The English Electric Canberra was a first-generation jet bomber manufactured in large numbers through the 1950s, and as of 2006 some still remain in service.
Origins
The Canberra had its origins in 1944 as thought turned to developing a replacement for the unarmed high speed, high altitude de Havilland Mosquito bomber. Several long-established high-profile British aircraft manufacturers submitted proposals. Among the companies shortlisted to proceed with development studies, however, was a surprise: new entrant English Electric, a well-established industrial manufacturer with very little aircraft experience. A desperate need for bombers arose during the early years of World War II, when English Electric began to build the Halifax under licence.
The new English Electric design team was headed by former Westland chief designer W. E. W. Petter. The aircraft was named Canberra after the capital of Australia by Robert Menzies, Australia's longest-serving Prime Minister. In May 1945 a contract was signed, but with the post-war military reductions the prototype did not fly until May 1949. It was a deceptively simple design, looking rather like a scaled-up Gloster Meteor with a shoulder wing. The fuselage was circular in cross section, tapered at both ends and, cockpit aside, entirely without protrusions; the line of the large, low aspect ratio wings was broken only by the tubular engine nacelles.
Although jet powered and of all-metal construction, the Canberra design philosophy was very much in the Mosquito mould: provide room for a substantial bomb load, fit two of the most powerful engines available, and wrap it in the smallest, most aerodynamic package possible. Rather than devote space and weight to defensive armament — which historically could not overcome purpose-designed fighter aircraft — the Canberra was designed to fly fast and high enough to avoid air-to-air combat entirely.
The Canberra was originally designed for a crew of two under a fighter-style canopy, but delays in the development of the intended automatic radar bombsight resulted in the addition of a bomb aimer's position in the nose. Wingspan and length were almost identical at just under 20 metres, maximum takeoff weight a little under 25 tonnes. Thrust was provided by a pair of 30 kN axial flow Rolls-Royce Avon turbojets.
The prototype proved vice-free, and with a minimum of modifications, the Canberra B2 entered squadron service with RAF 101 Sqn in May 1951. With a maximum speed of 470 kt (871 km/h), a standard service ceiling of 48,000 ft (14,600 m), and the ability to carry a 3.6 tonne payload, the Canberra was an instant success. It was built in no less than 27 different versions, equipped 35 RAF squadrons, and was exported to Argentina, Chile, Ecuador, Ethiopia, France, India, New Zealand, Pakistan, Peru, Rhodesia, South Africa, Sweden, Venezuela and West Germany.
In the United States where the USAF needed to replace the B-26 Marauder, 406 Canberras were manufactured under licence as the Martin B-57 (right) in several versions, initially almost exactly the same as the English Electric pattern aircraft, later with a series of substantial modifications. In Australia, the Government Aircraft Factory (GAF) built 48 for the RAAF, broadly similar to the British B.2 but with a modified leading edge and increased fuel capacity. In the United Kingdom, the demand for Canberras exceeded English Electric's ability to supply, and Handley Page also manufactured them under licence. Total worldwide Canberra production was 1,352.
Service
Canberras remained in front-line service with major air forces throughout the 1950s, '60s and '70s, and continued to serve as bombers and reconnaissance aircraft with minor air forces through the '80s and '90s. In the UK [1] and the USA, a handful are retained for support roles such as photographic mapping, aerodynamic research, electronic countermeasures, and electronic intelligence gathering until the present time. The PR9 variant saw service in 2003 operations against the Iraqi regime [2] with 39 (1PRU) Squadron.
The Canberra played a part in many conflicts, being employed as a bomber by Britain during the Suez Crisis, by Britain, New Zealand and Australia in Malaya, the United States and Australia in Vietnam, by Ethiopia against Eritrea and then Somalia during the 1970s, and by both Rhodesia and South Africa in their respective Bush Wars. During the Indo-Pakistani Wars of the 1960s and '70s, the Canberra was utilised by both sides. On 21 May 1999, prior to the commencement of the Kargil conflict, the Air HQ of the Indian Air Force assigned a Canberra PR57 aircraft a photo mission task near the LoC (Line of Control), where it took a severe blow from a FIM-92 Stinger infrared homing missile on the starboard engine and with only one operational engine left it still managed to return to base.
During the Vietnam conflict Australian Canberras were particularly valued as due to their older, accurate, optical bombsights they could use level bombing from safe altitudes over South Vietnam, often with total surprise, whilst more modern jets and attack aircraft either used less accurate electronic bombing methods or dive bombing tactics which required braving Viet Minh and North Vietnamese anti-aircraft fire (not to mention the friendly fire of nervous US Armed Forces and Army of the Republic of Vietnam units).
But perhaps the best remembered role the Canberra played was in the Cold War, where modified very high-altitude Canberras overflew the Soviet Union and China many times before the advent of the purpose-designed Lockheed U-2 reconnaissance aircraft. In 1955 the USAF ordered 20 RB-57Ds from Martin, with modified Pratt & Whitney J57 engines and an extended 33 metre wingspan. These, and a later version with longer 37 metre wings, were used for both photographic and electronic reconnaissance. On 24 December 1957, a USAF RB-57 was shot down by Soviet fighters over the Black Sea, and in February 1958 and October 1959 RB-57Ds operated by the Chinese Nationalists were shot down over mainland China. After President Eisenhower's 1960 ban on overflying the USSR, they continued to monitor Eastern Bloc nations, often flying just outside territorial limits at about 60,000 ft (18,300 m) to look deep into the forbidden territory, until 14 December 1965 (1968 according to other accounts) when an RB-57F was shot down by a surface-to-air missile over the Black Sea near Odessa.
The Argentine Air Force received 10 B.62 and 2 T.64 trainers at beginning of the 1970s. During the 1982 Falklands/Malvinas War, eight of them were deployed to Trelew, (a distance of 670 mi (1,080 km) from the islands) to avoid congestion on the closer southern airfields. From May 1 to June 14, they made 35 sorties, 25 of them at night against ground troops. Two aircraft were lost to missiles - the ship launched Sea Dart.
NASA retains (July 2005) NASA 926 and NASA 928 for high altitude research. These aircraft observed the launch of Space Shuttle Discovery on STS-114, on 26 July 2005. The aircraft perform other scientific observation roles on weather, pollution and ozone layer depletion studies. These aircraft entered USAF service in 1964 as WB-57Fs with 58th Weather Reconnaissance Squadron prior to joining NASA in the early 1970s. NASA operated 925 from 1972-82 when it was retired.
The Canberra could fly at a higher altitude than any other bomber right through the 1950s and set a world altitude record of 70,310 ft (21,430 m) in 1957. (The Lockheed U-2 may have flown higher, but was secret at that time. That said, the service ceiling of the Canberra PR9 still in service today remains classified.)
About 10 airworthy Canberras are in private hands today, and are a popular feature at flying displays.
In September 2005, the RAF's 3 seat trainer Canberras flew its last flight at RAF Marham. The training unit for Canberras is no longer needed because the Photo-reconnaissance Canberras will be retired in 2006.
Flight records
- 1951 - first non-stop transatlantic crossing by a jet.
- 1952 - first double transatlantic crossing by a jet.
- 1953 - height record - 63,668 ft
- 1955 - height record - 65,890 ft
- 1957 - height record - 70,310 ft
Specifications (Canberra)
General characteristics
- Crew: 2
Performance
- Thrust/weight: 0.65
Armament
- 4× 20 mm Hispano cannon or
- 8× .50 caliber (12.7 mm) machine guns
- 6,000 lb (2,700 kg) of bombs
Operators
- (Martin B-57 Canberra): Pakistan, South Vietnam, United States Air Force,
- (English Electric Canberra): Argentina, Australia, Ethiopia, Germany, India, New Zealand, Peru, Rhodesia, South Africa, Sweden, United Kingdom (Royal Air Force, Royal Navy), Venezuela,
External links
Related content
Related development Gloster Meteor - Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era Martin XB-51 Related lists List of aircraft of the RAF - List of military aircraft of the United States - List of aircraft of the RAAF - List of bomber aircraft