Blenheim and nose wheel UC

[Kokoro]

Did a search and couldn't find anything so I will ask.

anyway in Putnam book Bristol Aircraft since 1910 there is a mention of a Blenheim that was converted to a nose-wheel undercarriage. I used to assume the nose-wheeled Blenheim studies became the AW Albemarle due to the reasonable resembalence the aircraft have.

Looking in the book just now I noticed the Blenheim converted was actually a short nosed Blenheim 1.... Was it finished with the nose-wheel? Did it move around or even fly like that?

 

[VictorXL188]

It only took 13 years and a couple of months to answer this, but here goes. All data taken from https://www.yorkshire-aircraft.co.uk/aircraft/yorkshire/york42/k7044.html. Blenheim K7044 was built to contract 43506/35 by the Bristol Aeroplane Co. Ltd., at Filton and was delivered to 114 Squadron at Wyton on 30th April 1937. On 18th August 1938 it transferred to A&AEE at Martlesham Heath for trial work. On an unknown date it was flown to the Bristol Aircraft Company Ltd. at Filton for tricycle undercarriage tests. On 24th October 1939 it was flown to Rotol Ltd. at Staverton for propeller development work then on 16th January 1940 it was flown into storage at 20 MU at Aston Down where at some point a Mk.1f conversion took place. On 23rd September 1940 it was taken on charge by 604 Squadron based at Middle Wallop but they clearly found it to be unsuitable as was back at 20 MU at Aston Down on 27th September 1940. On 22nd May 1941 it was taken on charge by 54 OTU at Church Fenton and as a result of a mishap on 12th September 1941 Cat.Ac/FA damage was recorded. It was repaired on site and returned to the unit. On 14th February 1942 this aircraft crashed during a night-landing at Church Fenton airfield. The aircraft suffered from having a tyre burst on landing, the aircraft swung off the runway and the undercarriage collapsed. No further details were known at the time of creating this webpage. The aircraft sustained enough damage to write it off. it sustained Cat.E2/FA following the mishap at Church Fenton detailed above and it was deemed beyond repair.
I am assuming that the tricycle undercarriage had been removed by the time of its demise, but if anyone has further info, I would be glad to hear it.