Farnborough Canberra

Hi Albert

Good point, but I don’t think I’d make that sort of mistake. 😎

I mentioned WT308 as a possible ident for Glen’s Canberra at Kemble because it seemed to be the one that fitted the detail Glen sent me about this pic back in 2000.

First. Glen’s couldn’t have been the cranberry that Rob flew in because, if it is WT308 at Kemble, that didn’t join the Farnborough fleet until Nov 1966 (Rob’s flight was in 1961).

Second. As Damien says, the “civie” Canberras flew with all sorts of strange and wonderful nose configurations. In this case though, I think that this B(I)6 had had its nose glazing covered (with neoprene rather than paint?) because in Glen’s pic you can clearly see the nose glazing joint line (very near the front). If it had been a T.4 the panel joint line where the nose hinges open would have been much further back towards the cockpit.

Third. As the (poor b/w scan) pic here shows, WT308 was in the same configuration when pictured a year earlier at Farnborough with RAE’s Western Squadron. The aircraft in the pic are Hunter T.7 XL563 (see also on Damien’s site for this Hunter), Canberra B(I)6 WT308 (subject of this post) and T.4 WH844 (note different paint job with sexy cheat line – blue in colour).

Accordingly I opted for WT308 for Glen’s Canberra at Kemble and, for different reasons, opted for WH952 for Rob’s flight experience. 😉

Hope this helps. 😉

Nice one Les! Pretty conclusive that it’s WT308 then! Hmm, would make a nice Corgi model, n’est pas?

Hi Albert

Good point, but I don’t think I’d make that sort of mistake. 😎

I mentioned WT308 as a possible ident for Glen’s Canberra at Kemble because it seemed to be the one that fitted the detail Glen sent me about this pic back in 2000.

First. Glen’s couldn’t have been the cranberry that Rob flew in because, if it is WT308 at Kemble, that didn’t join the Farnborough fleet until Nov 1966 (Rob’s flight was in 1961).

Second. As Damien says, the “civie” Canberras flew with all sorts of strange and wonderful nose configurations. In this case though, I think that this B(I)6 had had its nose glazing covered (with neoprene rather than paint?) because in Glen’s pic you can clearly see the nose glazing joint line (very near the front). If it had been a T.4 the panel joint line where the nose hinges open would have been much further back towards the cockpit.

Third. As the (poor b/w scan) pic here shows, WT308 was in the same configuration when pictured a year earlier at Farnborough with RAE’s Western Squadron. The aircraft in the pic are Hunter T.7 XL563 (see also on Damien’s site for this Hunter), Canberra B(I)6 WT308 (subject of this post) and T.4 WH844 (note different paint job with sexy cheat line – blue in colour).

Accordingly I opted for WT308 for Glen’s Canberra at Kemble and, for different reasons, opted for WH952 for Rob’s flight experience. 😉

Hope this helps. 😉

Hi Glen

Nice pic, thanks. Looks familiar though, think you sent this to me once before in 2000 with a query about it. 😎

Anyway, your pic shows the pre-Rasberry Ripple scheme for RAE aircraft and is the way WH952 would have looked in its heyday, you can just about see this in the black&white above. As for you pic being WH952, I don’t think so. The camera housings on the wingtips, although fitted to a couple of RAE’s Canberras, leads me to think your particular Canberra is WT308 (a B(I)6) of RAE’s Western Squadron.

Don’t think so Les, as Glen’s picture has a solid nose = T.4, not a B(I)6.

Hi Glen

Could this be the Can you are referring to? Just over the fence at Kemble in around ’76.

Nice pic, thanks. Looks familiar though, think you sent this to me once before in 2000 with a query about it. 😎

Anyway, your pic shows the pre-Rasberry Ripple scheme for RAE aircraft and is the way WH952 would have looked in its heyday, you can just about see this in the black&white above. As for you pic being WH952, I don’t think so. The camera housings on the wingtips, although fitted to a couple of RAE’s Canberras, leads me to think your particular Canberra is WT308 (a B(I)6) of RAE’s Western Squadron.

Farnborough Canberra

Hi Les, thank you very much for the info. The reason for my question was that I was given a flight in this aircraft in June 1961 from Farnborough to the English Electric base at Warton. At the time I was a pennyless National Serviceman wanting to go home on leave, as Warton was the nearest military airfield to home (Wigan) that was where we went. I suppose I could call myself a Canberra crewman. That was my first flight in a RAF aircraft, have had many since then, that’s another story.

Cheers
Robin.

Les,

Could this be the Can you are referring to? Just over the fence at Kemble in around ’76.

Sorry about the quality of the pic.

Hi Rob

Good to get a query about Canberras, hope I can be of some service.

The Farnborough empire held a lot of domains as I’m sure you know, and each of those seemed to have had one or more Canberras at some time or another. The IAM was one such domain which used the Canberra as a flight test aircraft but didn’t have an aircraft allocated to it especially. The IAM does however seem to have used WH952 around the period you were there (’61 ish) and used it pretty much until at least 1969. So, the aircraft you remember was in all probability the B.6 WH952.

This aircraft was built in 1954 and ready for collection on 27 Jan 1955. It was with the RAF for about a week (not allocated to any unit or squadron) and left RAF charge on 2 Feb 1955 to be taken on by A&AAE. It then stayed with A&AAE, and latterly RAE, in several interesting roles including bomb-bay door buffeting trials, and as a chase aircraft for the MRCA (Tornado) programme. In 1976 it was transferred to RAE Bedford (Thurleigh) as a ground training airframe for apprentices and was struck off charge at Thurleigh on 13 Aug 1976. It stayed there in a “withdrawn from use” category until it was transferred by road to Woolwich for preservation in 1986. There it rested, on display at Woolwich Arsenal, until it was broken up in the early 90s. There’s a page I contributed about WH952 on the Royal Arsenal Web Site.

As for pictures, I only have a couple. Here’s a lo-qual scan of WH952 at RAF Kinloss in around 1969 when it was with the IAM. This is an MAP picture.

LesB has a site here:- http://www.bywat.co.uk/canframes.html
mmitch.

Where’s LesB, he will clear this up for you Rob, send him a PM just to give him a gentle nudge.

All I can come up with is that in the book ‘Forever Farnborough’ it does state that the IAM used a Canberra B6 but sadly does not give more details. The Hunter T7 arrived in May 63 and was retired in 93.

Farnborough Canberra

Hi Mark, I do not think that IAM had a Mk 4 Hunter at the time I was there (Mid 1961) althouth they had a Mk 1 earlier, and a 2 seat in later years. Quite often, units would use each others a/c, eg, ETPS and RAE, and there were always visiting aircraft of all types passing through. Sorry that I cannot be more helpfull, it was a long time ago.
Robin.

Robin, I’m sorry I can’t help with your question (but I’m sure someone else will be able to), but do you know whether the Institute of Aviation Medicine operated a single seat Hunter at all – probably an F.4?

Thanks.