I’m trying to find photos of a Canberra B(I)8 which was operated by Ferranti during the 1960’s. I believe it is WT327 which was fitted with LRMTS nose. It wore standard camouflage but appears to have had strips of dayglow orange applied on the forward fuselage. There’s one photo in the Midland Publications Canberra book but that’s the only shot I’ve managed to find of the aircraft in this configuration.
Anybody have any leads on this?
By: Chox - 13th April 2008 at 00:42
Brilliant! Thanks for the photos – just the sort of thing I was looking for!
Thanks guys!
By: Cranswick - 11th April 2008 at 11:59
WJ643 with ‘laser’ nose
The attached photo was taken at Edinburgh on 19 May 1972 and I believe shows WJ643 fitted with the laser nose. The callsign in use was ‘Soaker 1’.
By: ALBERT ROSS - 10th April 2008 at 20:01
WJ643 at the Turnhouse Air Show 1971? no day glo on rear fuselage and WD953.
I have looked into my archives and find I have a colour slide of WJ643 taken from the starboard side, looks like at the same show at Turnhouse on 22 June 1968. Of course WV787 was used by Ferranti for testing the Buccaneer’s radar and this aircraft went on to A&AEE to become an icing tanker trails aircraft. It was WJ643 that was used for Airpass radar trials by Ferranti.
By: Robert Whitton - 10th April 2008 at 18:43
WJ643 at the Turnhouse Air Show 1971? no day glo on rear fuselage and WD953.
By: Chox - 10th April 2008 at 17:55
Thanks for the feedback guys. Not sure which aircraft it was but I’m trying to find a picture which shows where the dayglow stripes were actually applied. There seems to be only the one shot used in various books, but it only shows the nose section clearly, with stripes right across the forward fuselage. Unfortunately it doesn’t offer any clue as to whether the port side was the same, or if any more dayglow was applied on the tail or wings. A real mystery which is a shame, as it looks like a very colourful aircraft!
By: DaveF68 - 10th April 2008 at 11:37
According to the FFU section of the Edinburgh Airport History book, WJ643 was the LRMTS Canberra used at Ferranti – there is a photo in the book, but you can’t see the serial.
FFU Canberras were:
B2/B8 WJ643
B8 BX185
B8 WT327
B2 WJ627
B8 WJ787
SC9 XH139
B2 WD953
B2 WD947
There is a pic in the book of WJ643 with airpass nose and WT327, both with B(I)8 cockpits.
Lot of FFU questions today!
By: ALBERT ROSS - 10th April 2008 at 10:40
I think this is the one you probably want. WT327 was modified with a B2 nose, but WV787 was modified with various noses and was used as the Ferranti Airpass testbed.
By: Newforest - 10th April 2008 at 07:49
Would either of these photos help?
http://www.bywat.co.uk/gallb8.html
Further investigation finds that it is now flying as N30UP for Air Platforms/High Altitude MApping Missions.
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April 9, 2008 at 11:59 pm