English Electric Canberra

[andyoxon]

Is putting in an appearance at the Abingdon Air show this year...

http://www.heraldseries.co.uk/news/hsabingdonnews/11171015.Historic_bomber_to_roar_out_of_retirement_for_air_show/

Used to see this occasionally in Zimbabwe (Rhodesia), along with the Hawker Hunters...  Seems like the Canberra had a max altitude greater than the Vulcan (although the Vulcan is over 4x heavier).

[spesh]

The Canberra's debut at the 1949 Farnborough air show, with Roland Beamont at the controls, caused a bit of a stir. Beamont threw the plane around in an aerobatic routine that stayed almost entirely within the aerodrome perimeter.

The next morning, Beamont was hauled in front of the display control committee and told to "tone down" his flying. He asked what that meant exactly and when they failed to be specific he inquired if they thought it had been dangerous. They said no, not dangerous exactly, but, well, just tone it down.

Looks like Roly Falk forgot to read the memo when he barrel-rolled a Vulcan straight after taking off at a Farnborough show a few years later.

[T42]

Used to see these flying over Belfast when I was a kid. I think Short & Harland used one as a testbed: they had quite a few planes in and out.

[Bledlow]

One of very few British aircraft bought by the USAF. Licence-built in the USA as the Martin B-57. Beamont flew one over for evaluation, making the first non-stop crossing of the Atlantic by a jet en route, which can't have damaged its prospects.

[Torslanda]

I'm sure that there will be an expert along to tell all soon but I believe the wings were extended in both span and chord to enable some VERY high altitude flying for photo reconnaissence .

[Peter]

Yes,  think you're right, T.  Trivia fact is that the excellent English Rugby Union threequarter, Rory Underwood used to fly them.

[robgul]

At a County show back in about 1957 the RAF had part of the fuselage of a Canberra as a display with an ejector seat ... you sat in the seat, pulled the blind over your face and the seat shot out of the cockpit (but only about 10' up a sort of ladder that stuck out of the open cockpit) ..... great fun on a school outing.

And ... outside the British Aerospace factory on the A59 just east of Preston there was until quite recently a rather sad looking Canberra displayed at the main gate .... I think (hope) that it's being refurbished to be re-sited as an example of the plane.

Rob

[T42]

I saw a live demo of the Martin-Baker low-level ejector seat at Sydenham in the 50s. I think that was from a Canberra.

And Wiki says that Short & Harlands built over 100 of them, so those were probably the planes I used to see.

[TimC]

I'm sure that there will be an expert along to tell all soon but I believe the wings were extended in both span and chord to enable some VERY high altitude flying for photo reconnaissence .

The PR9 is the version you're referring to, which remained in service till 2006. It had a service ceiling of around 65,000ft, though it could go higher. An early Canberra set a world altitude record of over 70,000ft in 1957, though the standard in-service aircraft were limited to 48,000ft.

[Fab Foodie]

Maritime Recce versions were regularly seen flying over the n. Cornwall coast when I were a lad.  Lovely things.

[clarion]

Anyone interested in Canberras (and Meteors) should go along to Newark Air Museum.

[TheLurker]

Used to see these flying over Belfast when I was a kid. I think Short & Harland used one as a testbed: they had quite a few planes in and out.

Canberras used to be regular low* level visitors to our neck of the woods in the mid to late 70s along with Phantoms, and A10s.


*As in "rattle the house to the foundations" low.

[SteveC]

And ... outside the British Aerospace factory on the A59 just east of Preston there was until quite recently a rather sad looking Canberra displayed at the main gate .... I think (hope) that it's being refurbished to be re-sited as an example of the plane.

No idea what's happened to the Canberra, but the news is there will be two Lightnings there soon. A proper English Electric one and the new Lockheed F-35 Lighting II.

[TimC]

Maritime Recce versions were regularly seen flying over the n. Cornwall coast when I were a lad.  Lovely things.

The Canberras of 7Sqn, based at St Mawgan from 1970 to 1982, were target facilities aircraft. Basically, they towed various mechanical and electronic devices for naval and land-based missile operators to aim at. There was no maritime reconnaissance version of the aircraft, at least in UK. 

[Torslanda]

I saw a doco - 'Great British Planes' IIRC - and it showed the PR version's VERY cramped position in the nose.

One ever present danger was apparently frostbite. Despite being pressurised the nose was always too cold while the pilot was always too hot. A bit like the nav and rear gunner in a Lancaster or Halifax.

[TimC]

I saw with my own eyes how bad it was. In 1981, or thereabouts, I was at RAAF Butterworth in Malaysia when a 39 Sqn PR9 landed and parked next to our C130. The nose opened, but the nav needed help to get out as he was so cold. They were on the way home from Hong Kong, and had been at very high altitude for about 3 or 4 hours and the poor guy was frozen stiff!

[andyoxon]

Went for a pootle to the Airshow...

Canberra in action

P1220788 by ao, on Flickr

P1220805 by ao, on Flickr

P1220801 by ao, on Flickr



And a couple of other pics.  What's the plane?

P1220760 by ao, on Flickr


Lynx  Merlin!

P1220774 by ao, on Flickr

[Exit Stage Left]

It's a Harvard.
http://www.airpowerworld.info/trainers/north-american-harvard-t-6g.htm

[spesh]

Lynx

P1220774 by ao, on Flickr

Actually, that's a Merlin HC3.

The Lynx is somewhat smaller, with a four-blade main rotor.

[TimC]

Yes, somewhat of a difference in size - the Merlin could probably carry a couple of Lynx!

[PaulF]

Saw the Harvard on it's way home, lovely sight

[andyoxon]

Lynx

...

Actually, that's a Merlin HC3.

The Lynx is somewhat smaller, with a four-blade main rotor.

Thanks - was told a Lynx by the chap next to me...     Had a look and the Lynx is a fair bit smaller.

I missed the Hurricane & Spit, as I think they opened the show (ish).

[rogerzilla]

The Canberra's debut at the 1949 Farnborough air show, with Roland Beamont at the controls, caused a bit of a stir. Beamont threw the plane around in an aerobatic routine that stayed almost entirely within the aerodrome perimeter.

The next morning, Beamont was hauled in front of the display control committee and told to "tone down" his flying. He asked what that meant exactly and when they failed to be specific he inquired if they thought it had been dangerous. They said no, not dangerous exactly, but, well, just tone it down.

Looks like Roly Falk forgot to read the memo when he barrel-rolled a Vulcan straight after taking off at a Farnborough show a few years later.

ISTR that Concorde would happily do a barrel roll, and did.

[spesh]

The Canberra's debut at the 1949 Farnborough air show, with Roland Beamont at the controls, caused a bit of a stir. Beamont threw the plane around in an aerobatic routine that stayed almost entirely within the aerodrome perimeter.

The next morning, Beamont was hauled in front of the display control committee and told to "tone down" his flying. He asked what that meant exactly and when they failed to be specific he inquired if they thought it had been dangerous. They said no, not dangerous exactly, but, well, just tone it down.

Looks like Roly Falk forgot to read the memo when he barrel-rolled a Vulcan straight after taking off at a Farnborough show a few years later.

ISTR that Concorde would happily do a barrel roll, and did.

The classic piece of airliner stunt-flying was Boeing test pilot Alvin "Tex" Johnston barrel-rolling a prototype of the 707:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boeing_367-80#The_barrel_roll 

http://youtu.be/-KNbKFMBsQE

[TimC]

The Canberra's debut at the 1949 Farnborough air show, with Roland Beamont at the controls, caused a bit of a stir. Beamont threw the plane around in an aerobatic routine that stayed almost entirely within the aerodrome perimeter.

The next morning, Beamont was hauled in front of the display control committee and told to "tone down" his flying. He asked what that meant exactly and when they failed to be specific he inquired if they thought it had been dangerous. They said no, not dangerous exactly, but, well, just tone it down.

Looks like Roly Falk forgot to read the memo when he barrel-rolled a Vulcan straight after taking off at a Farnborough show a few years later.

ISTR that Concorde would happily do a barrel roll, and did.

A barrel roll is a 1g (more or less) manoeuvre, so - technically - any aircraft can do one. The only airliner that has done one in public is the Boeing 707 prototype, as far as I'm aware.