Duxford Blenheim moves under its own power

Following several years of hard work, the Duxford Blenheim project achieved a significant milestone on 19th November, when the Blenheim Mk.I made its first taxy trials. In the setting sun, the Blenheim moved under its own power from the ARCo site out to the airfield and back. It has now been painted with a squadron code, YP-Q, which was the code carried by Blenheim Mk.I L6739 when it was with 23 Squadron in 1940. Although much of the material in the rebuild comes from the previously airworthy long-nose Bolingbroke, G-BPIV, the opportunity has been taken to graft on the shorter nose of a Mark I, which originally came from L6739. Blenheim L6739 was broken up shortly after the Second World War, but the nose was acquired by a Bristol Aeroplane Company employee and turned into a roadworthy car, using an Austin 7 chassis.

Photo from AJCDuxman on Flickr.