Canberra retirement

Ref “portable dark rooms”. A clutch of ATRELs ( Air Transportable Reconnaissance Exploitation Laboratories) is hopefully going to be set up with the IWM at Duxford.

A number of ATREL’s have been moved to IWM Duxford, they were the one’s used by 41(F) Sqn.

At this very time I’m working in an ATREL in the desert, I’m on detachment with 39(1PRU) Sqn, we have a set-up of 5 cabins.

I have posted pictures of the PR9 canberra at the following link:

Canberra PR9

Have a look at the latest Cosford thread for a pic of their flying Canbera.

I used to know a Canberra Pilot who claims to have been the first to fly a PR9 into Cyprus, the groundcrew thought he was taking the P**s when he asked them to open the Nose to let the AEOp out! (I stand to be corrected on the role in the Nose..) 😀

Sorry Les, didn’t know Flt Lt Bull. I first staged through Gan in ’74, and no we didn’t leave the nose or canopy open. After that we always carried rolls of bodge tape, and sealed all the hatch covers when we bedded it down.

I remember two examples; lying in the fuselage in the tropical heat at Gan with a large air blower trying to dry the electrical looms that had got soaked and were causing a certain fuse to blow (it sure beat any sauna I’ve ever been in), . . .

Well fatnav, that’s what you get for leaving your front door and hood wide open around 16:30(ish) when the rain was due. :diablo:

I was on Gan and well recall the 9’s and 7’s that seemed to saunter through almost weekly carrying boxes of Walkers Crisps in their panniers when east bound for the blokes at Tengah or Changi; and Chinese laquer work boxes and other trinkets on west-bound.

During the most of my time there (72-73) I was one of the three CanMen on the island as I recall. A rigger (me, ex 3 & 51Sqns at that time), an electrician (ex-58, 39 Sqn), and a sooty (ex-7, 13 Sqn). We certainly hacked a few snags on transit Cans – some I suspect just brought up to give the pilot and nav another day in the Blue Lagoon or on the beach or lazing in our glass-bottomed boat over the reef. 😉 In fact, me and the ex-58 Sqn bloke knew a few of the crews and managed to have some exotic-type trinkets etc flown home to our families at Wyton (we had both come from there).

Recall one pilot in particular, Fl Lt Bull. Top bloke, QFI and the ‘Grandad’ of all Canberra pilots. Did you know of him?

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Many thanks Les. Why did I think it was Gib? Just goes to show the old grey matter is not what it once was (if I ever had any)

Does anyone know if the story of the Canberra that had a double flame out on take off from Gib is true? We were told the story when I visited Bassingbourne as a cadet. Apparently ditched straight ahead off the end of the runway. We were told she was not recovered.

Mike, you may be thinking of 100 Sqn’s WK116 which suffered a double engine failure on take off from Akrotiri (Cyprus) on 25 Feb 1982. It ditched in the sea a few miles off shore. Both crew ejected safely. This was never recovered, but dives have be carried out on it. Haven’t got the timeto search for a twin-engined failure at Gib, if I come across anything I’ll let you know.

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Does anyone know if the story of the Canberra that had a double flame out on take off from Gib is true? We were told the story when I visited Bassingbourne as a cadet. Apparently ditched straight ahead off the end of the runway. We were told she was not recovered.

A few points to either correct or add to previous threads.

The PR.9 was not fitted with RWR’s in 1974. I left 39 Sqn in Sep ’75 and they were not fitted then. The only mod in the pipeline at that time, to Sqn knowledge, was the update of the nav fit from the original G1V compass, Green Satin doppler and GPI.

As far as support for operating well away from base, that was rarely a problem. Rangers to the Far East, and Specials away from base, were not uncommon. Even RAF bases down the route were not established, or the groundcrew trained, to handle non Air Support aircraft. They would help when they could, but were not trained on and frequently not familiar with the PR.9. Crews would carry out all routine turn-round servicing and often troubleshoot to the limit of their ability as well. I remember two examples; lying in the fuselage in the tropical heat at Gan with a large air blower trying to dry the electrical looms that had got soaked and were causing a certain fuse to blow (it sure beat any sauna I’ve ever been in), and hanging upside down in the starboard well of the pilot’s cockpit trying to change No.6 Inverter which we suspected had blown. It had, the repair was successful so thankyou to the crew of Britannia XL640 whos spares we had robbed. The biggest area of concern with operating away from base was to ensure that you had access to Avpin for engine starts. Our internal tanks were very limited and it was a rare commodity away from PR.9/Hunter bases. We used to have it pre-positioned where we were likely to need it, but it was very volatile and prone to fungal contamination.

To deal with high level intercepts, I will talk about a particular sortie when we were recovering to the UK from Norway. The radar unit asked us if we had the fuel and were able to offer ourselves as high level targets for the Phantom OCU. We replied in the affirmative. They wanted us to run in at 50,000ft and allow the F.4s to practice vis idents. On the first two runs we saw the F.4 low in the 11 o’clock trailing. They were going supersonic and, having acquired us on their radar, doing a steep curving climb to get near us. The next thing we saw was an F.4 fluttering downwards. As you can imagine by the time of the third run we were somewhat bored, and my pilot waited until the supersonic F.4 was abeam us and pulling up, then lazily turned towards him. Needless to say his intercept failed and the crew were somewhat miffed. That was not to say that they could not have had us with a missile, but certainly did not have our ceiling.

Aaaah, the Canberra, must be the only a/c that has constantly served the RAF during my 50 years of airshow visits.
What exactly are the tasks of the survivors, do they fly out from Marham every day, I did notice that there was one in Afghanistan recently, must have been a real maintenance problem.
I remember going on holiday to Cyprus about 15 years ago and seeing them constantly drifting along the Greek/Turkish border, haven’t seen one for ages, the last time was probably over the north Devon coast a couple of years ago.
I have a very good book on the Canberra which of course I can’t find, but it relates how in the early days, during interception trials at high altitude, the USAF/Canadian Sabres would fall out of the sky and the Canberras would use their superior high altitude performance to turn the tables and see them off in a dog fight.
Are we likely to see a repeat of the Marham farewell to the Victors when the squadron winds up.

Somewhere in the house I have a photo of a Martin RB-57 (with extended span wings) at what the USAF claimed to be maximum altitude taken from a standard RAF Canberra from well above, so their perfomance at altitude was pretty impressive.

Hi Jase,

Smokie was a term applied to Engine Techs..

Alluded to the clouds of smoke that accompanied them when trying to start a reluctant engine.

Ross

Also known as ‘sooties’ for obvious reasons.

I hope the RAFM get hold of one of the portable dark rooms that go with them, they really are a piece of history.

Hopefully one will go to Cosford? A logical airframe to go in the cold war building?

Also used in conjunction with 4 Sqn Harriers (or an updated version was)

A Canberra PR9 was flying in the Farnborough area today.
On the subject of Canberra FI, there was a brilliant BBC programme many years ago, Open University probably, about this very subject.
Not sure where it was filmed but they related the tale of aircraft that had been withdrawn from service due to cracking in the centre section forgings and sent for repair, the cracks actually grew in length while waiting their turn in the line for new crossover beams.

Pogno….I remember them showing us that film when I was an apprentice with RAE Bedford.
The problem (if I remember right) was that the forgings had been heat treated (normalised) before the lightening cutouts had been made and so it effectively uncovered the areas of high stresses deep inside the forging where the aluminium takes longer to cool down. This resulted in the catastrophic cracks you mention.
I believe the cure was a post machining heat treatment to normalise all the high stress areas…
Didn’t they have to have a massive refurbishment program to replace all the suspect Centre Section Forgings way back in the early days of the Canberra? Way before my time but someone here may be able to confirm?

25deg south….

Stress corrosion cracking is still an issue for us on the undercarrige legs and we have to NDT the whole U/C every 6 months now!! and yes you are correct…even if the parts have sat on the stores shelf!! 🙁

Regards all
Chris

Wow 😮 Nasa have a British Canberra jet 😀 thank you for info.

Well, not exactly, they’re American licence built WB-57’s, long wing affairs, wierd looking beasts.

Now in the UK is Air Atlantique the only company in the UK to have an airworthy Canberra?

Again, not really. AA own WJ874, a T.4 (the Blue One) and Classic Aircraft Projects have WK163, a B.6. Both, however, at Coventry Airport in AA’s hangar.

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It just seems like ‘hell’ working Canberras, especially a bomb doors change on the line in deepest winter. But enough of that. To answer your question, the Canberra was first delivered to the RAF in May 1951, so (I’ll do the math for you) – 55 years. And, anticipating your next question, the Canberra first flew on Friday May 13 1949.

NASA and Air Platforms Inc of Califonia.

Hope that helps. :rolleyes:

Wow 😮 Nasa have a British Canberra jet 😀 thank you for info.Now in the UK is Air Atlantique the only company in the UK to have an airworthy Canberra?

all the Best
James

Hell long as the Canberra been in RAF service for?

It just seems like ‘hell’ working Canberras, especially a bomb doors change on the line in deepest winter. But enough of that. To answer your question, the Canberra was first delivered to the RAF in May 1951, so (I’ll do the math for you) – 55 years. And, anticipating your next question, the Canberra first flew on Friday May 13 1949.

and what private companys fly the Canberra?

NASA and Air Platforms Inc of Califonia.

Hope that helps. :rolleyes:

Hell long as the Canberra been in RAF service for?

and what private companys fly the Canberra?

all the best
James

Pogno. As I recall it was about 1984. The subject was stress corrosion. Stories of undercarriage items on stores racks suddenly and violently splitting open. All down to not being properly stress relieved etc. Not a new story for engineers!
I taped it and a “mate” then “borrowed” it and promptly sent it to his buddies in New Zealand. A lesson learned.

A Canberra PR9 was flying in the Farnborough area today.
On the subject of Canberra FI, there was a brilliant BBC programme many years ago, Open University probably, about this very subject.
Not sure where it was filmed but they related the tale of aircraft that had been withdrawn from service due to cracking in the centre section forgings and sent for repair, the cracks actually grew in length while waiting their turn in the line for new crossover beams.

Watch out for those Mixie Blobs and cocky dice!!!!