New airframe for the Centre
We are very happy to announce that we have started our work towards restoring a Bristol Blenhiem IV, also known as a Bolingbroke, to a running condition here at East Kirkby.
Since 2019 we have been working with Pima Air & Space Museum in Arizona and the Commonwealth Air Training Plan Museum (CATPM) in Manitoba to bring together parts and airframes to the Lincolnshire Aviation Heritage Centre to complete a restoration.
The CATPM have released the following statement-
"The Commonwealth Air Training Plan Museum ( CATPM), located in Brandon, Manitoba, Canada, is pleased to announce they are working with the Lincs Aviation Heritage Centre located at East Kirkby, England in the restoration of a Bristol Bolingbroke.
The Bristol Bolingbroke was a training aircraft used by the Royal Canadian Air Force during the Second World War. Manufactured in Canada as a modification of the Bristol Blenheim, the type served many uses in the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan.
The Lincs Aviation Heritage Centre already had significant pieces of an existing Bolingbroke (10073). The CATPM was able to provide to the Lincs Aviation Heritage Centre a selection of Bolingbroke parts and components surplus to their own restoration needs (9980).
John McNarry, President, CATPM stated " We are very pleased to be able to participate in this manner in the restoration of what will eventually become a running aircraft. This will be very significant in that there is currently only one running/airworthy Bolingbroke in the world."
The plan at the Centre now is to assess all of the parts we have collected and then move forward with a plan of restoration to bring a complete Bolingbroke to the Centre to provide a lasting tribute to the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan and the operational service of the Blenheim IV.
The history of the airframes can be found HERE