RAF Canberra Bomber / Recon

[JVaughan]

What happened to all the ex-RAF Canberra's that were used for photo Recon ?? Didn't they get phased out in 2006?
I know the RAAF used to operate them, and we used them in the Gulf War.. Any being out back to flight ??

[Eric Mc]

By 2006 there were only three and they have all been preserved.

[FourWheelDrift]

Related somewhat, there are still 2 WB-57F Canberras used by NASA still flying. The B-57 was a licence-built version of the English Electric Canberra built by the Martin company.

Pictured in June this year.


Both have been used in operations over Afghanistan.

[si-h]

Wow, I was thinking of this the other day, I was in Peru in Pisco in April. I was driving down the road and could see some Canberras on the runway threshold, as the wall had been knocked down by the tsunami. I was waved away as I was taking photos of the gate guardian ( same in Argentina also......?).
Are these really retired ? They looked ready enough. Plenty enough on the flight line.
Dont know how to send a google-earth photo, so enter the co-ordinates in google earth.
13°44'59.63" S 76°13'23.27" W

[Eric Mc]

Apart from the two NASA aircraft, I don't think there are any operational Canberras anywhere now.

[aeropilot]

JVaughan said:

Any being out back to flight ??

One of the ex-RAF PR.9's that made the last RAF flights in 2006 when delivered to Kemble is currently being readied for a return to the air. There are rumours from those close to the project that a first flight is very close now

[yellowjack]

si-h said:

Wow, I was thinking of this the other day, I was in Peru in Pisco in April. I was driving down the road and could see some Canberras on the runway threshold, as the wall had been knocked down by the tsunami. I was waved away as I was taking photos of the gate guardian ( same in Argentina also......?).
Are these really retired ? They looked ready enough. Plenty enough on the flight line.
Dont know how to send a google-earth photo, so enter the co-ordinates in google earth.
13°44'59.63" S 76°13'23.27" W

Well, I see a dozen on site. One of them is almost certainly an older, preserved example, judging by the wing tip tanks/pods, and it's position on a 'lawn' away from the operational areas of the field. One has been pushed back to the edge of the apron, with five in a row together. The other five are split between two dispersal areas SE of the runway, and if you look carefully, you'll see the 'shadow' of another aircraft on one of the dispersals that remains uncleared.

Big question, looking at the area for me, is that it looks abandoned. Plenty of aircraft, but none of the usual plethora of cars in car-parks, no real sign of 'use'. There is a Herc on the NE end of the runway that looks to be positioned for take-off, and only one or two vehicles dotted about. Unless the image was taken at Siesta time on a Sunday afternoon?

Also, anyone identify the aircraft that seems to be mounted on a pole, about 1/3rd the way in from the coast road, on Abelardo Quinones? My first thought was a Marauder, or something along those lines, but the resolution isn't brilliant, and the A/C is partially obscured by the map overlay.

[FourWheelDrift]

I'm on my phone at the moment but does this help identifying them - www.bywat.co.uk/canb06.html

[Eric Mc]

yellowjack said:

Also, anyone identify the aircraft that seems to be mounted on a pole, about 1/3rd the way in from the coast road, on Abelardo Quinones? My first thought was a Marauder, or something along those lines, but the resolution isn't brilliant, and the A/C is partially obscured by the map overlay.

Any chance of the co-ordinates?

[pstruck]

Not really related to the original question, but just for interest here's one I snapped last year.


Canberra by struckp, on Flickr

[aeropilot]

yellowjack said:

Also, anyone identify the aircraft that seems to be mounted on a pole, about 1/3rd the way in from the coast road, on Abelardo Quinones? My first thought was a Marauder, or something along those lines, but the resolution isn't brilliant, and the A/C is partially obscured by the map overlay.

It's an A-26C Invader.

[Eric Mc]

B-26 Marauders are extremely rare as they were withdrawn from service almost as soon as WW2 ended and most of them were scrapped. The later B-26/A-26 Invader was a later design and they continued to be used right up the the early 1970s by the USAF and quite a few US allies.

[FourWheelDrift]

FourWheelDrift said:

I'm on my phone at the moment but does this help identifying them - www.bywat.co.uk/canb06.html

On Pc now, that doesn't list any Peruvian Canberras at all, the above link lists survivors rather than in service or stored service aircraft.

I can count 12 on the airport map, they were retired from the Peruvian Air Force in June 2008 (they originally had 60), it's possible that aerial mapping is from that period or just after but as si-h says he saw some there the other day so they might all still be stored there.

[LotusOmega375D]

What happened to that nice shiny privately-owned bomber variant (I think) that was doing the UK airshow rounds about 10 years ago?

[TvrTone]

There are plans afoot to get Canberra PR.9 XH134/G-OMHD back in the air by the end of the year.

http://forum.keypublishing.com/showthread.php?t=11...

http://www.facebook.com/groups/276084715757962/?re...

There is also a possibility of a 2nd Canberra, in the shape of B.2 - WK163, being back in the air next year. They are just waiting for replacement engines from Australia via the USA.

Tony

[Eric Mc]

One of the limiting factors with Canberra flying is the fact that the Avons used in the Canberra are started by cartridges. I understand that the PR9 being readied for flight is now modified to be started by a standard ground compressor unit.

[aeropilot]

Eric Mc said:

One of the limiting factors with Canberra flying is the fact that the Avons used in the Canberra are started by cartridges. I understand that the PR9 being readied for flight is now modified to be started by a standard ground compressor unit.

The PR.9's were different to most other Canberra in that they used the same version of Avon as the Lightning, just without the reheat, and as such used the same AVPIN starting, as per the Lightning.
This is likely why they are being converted to electric start, because of the problems/costs associated with buying and storing AVPIN.

[Eric Mc]

AVPIN - is that some sort of rocket fuel?

[spitfire-ian]

Eric Mc said:

One of the limiting factors with Canberra flying is the fact that the Avons used in the Canberra are started by cartridges.

Like so...

[aeropilot]

Eric Mc said:

AVPIN - is that some sort of rocket fuel?

Close enough

Isopropyl nitrate is a highly combustable monopropellant.

Nasty stuff.