Customer Reviews

Blenheim Squadrons of World War 2 (Osprey Combat Aircraft 5)

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This book describes the operational history of the Blenheim - one of Britain's least known, but most important, bombers of the Second World War. It includes some 40 superb full-colour profiles showing the various colour schemes applied to the airplane, and includes scale plans, making it as useful to the airplane modeller as to the armchair historian. It's a fascinating story, well told and nicely packaged.

It gets 5 stars because it is about Blenheims. I bought this slender volume for my mate who was, when he lived, one of the few remaining Blenheim pilots. He flew them for over 3 years and loved them as a flying machine. He said that nothing could come close to the feeling of a sunny day in the Bay of Biscay with two engines humming -- as long as there were no German Fighters around -- if there were you were toast.

Although not a particularly effective fighter, in the bomber role it was used against shipping, and for recon. There were a plethora of squadrons across the RAF, RCAF, RAAF and Free French. This books gives you squadron designations, markings and the full kit of someone flying the rig. I actually still possess the flying suit for this machine in Canada. It also gives you their major varients, development their eventual disbandment. It includes a lot of reminiscenses from wartime pilots as well.

Athough my mate is now flying Blenheims of God's own eternal squadron, mere mortals like us can still enjoy the plane he loved so much when he was alive. A very nice volume.