I thought they were all long dead, but no. An RB-57F, the ultimate Canberra variant, has just flown over my house on final approach into Mildenhall. Amazing sight! And an interesting sound too.
As far as I can research in a hurry, it must be 63-13298, transferred transferred to NASA in 1974 and renumbered NASA 928 as a WB-57. Apparently It operates as an air sampler for the Department of Energy, which I gather from other reading translates into being a sniffer-around for illicit nuclear weapons tests.
By: Nighthawk - 11th April 2006 at 20:30
If and its a big if, everything goes to plan it may well be at the Waddington Airshow, as it is the final farewell to the Canberra. (though it will be displaying at RIAT too the RAF one that is).
By: ZRX61 - 11th April 2006 at 18:10
I think I just saw this plane fly over in San Diego, California today. Can anyone else in this area confirm this?
Possible, I think it pops in & out of Edwards.
By: 92fis - 11th April 2006 at 18:06
Wasn’t one deployed to Mildenhall last year? I seem to remember an interview with its crew appearing in Aircraft Illustrated.
Steve
Perhaps you should take a look at the first post in this thread.
By: megalith - 11th April 2006 at 08:35
Wasn’t one deployed to Mildenhall last year? I seem to remember an interview with its crew appearing in Aircraft Illustrated.
Steve
By: Bucko - 11th April 2006 at 05:48
I think I just saw this plane fly over in San Diego, California today. Can anyone else in this area confirm this?
By: Pioneer - 13th October 2005 at 13:19
A very over shadowed aircraft of the U-2 fame whould you not agree!
By: ellitas - 12th October 2005 at 18:37
there was a bit in one of the mags last month, that said it was over in support of the last shuttle landing. photos and weather recon,
By: WebPilot - 11th October 2005 at 22:04
…and it is 928, not 926. Which just goes to show that you shouldn’t believe everything you hear.
By: LAHARVE - 11th October 2005 at 20:25
Nice arrival shots over on UKAR.
By: ALBERT ROSS - 11th October 2005 at 20:06
Apparently it’s Nasa’s. Fabulous thing to see, I shall never forget it.
Nasa nice picture! 😀
By: WebPilot - 11th October 2005 at 20:06
I’m jealous!
By: Lowtimer Redux - 11th October 2005 at 19:59
Apparently it’s Nasa’s. Fabulous thing to see, I shall never forget it.
By: WebPilot - 11th October 2005 at 19:49
It’s NASA 926, ex 63-13503. It doesn’t have much in the way of markings – NASA logo on the tail and a small US flag and that’s pretty much it.
I understand that it’s here to support a UK MoD assessment of sensors for UAVs.
What a shame it couldn’t have come over a month or two earlier and attended an airshow or two.
By: Arabella-Cox - 11th October 2005 at 19:10
RB-57F
Was’nt there something in air forces monthly (still key) about one being based in the uk for a short time recently?
curlyboy
By: Lowtimer Redux - 11th October 2005 at 18:45
Actually it’s not really my first post, it’s just that I was Lowtimer here for a while and I’m changed email address since, and forgotten the password, so had to adopt a new identity. :rolleyes:
By: Lowtimer Redux - 11th October 2005 at 18:44
And yes, it did look just as extraordinary as this. It was a silhouette against the sky, so I could not discern any markings.
By: Newforest - 11th October 2005 at 18:43
Congratulations on a great scoop for your first post 😀
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October 11, 2005 at 6:39 pm