Warbird Information Exchange

I've been browsing through the hangar and have found there are two Hampdens that have been rebuilt, one entirely in the open. There are also two Blenheims, one in the UK and one in Australia. The first Blenheims had a bad reputation for crashes. We must remember in those days, there were no conversion units, a pilot was just show the taps and he was on his own! Some problems, were, I think entirely due to poor control arrangements. The primary controls were good, but the secondary controls were found wanting.
The pitch change cotrols were two push/pull plungers behind the pilot's left elbow, just below two identical plungers for the carburettor cut outs - the latter were soon guarded by a sprung flap! Like the throttles, they were painted red and green for port or starboard, but that wasn't much use at night, unless the pilot had colour sensitive elbows! The hydraulic system was controlled by three identical push/pull stirrup plungers down by the pilots left thigh - and the circuit had first to be energised from 'Neutral' by selecting either 'Undercarriage and Flaps' or 'Turret' followed by pushing or pulling the flaps or undercarriage selector up or down a sneeded. It was all too easy to retract the undercarriage rather than the flaps after landing, especially at night.
Pilots had to remember to first activate the control to provide pressure in the correct circuit before raising or lowering the wheels or flaps, or providing hydraulic power to the turret. If he didn't do this, nothing happened. Imagine, no power to the turret and an Me 109 in the area.
The fuel cocks were on the right hand wall of the cockpit 'behind' the pilots right shoulder and difficult to reach from his seat, (As were the winder to open or close the cowl gills for cooling. The fuel gauges were in the roof behind his head!
All this on top of the many dangers inherent in flying itself back in the late 1930s - as I remarked earlier - there were no Operational Training Units in those days. It is no wonder that the RAF lost over 10% of its Blenheim strength in accidents before the war.
Incidentally, the two Blenheims I mentioned, are flying examples.

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Ken Garner

Sounds likea true British aircraft to me .. crazy locations for items to use when flying. No wonder US cockpits are claimed as better layouts.

Are you sure that there are 2 flying Blenheims? I dont think they are at all flying - maybe under restoration?

Hey Canberra Man,

Two Hampdens eh? That's amazing! I'd love to see any pictures if you have them, or maybe you could tell me a little bit more about them.

Cheers,

David