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Did the Russians have MkI Blenheims?
- Thread starter ndicki
- Start date
greycap.raf
Charter Member
They didn't. Having said that, if you want a realistic Allied bomber from that time there's quite an obvious one available and it's the B-25C. I might even pass the early ones off as light bombers. If we had a Blenheim Mk IV it could play the role of the SB-2 in its early radial engined form.
gamemaster406
Charter Member
They didn't, plus in august 1942 the Blenheim was replaced by the Douglas Boston and Lockheed Vega Ventura.
Hope this helps.
-Mike
grizzly50
Charter Member
Wyld45,Here's one. No, it's not my work, it's one of Jaycee's that I uploaded to SOH for him a while ago.
Yes, the Soviet Union did use it: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/De_Havilland_Mosquito#Operators
Grizzly50
ndicki
Charter Member 2016
The B-25C I already have in VVS colours, but they will not have received it before mid/late 1942 at the very earliest. The RAF began to get them in mid-1942. The same applies to the Mossie.
I'm thinking of a plausible "what-if" to fill the gap at the start of the Russian Campaign. They did receive Hampdens and Whitleys...
I'm thinking of a plausible "what-if" to fill the gap at the start of the Russian Campaign. They did receive Hampdens and Whitleys...
greycap.raf
Charter Member
Still trying to come up with something that could be disguised as a "real" Russian bomber and I'm now thinking there's a better SB-2 clone than the Blenheim IV, the Maryland might be a good option as the Tupolev was even called the "Martin Bomber" in several combat reports thanks to its similar looks. Time to go borrow some more stuff from my MAW install...
S
sandar
Guest
The Russians certainly did not buy, or receive MkI Blenheims, but The Finnish air force did and some MkIV's, even built them under licence. It is certainly possible the Russian's did have some captured Blenheims following their defeat of the Fins.
greycap.raf
Charter Member
*historical info incoming*
The Finnish Air Force had several versions of Blenheims as it was the main type of our bomber fleet throughout the war, including the Mk II that was strictly a Finnish speciality being a Mk I fuselage with two wing guns and in the later examples Mk IV engines. The series were as follows:
Series I: BL-104 - BL-121, British built Mk I's (840 bhp Mercury VIII, one wing gun)
Series II: BL-146 - BL-160, Finnish built Mk II's (840 bhp Mercury VIII, two wing guns)
Series III: BL-122 - BL-133, British built Mk IV's (920 bhp Mercury XV, one wing gun)
Series IV: BL-134 - BL-145, British built Mk I's (840 bhp Mercury VIII, one wing gun)
Series V: BL-161 - BL-190, Finnish built Mk II's (920 bhp Mercury XV, two wing guns)
Series VI: BL-196 - BL-205, Finnish built Mk IV's (920 bhp Mercury XV, two wing guns)
Then about the paint schemes, they were dependant on the series when the aircraft entered service. Eventually they all were all finished in the green and black Continuation War Scheme as they were overhauled but these apply for them as they first reached the squadrons:
Series I: painted in Britain, olive green upper surfaces and fuselage, silver dope lower surfaces
Series II: painted in Finland, olive green and black upper surfaces, silver dope lower surfaces
Series III: painted in Britain, olive green upper surfaces and fuselage, silver dope lower surfaces
Series IV: painted in Britain, Dark Earth and Dark Green upper surfaces, black lower surfaces
Series V & VI: painted in Finland, olive green and black upper surfaces, "DN colour" lower surfaces, "DN colour" was actually RLM 65 and got its name from the Dorniers with which we got a huge stock of the paint.
Not a single Blenheim operated by the FAF was captured in flying condition. Those shot down and crash landed are another story but they were hardly capable of flying ever again. In fact, I don't know of an occasion on which any of our aircraft would have been captured intact.
The Finnish Air Force had several versions of Blenheims as it was the main type of our bomber fleet throughout the war, including the Mk II that was strictly a Finnish speciality being a Mk I fuselage with two wing guns and in the later examples Mk IV engines. The series were as follows:
Series I: BL-104 - BL-121, British built Mk I's (840 bhp Mercury VIII, one wing gun)
Series II: BL-146 - BL-160, Finnish built Mk II's (840 bhp Mercury VIII, two wing guns)
Series III: BL-122 - BL-133, British built Mk IV's (920 bhp Mercury XV, one wing gun)
Series IV: BL-134 - BL-145, British built Mk I's (840 bhp Mercury VIII, one wing gun)
Series V: BL-161 - BL-190, Finnish built Mk II's (920 bhp Mercury XV, two wing guns)
Series VI: BL-196 - BL-205, Finnish built Mk IV's (920 bhp Mercury XV, two wing guns)
Then about the paint schemes, they were dependant on the series when the aircraft entered service. Eventually they all were all finished in the green and black Continuation War Scheme as they were overhauled but these apply for them as they first reached the squadrons:
Series I: painted in Britain, olive green upper surfaces and fuselage, silver dope lower surfaces
Series II: painted in Finland, olive green and black upper surfaces, silver dope lower surfaces
Series III: painted in Britain, olive green upper surfaces and fuselage, silver dope lower surfaces
Series IV: painted in Britain, Dark Earth and Dark Green upper surfaces, black lower surfaces
Series V & VI: painted in Finland, olive green and black upper surfaces, "DN colour" lower surfaces, "DN colour" was actually RLM 65 and got its name from the Dorniers with which we got a huge stock of the paint.
Not a single Blenheim operated by the FAF was captured in flying condition. Those shot down and crash landed are another story but they were hardly capable of flying ever again. In fact, I don't know of an occasion on which any of our aircraft would have been captured intact.
