English Electric Canberra

Development

Background

During the Second World War, a desperate demand for bomber aircraft led to many aircraft being produced by secondary manufacturers via licensed manufacturing arrangements. The English Electric company thus mass-produced thousands of piston-engined bombers, such as the Handley Page Hampden and Handley Page Halifax, and the firm became a well-established British aircraft manufacturer despite having little internal design experience. Sir George Nelson, the chairman of English Electric, decided that the company would seek to remain in the business and produce its own designs. In November 1943, the company was invited to participate in discussions over a prospective bomber that would take advantage of the newly developed jet propulsion technology.

In 1944, Westland Aircraft's technical director and chief designer W. E. W. Petter had prepared a design study for a twin-engined fighter-bomber, the P.1056, based on two fuselage-mounted Metrovick F.2/4 "Beryl" engines. The aircraft used a relatively conventional aerodynamic design, Petter having determined that the necessary performance could be attained without adopting swept wings or a swept tail. The authorities doubted its suitability for operations from unprepared fields and at low altitude, but could see its potential as a bomber design; numerous manufacturers refused to take on the design. Petter left Westland to join the English Electric company in December 1944, where he was appointed by Nelson to form a design team and encouraged to develop his design. In 1945, English Electric formalised its own in-house aircraft design team to pursue this design.

The Canberra had its formal origins in a 1944 requirement issued by the Air Ministry for a successor to the de Havilland Mosquito. This requirement, the initial revision being E.3/45, sought a high-altitude, high-speed bomber, which was to be equipped with no defensive armament. According to aviation historians Bill Gunston and Peter Gilchrist, Air Ministry officials are alleged to have had difficulty defining what they sought for the proposed type, which led to several revisions of the requirement. Further specification refinements, including B.3/45 and B.5/47, issued further details such as a three-man crew and other features, such as a visual bombing capability. Several British aircraft manufacturers submitted proposals to meet the requirement, including English Electric. The firm was among those companies to be short-listed to proceed with development studies.

By June 1945, the aircraft that was to become the Canberra bore many similarities to the eventual design, despite the placement of a single, centrally mounted turbojet engine; Petter had held discussions with Rolls-Royce Ltd on the topic of the development of a scaled-up derivative of the Nene engine. In late 1945, the design was modified further with a pair of engines being adopted, instead, initially to be set in the wing roots and later to be mounted in a midwing position; this change was made principally due to centre of gravity issues imposed by the position and weight of a heavy bombload and centrally mounted single engine. The new engine position decreased the aircraft's weight by 13% and improved the aircraft's centre of gravity, as well as improved accessibility to the engines and related accessories; its downsides were slight thrust loss from the longer jet pipes and greater yaw during engine-out instances.

Prototypes and first flights

The Air Ministry specification B.3/45 had requested the production of four prototypes. On 9 January 1946, English Electric received a contract to produce four prototypes, which received the Society of British Aerospace Companies designation A.1; work commenced on the construction of these prototype aircraft in that same year, which were all built on production jigs. Progress was slow, however, due to several factors, such as the protracted development of the Avon engine that powered the type; in October 1947, in response to Rolls-Royce's difficulties, English Electric elected to have the second prototype modified to use the existing Nene engine in place of the Avon. The implementation of postwar military cutbacks also served to slow development.

Another external issue that affected development was the failure of the Telecommunications Research Establishment to produce the radar bombing system for the aircraft in a timely fashion. This required a redesign in 1947, changing the aircraft's nose to accommodate a glazed tip for visual bombing by a bomb aimer, which in turn required the cockpit to be restructured to facilitate the ejection system of the additional crewmember. In 1948, the design team relocated to Warton Aerodrome, Lancashire, establishing a flight-test organisation and assembly facilities there.

Ultimately, the first of these prototypes, VN799, conducted its maiden flight on 13 May 1949. Piloted by Roland Beamont, the aircraft is claimed to have handled well, with the exception of rudder overbalance. This initial flight was flown with Avon engines, the decision to perform the type's first flight with the Avon-equipped first prototype or the Nene-equipped second prototype, VN828, was not made until weeks beforehand. On 9 November 1949, the second prototype, VN828, the first to be equipped with the Nene engine, performed its first flight. The third and fourth followed within the following eight weeks.

Flight testing of the prototypes proved to be vice-free and required only a few modifications. The changes included the installation of a glazed nose to accommodate a bomb-aimer, due to the advanced H2S Mk9 bombing radar being unavailable for production, the turbojet engines were replaced by more powerful Rolls-Royce Avon R.A.3s, and distinctive teardrop-shaped fuel tanks were fitted under the wingtips. Refinements were also made following early flight testing to the rudder and elevator to reduce instances of buffeting, after which it is claimed that the Canberra handled much like a fighter, proving to be atypically manoeuvrable for a bomber.

Production and licensed manufacturing

In July 1949, as English Electric was in the process of setting up production at Samlesbury Aerodrome, a firm order was placed for 132 Canberras. The order consisted of 90 B.5/47 bomber-type aircraft, 34 PR.31/46 photo-reconnaissance aircraft, and 8 T.2/49 trainer aircraft. On 25 June 1950, what would become known as the Korean War broke out; this led to a surge of demand for the Canberra and the British government stepping in to establish a far greater level of wartime production. This led to a succession of orders for Canberra B.2s, the initial bomber variant, being placed with Avro, Handley Page, and Short Brothers; for British needs alone, English Electric produced 196 B.2s, Avro and Handley Page manufactured 75 each, and Short completed 60 aircraft – the B.2 variant of the Canberra exceeded the numbers built of any other version. Other nations, notably Australia and the United States of America, also ordered large numbers of Canberras.

In the United States, the US Air Force had identified the need to replace the obsolete B-26 Invader, and had determined that, at the time, no home-produced aircraft designs could get close to what the Canberra could already offer. Following a competition against rivals such as the Martin XB-51, USAF decided to order a total of 403 Canberras. These aircraft were licence-built by Glenn L. Martin Company as the B-57 Canberra. Martin developed several versions of the aircraft themselves. The first examples were identical to the original English Electric aircraft, following which tandem crew seating was introduced, but later B-57 models were considerably modified.

Australia had been interested in the Canberra early on, which had led to the aircraft being named after the Australian capital city. Particular interest had at one time been expressed in a potential Rolls-Royce Tay-powered version of the aircraft. The Government Aircraft Factories locally assembled 48 for the Royal Australian Air Force. These aircraft were broadly similar to the British B.2. Changes included the adoption of a modified leading edge, increased fuel capacity, and room for three starter cartridges, although in practice, all three cartridges would sometimes fire, leading to the triple starter units being loaded singly. In addition, Australian-built Canberras used a higher proportion of Australian- and US-sourced components.

In total, 901 Canberras were manufactured by the various UK-based aircraft manufacturers; when combined with overseas licence production operations, the overall global production for the Canberras totalled 1,352 aircraft. With a maximum speed of 470 knots (870 km/h; 540 mph), a standard service ceiling of 48,000 ft (14,600 m), and the ability to carry a 3.6-tonne (7,900 lb) payload, the Canberra proved to be an instant success on the domestic and export markets. It was built in 27 versions that equipped a total of 35 RAF squadrons, and was exported to more than 15 countries: Australia, Argentina, Chile, Ecuador, Ethiopia, France, India, New Zealand, Pakistan, Peru, Rhodesia, South Africa, Sweden, Venezuela, and West Germany.

Photo-reconnaissance and specialised roles

During the latter part of the Second World War, strategic reconnaissance missions performed by the RAF had been carried out by the de Havilland Mosquito. In 1946, the Air Ministry issued Specification PR.31/46 seeking a jet-powered replacement for the Mosquito. To meet the requirement, the B.2 design was modified by adding a 14-inch (36 cm) bay forward of the wing behind the cockpit to house seven cameras. It also had an additional fuel tank in the forward part of the bomb bay and only needed a two-man crew. The prototype, designated PR.3, first flew on 19 March 1950, followed by the first of 35 production aircraft on 31 July 1952. In December 1952, the PR.3 entered RAF service, when No. 540 Squadron RAF began converting from its Mosquito PR.34 force. The Canberra PR.3 was the first aircraft to be designed for the RAF purely to perform photo-reconnaissance missions.

The initial Canberra PR.3 model was shortly succeeded by the improved PR.7 variant, which featured greater fuel capacity via wing storage, the more powerful RA.7 model of the Avon engine, and Maxaret anti-lock braking system. The Canberra PR.9 was the final photo-reconnaissance version; this aircraft was furnished with a new crew compartment, a redesigned inner wing section, and much more powerful RA.24 Avons. In later service, bomber models of the Canberra were often converted with cameras and other equipment suited for reconnaissance purposes.

To enable crews to convert to flying the Canberra, a trainer version was developed to meet Air Ministry Specification T.2/49. On 12 June 1951, the prototype, designated T.4, conducted its first flight. It was the same basic design as the B.2 apart from the introduction of side-by-side seating for the pilot and the instructor and the replacement of the glazed nose with a solid nose. The first production T.4 flew on 20 September 1953 and the variant entered service with No. 231 Operational Conversion Unit RAF in early 1954. In addition to those assigned to the operational conversion unit, all of the B.2-equipped bomber squadrons received at least one T.4 for training purposes.

In addition to the RAF, other users adopted the Canberra in the trainer role. The Indian Air Force operated a number of T.4 aircraft for conversion training purposes. The RAAF adopted the Australian-built Canberra T.21 model, which was broadly similar to the T.4. Argentina procured a pair of T.64 trainers during the 1970s.

Design

The English Electric Canberra is a bomber aircraft powered by two jet engines, and able to fly at high altitudes. An early prototype operated by Rolls-Royce regularly flew to 63,000 feet (19,000 m), where the usable speed range (coffin corner) was only 25 knots, during Avon engine test flights. Later at test base Boscombe Down, a Canberra PR9 was flown to 65,000 feet by test pilot Ian Strachan MBE AFC.

The overall design has been described as a scaled-up Gloster Meteor fighter, except for its use of a mid wing. The Canberra principally differed from its preceding piston-powered wartime bombers by its use of twin Rolls-Royce Avon turbojet engines. 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. The Canberra had a two-man crew in a fighter-style cabin with a large blown canopy, but delays in the development of the intended automatic radar bombsight resulted in the addition of a bomb aimer's position housed within the nose. The pilot and navigator were positioned in a tandem arrangement on Martin-Baker ejection seats.

The wing is of single-spar construction that passes through the aircraft's fuselage. The wingspan and total length of the Canberra are almost identical at just under 65 ft (20 m). Outboard of the engine nacelles, the wing has a leading edge sweep of 4° and trailing edge sweep of −14°. All flight controls are manual, using push rods rather than cables, but are otherwise conventional. These actuate the aircraft's flight control surfaces, including shrouded-nosed ailerons, four-section, conventional, split-type flaps, and atypical airbrakes which comprise 40 hydraulically raised fingers located on the top and bottom surfaces of the wings. Swept wings were considered, but not adopted, since the expected operational speeds did not warrant them and because they could have introduced new aerodynamic problems into what was otherwise anticipated to be a straightforward replacement for RAF Hawker Typhoon and Westland Whirlwind fighter-bombers.

The fuselage of the Canberra is of semi-monocoque construction with a pressurised nose compartment. The whole lower section of the fuselage is taken up by the sizeable bomb bay with a pair of hydraulically driven doors. The Canberra's undercarriage used a simple arrangement, the main landing gear being equipped with a single outboard-mounted wheel and the nose gear being a twin-wheel arrangement. Due to the use of a new alloy, DTD683, the undercarriage suffered from stress corrosion cracking. Cracks would appear within only a few years. The hazard posed by an undercarriage collapse during landing led the RAF to institute regular inspections, at first using radiography before moving to more effective and reliable ultrasound technology. The Canberra structure is mainly metal, with only the forward portion of the tail fin made from wood.

Operational history

Royal Air Force

The Canberra B.2 started to enter service with 101 Squadron in January 1951, with 101 Squadron being fully equipped by May, and a further squadron, No. 9 Squadron equipping by the end of the year. The production of the Canberra was accelerated as a result of the outbreak of the Korean War, orders for the aircraft increased and outpaced production capacity, as the aircraft was designated as a "super priority". A further five squadrons were able to be equipped with the Canberra by the end of 1952; however, production in the 1951–52 period had only been half of the level planned, due to shortages in skilled manpower, material, and suitable machine tools.

The Canberra replaced Mosquitos, Lincolns, and Washingtons as front-line bombers, showing a drastically improved performance, and proving to be effectively immune from interception during air defence exercises until the arrival of the Hawker Hunter. The Canberra also replaced the RAF's Mosquitos in the reconnaissance role, with the Canberra PR.3 entering service in December 1952. The improved Canberra B.6, with more powerful engines and a greater fuel capacity, started to supplement the B.2s in the UK based squadrons of Bomber Command from June 1954, when they replaced 101 Squadrons B.2s. This freed up older B.2s to allow Canberra squadrons to form overseas, with bomber and reconnaissance Canberra wings forming in RAF Germany and on Cyprus, with squadrons also being deployed to the Far East.

The PR.7 variant of the Canberra, fitted with Avon 109 engines, executed a 1953 reconnaissance flight over the Soviet rocket launch and development site at Kapustin Yar, although the UK government has never admitted the existence of such a flight. Warned by either radar or agents inside the British government, the Soviets slightly damaged one aircraft. Further reconnaissance flights are alleged to have taken place along, and over, the borders of the Soviet Union in 1954 under the code name Project Robin, using the Canberra B.2 WH726. The USAF also used the Canberra for reconnaissance flights. The aircraft were no longer required after June 1956, following the introduction of the US Lockheed U-2 purpose-built reconnaissance aircraft; Project Robin was then terminated. These RAF Canberra overflights were later featured in the 1994 BBC Timewatch episode; "Spies in the Sky", and included interviews with some of the Soviet MiG-15 pilots who had attempted to intercept them.

The Canberra was the victorious aircraft flown in The Last Great Air Race from London to Christchurch in 1953, piloted by Flight Lieutenant Roland (Monty) Burton, which touched down at Christchurch 41 minutes ahead of its closest rival, after 23 hours and 51 minutes in the air; to this day, the record has never been broken.

Royal Australian Air Force

Shortly after the end of the Second World War, the Australian government initiated a wide-scale reorganisation of the armed forces. As part of this process, the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) developed Plan D as the basis for its postwar structure; Plan D was built around the concept of a numerically smaller, but more agile air arm that would employ leading-edge technology. During the late 1940s, the RAAF decided to acquire the Canberra as a replacement for, or complement to, the Avro Lincoln, though fears were raised that the new design was not especially advanced. While Australia never introduced nuclear weapons into service, the Canberra's ability to carry such a payload was a stated factor in its acquisition; Australia's planned force of 48 Canberras, which held the potential for being nuclear-armed, was viewed as far more potent and deterring to potential opponents than the RAAF's entire wartime forces of 254 heavy bombers.

The Australian government decided that the RAAF's Canberras would be constructed domestically by the Government Aircraft Factories as opposed to being manufactured in the UK. On 29 May 1953, the first Australian-built Canberra performed its first flight at Avalon Airport, Victoria; this aircraft was delivered to the RAAF for service trials a few weeks later. In December 1953, the Canberra formally entered Australian service.

From July 1950 to July 1960, during the Malayan Emergency, Canberras from Australia, New Zealand, and the UK were deployed into Malaysia to fight against Communist guerrillas. In 1967, the RAAF deployed eight Canberras to the Vietnam War. The unit, No. 2 Squadron, was later commended for its performance by the United States Air Force. The Canberras were typically operated in the low-level bombing role, taking responsibility for South Vietnam's southernmost military regions, regions III and IV, and allowing USAF bombers to deploy their aircraft to the Ho Chi Minh trail. While USAF Canberras were equipped with .50 caliber machine guns or 20 mm cannon for strafing, Australian Canberras were deployed to South Vietnam without guns, hence were deployed strictly for low-level bombing missions. Upon their redeployment from Vietnam in 1971, No. 2 Squadron had flown about 12,000 sorties and dropped 76,389 bombs, and lost two of their aircraft to missiles and ground fire during the course of the war.

As early as 1954, Australia recognised that the Canberra was becoming outdated, and evaluated aircraft such as the Avro Vulcan and Handley-Page Victor as potential replacements. The Canberra was incapable of providing adequate coverage of Indonesia from Australian bases, and was evaluated as having a "very low" chance of survival if it encountered modern fighters like the MiG-17. Political pressure for a Canberra replacement rose to a head in 1962. Australia evaluated the BAC TSR-2, Dassault Mirage IV, McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II, and North American A-5 Vigilante, and initially appeared to favour the TSR-2, but chose to procure the General Dynamics F-111C in October 1963. Due in part to delays in the delivery of the F-111Cs, the Canberra continued to be used by Australia for a total of 29 years before its retirement in June 1982.

Indian Air Force

The Canberra was the backbone of the Indian Air Force (IAF) for bombing raids and photo reconnaissance for many decades. Negotiations to acquire the Canberra as a replacement for the obsolete Consolidated B-24 Liberator bombers then being used by IAF began in 1954. During the extended negotiations between Britain and India, the Soviet Union is alleged to have offered their own jet bomber, the Ilyushin Il-28, at a significantly lower price than that asked for the Canberra; by April 1956, however, the Indian government was in favour of the purchase. In January 1957, India placed a large order for the Canberra; in total, 54 B(I).58 bombers, eight PR.57 photo-reconnaissance aircraft, and six T.4 training aircraft were ordered, and deliveries began in the summer of that same year. Twelve more Canberras were ordered in September 1957, and as many as 30 more may have also been purchased by 1962.

On 10 April 1959, an Indian Canberra was shot down while performing a reconnaissance mission over Rawalpindi. The Canberra was shot down by a F-86F Sabre flown by Flight Lieutenant M Younis. The two crew members of the Canberra ejected and were later arrested by Pakistani authorities. This incident also marked the first aerial victory for the Pakistan Air Force.

First used in combat by the IAF in 1962, the Canberra was employed during the UN campaign against the breakaway Republic of Katanga in Africa. During the Indo-Pakistani Wars of the 1960s and 1970s, the Canberra was used by both sides. The most audacious use of the bomber was in the "Raid on Badin" during the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965, when the IAF sent in the Canberra to attack a critical Pakistani radar post in West Pakistan. The raid was a complete success, the radars in Badin having been badly damaged by the bombing and put out of commission. A later raid by the IAF was attempted on Peshawar Air base with the aim of destroying, amongst other targets, several Pakistani B-57 bombers, American-built Canberras. Due to poor visibility, a road outside of the base was bombed, instead of the runway where PAF B-57 bombers were parked.

During the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971, Indian Canberras flew a strategically important sortie against the Karachi oil tanks, which had the effect of helping the Indian Navy in their own operations, a series of missile boat attacks against the Pakistani coast. On 21 May 1999, prior to the commencement of the Kargil War, the IAF Air HQ assigned a Canberra PR.57 aircraft on a photographic mission near the Line of Control, where it took a severe blow from a FIM-92 Stinger infrared homing missile on the starboard engine; the Canberra successfully returned to base using the other engine.

Middle East & Africa

During the Suez Crisis, the RAF employed around 100 Canberras, flying conventional bombing and reconnaissance missions from airfields in Malta and Cyprus. A total of 278 Canberra sorties were flown, dropping 1,439 bombs weighing 1,000 lbs (450 kg) each. However low-level strikes by smaller fighters were judged to be more effective than the night-time bombing operations performed by both the Canberra and the Vickers Valiant. In addition, many of the bombs, intended to hit Egyptian airfields, missed their targets, failing to inflict much damage to the Egyptian Air Force or to badly demoralise the enemy. While interception of the Canberra was within the capabilities of Egypt's MiG-15s and MiG-17s, as shown by the interception of Canberras by MiG-15s prior to the Anglo-French invasion, these did not result in any losses. The only Canberra shot down during the Suez campaign was a PR.7 shot down by a Syrian Gloster Meteor fighter on 6 November 1956, the last day of the war.

The Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland considered the Canberra an important objective to holding greater diplomatic sway in the African continent, and ongoing negotiations over the Baghdad treaty, and a step towards decolonisation. The Suez Crisis caused a delay in the sale, but in August 1957 18 Canberras had been earmarked to be refurbished and transferred from the RAF to the Royal Rhodesian Air Force (RRAF). Both Rhodesia and South Africa used Canberras in their respective Bush Wars; numerous aircraft were lost in the conflict, only one of which was lost by the South African Air Force. Rhodesian B.2 Canberras together with South African B(I).12 Canberras carried out attacks on insurgents in Mozambique, usually armed with 'Alpha' cluster bombs, several raids on Zambia, and attacks upon multiple insurgent bases in Angola. Ethiopian Canberras were used against Eritrea and again against Somalia during the 1970s.

Sweden

The Swedish Air Force purchased two Canberras from the RAF in 1960, and had these modified to T.11s by Boulton Paul. The aircraft were secretly modified in Sweden as espionage aircraft for eavesdropping on primarily Soviet, Polish, and East German military radio transmissions, although this was not publicly admitted until 10 years later. The Canberras were given the designation Tp 52, and taken into service as "testing aircraft", until they were replaced by two Tp 85 Caravelles in 1971.

South America

On 20 April 1960, the Venezuelan Air Force used its Canberra B.2 and B(I).8s to bomb the airport at San Cristóbal, Táchira, which had been seized by rebels, led by General Jose Maria Castro León. The rebels surrendered shortly afterward. On 26 June 1961, Venezuela's Canberras were used against rebelling Army forces in Barcelona, Venezuela.

Peruvian Air Force Canberras flew combat sorties against Ecuadorian positions during the Cenepa War in 1995. On 6 February 1995, a Canberra B.68 disappeared over the operations zone; the aircraft had apparently struck a hill in poor weather conditions. Peru retired its Canberras in June 2005 and the survivors put in reserve until 2008. Peru bought 9 B(I).78 ex-(B(I).8) in 1956, 6 B.72 ex-(B.2) in 1966, 3 T.74 ex-(T.4) in 1966, 6 B(I).56 ex-(B.6), and 12 B(I).68 ex-(B(I).8) in 1974. They also bought 5 ex-SAAF B(I).12 ex-(B(I).8) and 1 T.74 ex-(T.4).

The Argentine Air Force received ten B.62 bombers and two T.64 trainers in the early 1970s, replacing the Avro Lincoln in the bomber role. Argentina retired its last Canberras in April 2000. During the Falklands War in 1982, eight Canberras were deployed to Trelew, 670 mi (1,080 km) from the Falkland Islands, to avoid congestion at the closer southern airfields. Although within operational range of the British task force, the type was considered a limited threat due to its poor manoeuvrability compared with the Sea Harrier.

Between 1 May and 14 June 1982, Argentine Canberras flew 54 sorties, including 36 bombing missions, 22 of which were at night. Two aircraft were lost in combat. The first was shot down by a Sea Harrier firing an AIM-9L Sidewinder air-to-air missile on 1 May 1982. The second, a Canberra B.62 of Grupo de Bombardeo 2, serial B-108, was shot down on 13 June 1982 at 39,000 ft (12,000 m) by a Sea Dart missile fired from HMS Exeter (D89). The pilot, Captain Pastrán, ejected, while the navigator, Captain Casado, was killed. This was the last Argentine aircraft lost in combat during the conflict, with Argentine forces surrendering the following day.

Royal New Zealand Air Force

The Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) leased 17 Canberra B.2s and three T.4s from the RAF from 1958 to 1962 pending delivery of their own Canberras. The leased Canberras were operated by No. 75 Squadron RNZAF out of RAF Tengah, Singapore, and were used in operations during the Malayan Emergency. One aircraft was destroyed during this period.

The RNZAF took delivery of 11 B(I).12s and two T.13 trainers between 1959 and 1961, and these were operated by No. 14 Squadron RNZAF. In 1964, No. 14 Squadron was deployed to RAF Tengah and participated in the Indonesia–Malaysia confrontation before returning to New Zealand in November 1966. Three of the B(I).12s were destroyed in accidents. The Canberra was replaced by the A-4K Skyhawk in 1970, and the eight surviving B(I).12s and the two T.13s were sold to India.

Development and trials aircraft

A number of Canberras were used by English Electric for development work and trials on new equipment. It was also used by government establishments such as the Royal Aircraft Establishment and the Royal Radar Establishment. The Canberra proved to be a useful platform for such work and was used by a number of British tests and trials establishments. A number of engine manufacturers were also lent Canberras as engine test beds: Armstrong Siddeley for the Sapphire, Bristol Siddeley for the Olympus, de Havilland Engine Company for the Gyron Junior turbojet, and Rolls-Royce Limited for the Avon. Ferranti used four different Canberra B.2s for avionics development work.

One example is WV787, built as a Canberra B.2 in 1952, it was lent to Armstrong Siddeley and fitted with Sapphire engines. It was later transferred to Ferranti for trials for the Blackburn Buccaneer's Blue Parrot radar and fitted with a B(I).8 type nose and a Buccaneer-style radome. It next was moved to the Aeroplane and Armament Experimental Establishment where it was modified to be used as a water-spray tanker aircraft for de-icing trials. It would fly in front of the aircraft being tested, which would fly into the artificial cloud created by the sprayed water to induce icing. It was retired in 1984 and later preserved at the Newark Air Museum and is a National Benchmark airframe on the National Aviation Heritage Register.

Flight records set by Canberras

21 January 1951 – first nonstop unrefuelled transatlantic crossing by a jet

26 August 1952 – the prototype B.5 made the first double transatlantic crossing by a jet, with a total time of 10 hr, 3 min.

4 May 1953 – Canberra B.2 WD952, fitted with Rolls-Royce Olympus engines set a world altitude record, flying at 63,668 ft (19,406 m)

9 October 1953 – winner of the 1953 London-Christchurch Air Race, it covered 12,270 miles (19,750 km) in 23 hr, 51min; its average speed was 515 miles per hour (829 km/h). As of 2018, this record still stands.

29 August 1955 – altitude record, 65,889 ft (20,083 m)

28 August 1957 – altitude record, 70,310 ft (21,430 m): Canberra B.2 (WK163) with a Napier Double Scorpion rocket motor

Variants

See Martin B-57 Canberra article for the US-built variants.

English Electric A.1

Company designation for the first four aircraft before being named Canberra.

Canberra B.1

Prototypes for type development work and research at first known by the company designation A.1, four built.

Canberra B.2

First production version, crew increased to three with addition of bomb aimer, Avon R.A.3 engines with 6,500 lbf (28.91 kN) of thrust, wingtip fuel tanks. 418 built by English Electric (208), Avro (75), Handley Page (75) and Short Brothers & Harland (60) including eight for export (Australia, United States and Venezuela).

Canberra PR.3

Photo-reconnaissance version with a 14-inch section added to the fuselage to house the camera bay, internal fuel was increased and flat panel in the nose was removed. Needed only two crew. The prototype was flown on 19 March 1950 and the variant entered service in 1953.

Canberra T.4

First trainer variant with dual controls and a crew of three.

Canberra B.5

Prototype of second-generation Canberra intended as a target marker version and incorporating leading edge fuel tanks in the wings and Avon R.A.7 engines with 7,490 lbf (33.32 kN) of thrust, one built.

Canberra B.6

Production version based on B.5, 106 built by English Electric (57) and Short Brothers & Harland (49), includes 12 for export.

Operators

Argentina

Argentine Air Force (12): purchased 10 refurbished ex-RAF B.2s and two T.4s (redesignated B62 and B64 respectively) in 1967. Two further aircraft were ordered in 1981 but were not delivered owing to the Falklands War.

Australia

Royal Australian Air Force (58)

No. 1 Squadron RAAF

No. 2 Squadron RAAF

No. 6 Squadron RAAF

No. 1 Operational Conversion Unit RAAF

Aircraft Research and Development Unit RAAF

No. 1 Long Range Flight RAAF

Chile

Chilean Air Force (3 PR.9)

Ecuador

Ecuadorian Air Force: Six new-build B.2 variants delivered in 1955.

Ethiopia

Ethiopian Air Force (4)

France

French Air Force (6)

Centre d'Essais en Vol

Centre du Tir et de Bombardement

India

Indian Air Force (107)

New Zealand

Royal New Zealand Air Force (13)

Surviving aircraft

Several ex-RAF machines and RB-57s remain flying in the US for research and mapping work. About 10 airworthy Canberras are in private hands today, and are flown at air displays.

Argentina

At least five Canberras retired from the Argentine Air Force have been preserved in Argentina:

B Mk.62 B-101, Escuela de Suboficiales de la Fuerza Aérea, province of Córdoba.

B Mk.62 B-102 (ex-RAF WJ713). Retired in 1998, and assigned to "Museo Nacional de Malvinas", Oliva, province of Córdoba.

B Mk.62 B-105. On display at Mar del Plata Airport, province of Buenos Aires.

B Mk.62 B-109, the last one to complete a mission in the Falklands War, is on display at the Museo Nacional de Aeronáutica de Argentina.

B Mk.64 B-112, is on display at a junction in Paraná, Entre Ríos.

Australia

ex-WJ680 (Royal Air Force) is at the Temora Aviation Museum in Temora. It was acquired in 2001 and the aircraft was fully restored to airworthiness and painted to represent the Canberras flown by No. 2 Squadron RAAF during the Vietnam war. It is Australia's only airworthy Canberra. Ownership was transferred to the RAAF in July 2019 and it is operated by the Air Force Heritage Squadron (Temora Historic Flight). After a three-year restoration process, the Temora Aviation Museum, Australia, has completed the successful test flight of TT.18 WJ680. The flight, which took place on 27 June 2021, marks the first time the aircraft has flown in 11 years, last taking to the skies on 5 June 2010. The museum's Canberra is now the only airworthy example in the world, apart from three that are still in use with NASA for research purposes.

WK165, an ex-RAF Canberra B.2, is on display at the South Australian Aviation Museum at Port Adelaide.

A84-125 is stored at RAAF Base Amberley.

A84-201 (the first Australian-built GAF Canberra) is at RAAF Base Amberley in the base memorial garden.

A84-203 is on display at Evans Head Memorial Aerodrome.

A84-204 is on display at Meandarra ANZAC Memorial Museum.

A84-208 is privately owned and stored at Rupanyup.

A84-209 is privately owned at Camden Museum of Aviation.

A84-210 is privately owned at Mareeba.

A84-219 is on display at Brymaroo, Queensland.

Parts of A84-220 are on display in the Air Warfare Centre at RAAF Base Edinburgh.

The cockpit of A84-222 is preserved at the Australian National Aviation Museum in Moorabbin Airport.

Germany

Luftwaffe Canberra B.2 99+34, (former RAF WK137) is on display at the Internationales Luftfahrt-Museum, Villingen-Schwenningen, Germany.

Luftwaffe Canberra B.2 99+35, (former RAF WK138) is on display at the Militärhistorisches Museum Flugplatz Berlin-Gatow at former RAF Gatow, Berlin, Germany.

Luftwaffe Canberra B.2 99+36, (former RAF WK130) is on display at the Auto & Technik Museum Sinsheim at Sinsheim, Germany.

RAF Canberra B(I).8 XM264 is on display at the Flugausstellung Hermeskeil at Hermeskeil, Germany.

India

A B(I)58 Canberra, serial IF907 is on display at the Indian Air Force Museum, Palam in Delhi, India; it is one of several diverted off an RAF contract as part of a 68 aircraft deal for India placed in January 1957.

A Canberra (no model number given; might be a PR57 photo-reconnaissance aircraft) is on display at the HAL Heritage Centre and Aerospace Museum in Bangalore.

A Canberra B(I)58, marked with serial IF908, is on display at the Shri Shivaji Preparatory Military School (SSPMS) in Pune. This is possibly former Royal New Zealand Air Force serial F1188, acquired by the Indian Air Force in November 1980.

One more B(I)58 Canberra is preserved at Pune at the Lohegaon Air Station. Marked serial IF910, it is located on an active military base and is thus not open to the public.

A Canberra T.4 marked IQ999 is on display at Cadet Hill in Deolali, Nashik.

Malta

A Canberra T.4 (WT483) was shipped to Malta International Airport in 2010; it is intended to be displayed at the Malta Aviation Museum eventually.

New Zealand

WT346 (Royal Air Force) is under static restoration to RNZAF B(I).12 configuration by the NZ Warbirds Association at Ardmore. Previously stored at the Air Force Museum of New Zealand.

A84-207 (Royal Australian Air Force) (Australian-built GAF Canberra) is on display outside on a plinth at the National Transport & Toy Museum, Wānaka.

A84-240 (Royal Australian Air Force) is on display at the Air Force Museum of New Zealand.

Norway

Canberra T.17A WD955 "Echo Mike", gifted to Norsk Luftfartsmuseum and flown to Bodø in 1995. Stored in complete condition in the museum's hangar at Bodø MAS (not open to the public).

South Africa

A Canberra T Mk.4 457 (71543) of the South African Air Force is displayed at the South African Air Force Museum, Swartkop Air Force Base, Pretoria.

A Canberra T Mk.4 459 of the South African Air Force is plinthed at Air Force Base Waterkloof, Pretoria.

Sweden

One Canberra TP52, modified for ELINT with a T.11 style nose is preserved at the Svedinos Museum, Ugglarp.

The other Swedish Canberra was used for research and is on display at Swedish Air Force Museum in Linköping.

United Kingdom

A B.2 Canberra (G-CTTS previously WK163) is located at Doncaster Sheffield Airport. In August 1957, WK163 broke the world altitude record when it flew to 70,310 ft. In July 2016, it was sold to Vulcan to the Sky Trust and is undergoing restoration to flightworthy condition, at which point it will be the only airworthy Canberra in Europe. To this end Canberra WT327 was purchased by the trust as a donor aircraft.

A PR.3 Canberra (WF922) is on static display at the Midland Air Museum at Coventry Airport in the West Midlands. It was retired from the RAF in 1975. WF922 was fully restored by 1999.

A PR.9 Canberra (XH171) is on display within the National Cold War Exhibition at the Royal Air Force Museum Midlands in Shropshire.

A PR.9 Canberra (XH170) is on display as the gate guardian at RAF Wyton near Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire.

A PR.9 Canberra (XH131) is on display at the Ulster Aviation Society at the Maze Long Kesh, Lisburn, Northern Ireland.

A T.4 Canberra (WH846) is on static display at the Yorkshire Air Museum near York.

A T.4 Canberra (WJ874) was on display at the Cornwall Aviation Heritage Centre outside Newquay, Cornwall. This museum is now closed and the aircraft was scheduled to be cut up but is now privately owned.

A T.19 (WH904) and a modded B.2 (WV787) Canberra are on static display at Newark Air Museum in Nottinghamshire. A PR.7 (WH791) was previously displayed at, but not owned by, the museum and was scrapped in 2025.

A PR.3 Canberra (WE139) is on display at the Royal Air Force Museum London.

A B.2 Canberra (WH725) is on display at the Imperial War Museum Duxford in Cambridgeshire.

United States

Two British-built Canberras are registered to High Altitude Mapping Missions, Inc. of Spokane, Washington. These are N30UP, a Canberra B(I)8/B.2/6, originally operated as WT327, and N40UP, a Canberra B.6, originally operated as XH567.

One British-built RAF Canberra B.2, subsequently converted to TT.18 (target tug) for use by the Fleet Air Arm is displayed outside at Airbase Arizona of the Commemorative Air Force at Falcon Field, Mesa, Arizona. This aircraft, originally WK142 in RAF and RN service, was sold in 1995 to an American buyer and carries N76764 as its US registration.

One British-built RAF Canberra B.2, subsequently converted to a TT.18 target tug for use by the Fleet Air Arm is restored by the Valiant Air Command Warbird Museum in Titusville, Florida. This aircraft, WJ574, was involved in 'Project Robin' flying chase to the overflight Canberra tasked with photographing the Soviet Union's early V-2 rocket tests at Kapustin Yar.

Zimbabwe

A Canberra can be seen on Google Earth at Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport. There were two here, but one was donated to the China Aviation Museum some time before 2015. As of March 2025, there is another aeroplane visible, about 1,700ft to the west of the first.

Specifications (Canberra B(I).6)

Data from Combat Aircraft Recognition General characteristics

Crew: 3

Length: 65 ft 6 in (19.96 m)

Wingspan: 64 ft 0 in (19.51 m)

Height: 15 ft 8 in (4.78 m)

Wing area: 960 sq ft (89 m2)

Airfoil: root: RAE/D 12% symm; tip: RAE/D 9% symm

Empty weight: 21,650 lb (9,820 kg)

Gross weight: 46,000 lb (20,865 kg)

Max takeoff weight: 55,000 lb (24,948 kg)

Powerplant: 2 × Rolls-Royce R.A.7 Avon Mk.109 turbojet engines, 7,400 lbf (33 kN) thrust each

Performance

Maximum speed: 580 mph (930 km/h, 500 kn) at 40,000 ft (12,000 m)

Maximum speed: Mach 0.88

Combat range: 810 mi (1,300 km, 700 nmi)

Ferry range: 3,380 mi (5,440 km, 2,940 nmi)

Service ceiling: 48,000 ft (15,000 m)

Rate of climb: 3,400 ft/min (17 m/s)

Wing loading: 48 lb/sq ft (230 kg/m2)

Thrust/weight: 0.37