on a log scale up to 640 t (An-225) and 45,000 built (Cessna 172).

fun facts

  • First flew 91 years ago, in 1935.
  • Top speed is 3.3× a car on the Dutch motorway (130 km/h).
  • Wingspan of 17.2 m: about 4 cars parked nose to tail.
  • Range of 2,352 km: 13× Amsterdam to Brussels.

piston: A car-like piston engine turning a propeller: simple and cheap, the classic small plane.

spec sheet

first flight
1935-04-12
introduced
1937
retired
1944
status
retired
number built
4,422
role
bomber with 2 engines
makers
Bristol Aeroplane Company
engines
2× Bristol Mercury XV / Bristol Mercury
crew
3
length
13 m
wingspan
17.2 m
height
3 m
max take-off weight
6,532 kg
top speed
428 km/h
cruise speed
319 km/h
range
2,352 km
ceiling
8,309 m

Specs are for the version in the Wikipedia article's specification section. Blank means the sources don't say.

Sources: Wikidata Q330417, Wikipedia: Bristol Blenheim (CC BY-SA 4.0).Updated 2026-10-24.

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