Airfix 1/48 English Electric Canberra B(I) 8

[Lee]

Wasn't going to enter this GB, but have the urge to build another Canberra and it just so happens I have a couple in the stash.....

I built Airfix's 1/48 Canberra PR.9 a couple of years ago when I first got back into modelling, my first completed aircraft build actually, and it went together extremely well. So, I thought I'd give this a bash for the GB. This builds up into a big old bird too! Just got to finish the Javelin first though....

The version I'm doing is the B(I)8 No. 16 Squadron based at Laarbrcuh Germany in 1972 (and who can turn down a good shark's mouth ). This was an interdictor class aircraft. But, the aircraft based in Germany where used as nuke bombers, where it could drop a nuke on a low level mission and escape the blast before it detonated. More Specs and history to follow....

My Dad used to work on the PR.9s when he was in the RAF. Probably why I like them so much

Video review....

[youtube]IZipXIpl6LU[/youtube]


Box and sprue shots....

[ModelingMatt]

Smashing Lee! Looking forward to following along on this one.

[Jamesday1998]

looks like its a decent kit! cant wait to see what it turns out like!

[Lee]

English Electric Canberra

The English Electric Canberra is a British first-generation jet-powered light bomber manufactured in large numbers through the 1950s. The Canberra could fly at a higher altitude than any other bomber through the 1950s and set a world altitude record of 70,310 ft (21,430 m) in 1957. Due to its ability to evade the early jet interceptors, and its significant performance advancement over contemporary piston-engined bombers, the Canberra was a popular export product and served with many nations.
In addition to being a tactical nuclear strike aircraft, the Canberra proved to be highly adaptable, serving in varied roles such as tactical bombing and photographic and electronic reconnaissance. Canberras served in the Suez Crisis, the Vietnam War, the Falklands War, the Indo-Pakistani Wars, and numerous African conflicts. In several wars, both of the opposing forces had Canberras in their air forces. The Canberra was retired by its first operator, the Royal Air Force (RAF), in June 2006, 57 years after its first flight. Two of the Martin B-57 variant remain in service, performing meteorological work for NASA, as well as providing electronic communication (Battlefield Airborne Communications Node or BACN) testing for deployment to Afghanistan.

Royal Air Force Operational history

The Canberra B2 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 PR3 entering service in December 1952.The improved Canberra B6, with more powerful engines and a greater fuel capacity, started to supplement the B2s in the UK based squadrons of Bomber Command from June 1954, when they replaced 101 Squadrons B2s. This freed up older B2s 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 PR7 variant of the Canberra, equipped with longer, fuel-filled wings and the 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 damaged and almost shot down the 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 B2 WH726. The USAF also used the Canberra for reconnaissance flights.[44] 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 23hr 51min in the air; to this day the record has never been broken.

The Vickers Valiant entered service in 1955, capable of carrying much heavier weapon loads (including the Blue Danube nuclear weapon) over longer ranges than the Canberra. This led to the Bomber Command force of Canberras equipped for high-level conventional bombing to be gradually phased out. This did not mean the end of the Canberra in front line service, as it proved suitable for the low-level strike and ground attack role, and versions dedicated to this role were brought into service. The interim B(I)6, converted from the B6 by adding provision for a pack of four Hispano 20 mm cannon in the rear bomb bay and underwing pylons for bombs and rockets, entered service in 1955, with the definitive, new build B(I)8, which added a new forward fuselage with a fighter-style canopy for the pilot, entering service in January 1956.
An important role for the new low-level force was tactical nuclear strike, using the Low Altitude Bombing System (LABS) to allow a nuclear bomb to be delivered from low level while allowing the bomber to escape the blast of the weapon. RAF Germany's force of four squadrons equipped with the B(I)6 and B(I)8 could carry US-owned Mark 7 nuclear bombs, while three squadrons based on Cyprus and one at Singapore were armed with British-owned Red Beard nuclear weapons.[50]
Bomber Command retired the last of its Canberras on 11 September 1961, but the Germany, Cyprus and Singapore based squadrons continued in the nuclear strike role. The Cyprus based squadrons and one of the RAF Germany squadrons disbanded in 1969, with the Singapore based unit followed in 1970. The three remaining RAF Germany units, which by now had replaced the old Mark 7 bombs with newer (but still US-owned) B43 nuclear bombs, remained operational until 1972, the last Canberra bombers in RAF service.

The RAF continued to operate the Canberra after 1972, employing it for reconnaissance (with Squadrons equipped with PR7s and PR9s being based at RAF Wyton in the UK and RAF Luqa in Malta. The PR9s were fitted with special LOROP (Long-Range Optical Photography) cameras, reportedly based on those used by the Lockheed U-2, to allow high-altitude of targets deep into Eastern Europe while flying along the inner German border, as well as infrared linescan cameras for low level night reconnaissance. The RAF used Canberras to search for hidden arms dumps using false-colour photography during Operation Motorman in July 1972, when the British Army re-took Irish republican held "no go areas" in Belfast and Londonderry. Canberras were used for reconnaissance during the Bosnian War during the 1990s, where they were used to locate mass graves and during the Kosovo War in 1999. They were also operated from Uganda during the First Congo War, where they were used to search for refugees. Small numbers of specially equipped Canberras were also used for signals intelligence, being operated by 192 Squadron and then 51 Squadron from 1953 to 1976.
During the Falklands War, a plan to supply two PR9s to the Chilean Air Force, and secretly operate them with RAF crews over the war zone, was abandoned for political reasons. The aircraft got as far as Belize before the operation was cancelled. The PR9 variant remained in service with No. 39 (1 PRU) Squadron until July 2006 for strategic reconnaissance and photographic mapping, seeing service in the 2003 invasion of Iraq and, up to June 2006, in Afghanistan. During a ceremony to mark the standing down of 39 (1 PRU) Squadron at RAF Marham on 28 July 2006, a flypast by a Canberra PR9 on its last ever sortie was conducted.

Flight records set by Canberras

21 January 1951 – first non-stop unrefuelled transatlantic crossing by a jet.
26 August 1952 – the prototype B5 made the first double transatlantic crossing by a jet, with a total time of 10 hr 3 min.
4 May 1953 – Canberra B2 WD952, fitted with Rolls-Royce Olympus engines set a world altitude record, flying at 63,668 ft (19,406 m)
29 August 1955 – altitude record, 65,889 ft (20,083 m)[
28 August 1957 – altitude record, 70,310 ft (21,430 m): Canberra B2 (WK163) with a Napier Double Scorpion rocket motor.



Canberra B(I) Mk.8

Third-generation Canberra derived from B6 as an interdictor. Fitted with a new forward fuselage with teardrop canopy on the port side, and Navigator station forward of pilot (early marks had the navigator behind the pilot. Provision for a ventral pack similar to the B(I)6 with 4 x 20 mm Hispano cannon, one external hardpoint under each wing for up to 1,000 lb (454 kg) of bombs or unguided rockets, LABS (Low-Altitude Bombing System) for delivery of nuclear bombs. Prototype converted from the only B5 and first flown 23 July 1954, 72 built including 17 for export and two converted from B2s.

If you like the Canberra (or English bombers in general),
then watching this film is 25 minutes very well spent...

[youtube]FkkN39o-hqY[/youtube]


Another good watch....

[youtube]23V8zmyK240[/youtube]

[DBMiller]

Can't wait to see this one! For some reason I've recently fallen in love with British Cold War era jets. The Canberra is one I want to build some day.

[snappercity]

Nice choice.

[Nige201980]

really looking forward to this seen a few today at Newark air museum amazing aircraft

[patrickroos]

Very nice, and thanks for the info!
I never really thought about it but this is really a big bird.
And Im glad they never tested flying away from a nuke dropped at low altitude...


Nice kit, good luck with the build!

[Joesdad]

Good one you Lee boy... Keep the flag flying

[T3hGuppy]

Nice one dude.

Really looking forward to this one.

The intro was very informative.

[DC87]

Nice choice Lee, knowing you it will be superb - hopefully the Airfix gods will smile on you this time

[SiDennis]

Fantastic choice of aircraft, I worked on one of these about 12 years ago, it's undercarriage collapsed on landing. It was strange working on a jet aircraft that had parts of it made of wood

[chief5437]

Fantastic choice of aircraft, I worked on one of these about 12 years ago, it's undercarriage collapsed on landing. It was strange working on a jet aircraft that had parts of it made of wood

Really?! Learn something new every day! Which parts are made from wood?

[Paul]

Fantastic choice of aircraft, I worked on one of these about 12 years ago, it's undercarriage collapsed on landing. It was strange working on a jet aircraft that had parts of it made of wood

Really?! Learn something new every day! Which parts are made from wood?

The window panes

[Lee]

I know the tails were made of wood....

[SiDennis]

That's right Lee, the tailplane was made of wood, I believe some of the cockpit surround was also wood, but I can't be to sure as I have had a couple of beers since then

There is an urban legend about this aircraft, it was said that the C.I.A went to the MOD with a recon photo of London taken from a U2 spy plane saying "we took this last week and you didn't know we were there!", the MOD's reply was "this is a recon photo of your U2 aircraft taking a photo of London, this was taken by an RAF Canberra, YOU didn't know we where there!!!"

How much truth there is in this I don't know, but it sounds good

[Lee]

That's right Lee, the tailplane was made of wood, I believe some of the cockpit surround was also wood, but I can't be to sure as I have had a couple of beers since then

There is an urban legend about this aircraft, it was said that the C.I.A went to the MOD with a recon photo of London taken from a U2 spy plane saying "we took this last week and you didn't know we were there!", the MOD's reply was "this is a recon photo of your U2 aircraft taking a photo of London, this was taken by an RAF Canberra, YOU didn't know we where there!!!"

How much truth there is in this I don't know, but it sounds good

The only ones not made of wood were the last PR.9s...

Love that story, bring British I'm inclined to believe it...lol

[T3hGuppy]

Great story dude.

I heard something similar on testing the B2 over UK airspace.

[kiwigav]

Nice choice Lee, will follow with interest as my local hobby store has one in stock last time I was in there.

[Lee]

Finally posted the review. Can see it in the first post

Promise to get some work done on this this week at some point

[HistoryRider]

Looking forward to see it all finished up!! Neat choice!

oh and by the way, us Yanks owe you Brits a bit of thanks for the Martin B-57. Helped us fill a gap of all weather interdiction aircraft during the '50s and it stuck around for a while!

[T3hGuppy]

You done yet?

Want to see how this goes together considering it myself after I've done the Sea Vixen.

[Paul]

You done yet?

Want to see how this goes together considering it myself after I've done the Sea Vixen.

Its not christmas yet Ben

[Lee]

You done yet?

Want to see how this goes together considering it myself after I've done the Sea Vixen.

Its not christmas yet Ben

Ha ha - you know it...lol

Working to finish the Javelin first Gups

[MarkVerploeg]

You done yet?

Want to see how this goes together considering it myself after I've done the Sea Vixen.

Its not christmas yet Ben

Ha ha - you know it...lol

Working to finish the Javelin first Gups

so i guess this will be done somewhere around new years day 2015?
but it looks to be fine aircraft