It's a British Mk I Bristol Blenheim. It looks like its operating over the North African desert and is engaging an Italian biplane fighter. The Mk I was obsolete at that point so is probably why we gave it to the French. I'm guessing that this is (actually MUST be) before France fell otherwise it'd have Free French livery.
I was very pleased a few years ago to see the only flying Bristol Blenheim at RIAT. It must have been the one seen (briefly) in the recent(ish) Dunkirk movie. Beautiful craft and amazing it its heyday when it could outrun the fighters of the age. Unfortunately by the late 30's it had become totally outclassed.
Actually I'm wrong about some of this - I guess I should do my research BEFORE I post stuff!
It IS a MK I Bristol Blenheim but is RAF, not French. That particular aircraft was from 30 Squadron, based in Iraq in 1940. So the desert below isn't North Africa. I wasn't aware that we fought the Italians over Iraq though...... [muses]
Meanwhile, in other news (to be confirmed - lol) it seems that 30 Squadron was indeed transferred from Iraq to Egypt in 1940 BUT this particular aircraft VTB K7107 was involved in a mid-air collision and scrapped before Italy came into the war so, not only did this aircraft never actually engage in combat operations but could never have engaged an Italian biplane fighter over *any* desert..... Don't you just LOVE the Internet.... [grin]
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A two-engine bomber....with an interesting angular cockpit. French, from the livery?
It's a British Mk I Bristol Blenheim. It looks like its operating over the North African desert and is engaging an Italian biplane fighter. The Mk I was obsolete at that point so is probably why we gave it to the French. I'm guessing that this is (actually MUST be) before France fell otherwise it'd have Free French livery.
I was very pleased a few years ago to see the only flying Bristol Blenheim at RIAT. It must have been the one seen (briefly) in the recent(ish) Dunkirk movie. Beautiful craft and amazing it its heyday when it could outrun the fighters of the age. Unfortunately by the late 30's it had become totally outclassed.
Actually I'm wrong about some of this - I guess I should do my research BEFORE I post stuff!
It IS a MK I Bristol Blenheim but is RAF, not French. That particular aircraft was from 30 Squadron, based in Iraq in 1940. So the desert below isn't North Africa. I wasn't aware that we fought the Italians over Iraq though...... [muses]
Meanwhile, in other news (to be confirmed - lol) it seems that 30 Squadron was indeed transferred from Iraq to Egypt in 1940 BUT this particular aircraft VTB K7107 was involved in a mid-air collision and scrapped before Italy came into the war so, not only did this aircraft never actually engage in combat operations but could never have engaged an Italian biplane fighter over *any* desert..... Don't you just LOVE the Internet.... [grin]
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