'Last flying' Bristol Blenheim airborne at Duxford

[maureenho]

'Last flying' Bristol Blenheim airborne at Duxford



A Bristol Blenheim bomber said to be the last one flying in the world is taking part in its first air show since its restoration.

The World War Two aeroplane will take to the skies at the VE Day Anniversary Air Show at the Imperial War Museum at Duxford in Cambridgeshire.

It has not flown since it crashed in August 2003 and has since been repaired and remodelled.

Owner and pilot John Romain said he had spent 26,000 hours on its restoration.

The RAF had more Blenheims in service than any other aircraft when World War Two began and this plane was built in 1939.

It was fully restored to flying condition in 1993 and took part in numerous air shows, films and television broadcasts before it crashed while attempting to land at the Duxford airfield in 2003.

The pilot and a crew member walked away unharmed.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-ca ... e-32850508

[chenrezig]

I remember the crash in August 2003 very well, as I was at the Air Show at Duxford where the original aircraft took off from to go to Denham Air Show, we stood there at Duxford with a helicopter crew (we were running pleasure flights) and wondered why it hadn't come back. Then we heard about the prang - the pilot had done a touch and go contrary to the owners instructions and flooded the engines and stalled them and ended up going off the end of the runway and across Denham golf course !

[annie]

tha22222