WK163 airborne

Dad, Peter de Salis, flew WK163, WT207 and WT208 during the Double Scorpion rocket motor programme before at least some of the aircraft were due to head out to the Pacific for the UK hydrogen bomb tests.

On 9th April 1958, Dad was flying WT207 and descending from well over 60,000 feet when the rocket motor was lit to use up unburned fuel before landing. A valve apparently jammed, mixing the HTP and liquid oxygen fuels, with the resultant explosion destroying the aircraft.

Sir James Martin subsequently presented Mum with the recovered seat firing cartridges – she was weeks away from marrying Dad at the time of the high altitude escape – something we have always treasured as a symbol of all the research, personal risk, and engineering skill invested in developing the early ejection systems that allowed Dad and Pat Lowe to survive from a world record altitude that the aviation medics predicted was impossible to survive.

Dad died on the evening of January 13th 2005 after 48 years of flying and a happy retirement.

The team that saved and keep WK163 airborne have a special place for all of us.

On the 40th anniversary of Mike Randrup’s record flight in WK163 from Luton, Dad was honoured to be invited to attend the event, again at Luton. He was interviewed in the cockpit of WK163, and I would dearly love to find a copy of the video footage. In the light of subsequent events, a copy of this would be really appreciated if only I could find one!

Paul de Salis
[email]aviateam@yahoo.com[/email]

Thanks for the picture, Bert. I am sure the old Ford Falcon can be persuaded to head west from the Blue Mountains to Temora one of these days! I would love to see WK163 as well, but don’t often get to UK these days. Best of luck to all the Canberra addicts who keep them flying, and thanks.

Napier Scorpion Canberra

Hi all, Being new to this forum I apologize If I am covering old ground.
Apart from Wk163 I only know of 2 other scorpion Canberra’s WT207 & WT208. I was not involved with either of these aircraft. I believe that WT208 was deployed to Christmas Island during the atomic tests. Presumably for high altitude sampling. WT207 was lost over Derbyshire in 1958 During proving tests. Anyone who does not know the story of Fl.Lt.de Salis & Flying Officer Lowe’s decent from 56,000Ft. can look at the following web page.
www.peakdistrictaircrashes.co.uk/CanberraWT207.htm
Some years ago I watched a late night documentary which was about the spy flights over Russia during the cold war. Apparently the US persuaded the British government to have the RAF fly some of the spy missions. Included in the documentary was some fuzzy footage of a Canberra with a rear underbelly appendage that looked pretty much like a rocket motor. Because of it’s altitude capability it would seem to be a logical choice for the missions. Could it have been WT208? Does anyone know what became of WT208?. Maybe someone out there knows more. The attached image of the flying Canbrra based at Temora NSW Aust. is for Tim. I hope you get to see it Tim. Bert Virgo

Bert,welcome to the forum .
Thank you for your memories, it is always interesting to hear first hand accounts of peoples time on aircraft that I now have the pleasure of being around,if you have any more please share them.
I can fully recommend reading Dave J’s book on the Canberra Display team,for a comprehensive history of WK 163 and her fellow aircraft, for anyone who would like to know the trials and tribulations involved with operating aclassic jet on the circuit.

Moggy ,you lucky man you, I would love to have a flight in the ‘Six.:p
Cheers, Alan

Many thanks to all who have shed light on the WK163 saga. I should have gone to LesB’s site in the first place. The reason I was unsure was that I thought it was a B2, but the engines looked like the later Avons with the longer housing for 3 starter cartridges, if I remember, rather than just one in the earlier engines fitted to the B2,T4 etc. All is now revealed.

As an aside, the cartridge situation led me to some embarassment on one occasion. I was flying B15s on the squadron in Cyprus, and my navigator had done some pilot training in his early RAF career. So I thought it would be nice to give him a ride in the squadron T4, with him in the left hand seat, me acting as instructor in the right. All went well well, he and I both enjoyed it, but as we were taxiing back after landing, he had control, and as the speed was building up rather, I suggested he should throttle back a little. Unfortunately he pulled back the high pressure cocks rather than the throttles, so we came to a stop with no engines. Had we been in a B15, we could have started them again, but all we had was a dead Canberra, and a rather dischuffed Flight Sergeant who had had to dispatch the squadron tractor and a couple of his chaps to rescue a couple of very red faced aircrew, plus aeroplane, from the nether regions of the aerodrome!

Bert, I can’t imagine Luton Airport as a grass field, rather prettier than when I operated from there now and again in the ’80s!

Hello Gents,

Some notes that might be of interest.

WK163 arrived at Pershore in April 1959.
After being identified as a long term fleet aircraft the airframe was upgraded to Mk B6 standard. Fitted with new ‘wet’ wings and Avon 109 engines during its 1965-66 second line service.
In late 1971 the aircraft was withdrawn to second line servicing for partial reconditioning. The fwd fuselage was removed and fitted to Canberra B Mk6 WT327. WK163’s centre section was sent to BAC Warton for change of the main (DTD 683) centre section forging.

WK163 returned to service in mid 1972 fitted with the standard B6 nose section from Canberra B Mk6 XH568.

There is a lot more avialable on the histories of the teams aircraft . PM me for details if interested.

Dave.

Napier years

Hi Tim, Seems like your question re mark of WK163 has been answered more thoroughly than I could hope to. I worked on a number of aircraft types while at Napier. Some government contracts and two or thee Napier turbo prop conversions. I believe that WK163 went to Armstrong Siddley at Bitteswell to be fitted with Sapphire SA 7’s before delivery to Luton. As a young lad I was at the official opening of Luton airport. It would have been around 1937 and it was just a grass field until the late fifties. I was back there in 1990 and could not believe the changes. Sorry getting off topic here. The Canberra at Temora was delivered to the RAF in 1955 with serial number WJ680. My research suggests that it was fitted with RA.3 Avon Mk.1 engines and It served with 551 wing Bomber command in Germany. It was purchased by the Temora aircraft museam in 2001 and repainted in the colours used during the Viet Nam conflict by 2 Squadren RAAF. I believe it’s the only fully airworthy Canberra in Australia.
Bert Virgo.

This is an Atlantic/Atlantique tradition.

I well remember standing in the hold of a DC6 straight out of a D-check with the entire maintenance crew for the shakedown flight.

Moggy

There was a time when it was the done thing in RAF circles too. ‘You fixed it, you bl***y fly in it’ was the policy.
Definitely a big well done to all involved in returning her the air where she belongs, and looking very good to go with it.

Great stuff

G’ day Lady’s and Gent’s 😀

Yes a huge congrate’s to all involved!

I’m a Berra fan from way back, I use to sit in the cockpit’s as a teen in the 7 or 8 Berra’s that sat in the Essendon Drome’s graveyard for year’s.

I flew a lot of mission’s over Asia 😀

BUT almost died on a few when the temp was in the high 30’s/low 40’s C, no cockpit cooling under that canopy when the Berra’s are dead on there wheel’s.

I loved R.P. Beau’s book when he stick’s it up the Yank’s, flying over the State’s, completely out of reach of their lastest hotasse fighter’s.

They the Yank’s had no clue what was even up there! LoL! :dev2:

We have a few still flyin down here I think, I know I have seen atleast one over the year’s, I remember seein one quiet a few year’s back in formation with a Vamp(might have been another aircraft too can not remember now), down at Point Cookie.

Must be off now Ciao!

I just didnt wanna pinch info off Les’s website, specially as his site is rather good, deserves as much advertising as it can get. Bex

…ahhh yes, that’s exactly how it is on LesB’s site…….confirmed then!

Chris

The official Mk of WK163 from my experience at is a “B6 MOD”, or at least that’s what she was defined as at RAE Bedford.
DaveJ is probably the best one to confirm all of this Historical stuff precicely but the noses of various Research Canberra were swapped around to better suit the experimental equipment that was installed at the time (something to do with bulkhead connectors on the B6 pressure bulkhead)
WK163 (Originally a B2) recieved the nose that was first fitted to XH568 and then also got B6 wings. Therefore the fuselage is B2 (and still retains the scars from the Scorpion fit!!) and the nose and wings are B6 (origin unknown by myself).
My understanding is that WT327 (Air Platforms US) , originally a B(I)8, has the original nose of WK163.

Hope that helps?

I stand corrected

Youre welcome, I too have been caught out with the B(i)6’s before, thats how I found out 😀 Bex

Rambo, B(i)6’s were perculiar to one Sqn only, 213 Sqn part of RAF(G) WK163 is definately a B2 but the story goes that the B2 nose was put on another Cranberry while she was with Radar Research and she got another one, then a bit later on they stuck B6 wings & engines on the B2 fuselage. If u click on the link in my earlier post, look for “Survivors” then look in the B2 section. And to be honest, if its to with Cranberrys and its on Les’s website Id pretty much believe it. Bex

I stand corrected

Rambo, B(i)6’s were perculiar to one Sqn only, 213 Sqn part of RAF(G) WK163 is definately a B2 but the story goes that the B2 nose was put on another Cranberry while she was with Radar Research and she got another one, then a bit later on they stuck B6 wings & engines on the B2 fuselage. If u click on the link in my earlier post, look for “Survivors” then look in the B2 section. And to be honest, if its to with Cranberrys and its on Les’s website Id pretty much believe it. Bex

maybe I’m getting the wrong end of the stick, but I’m sure people many times more knowledgeable than me will correct me, but I was under the impression that WK163 was a B.(I)6. Possibly a converted B.2 to B.(I)6 configuration? Having read your recommended site bex it looks like she is probably closer to being a B.(I)6 than a standard B.2, what with B.6 wings, engines and nose.

Doesn’t she have the wings and engines of a Mk6? I have heard her referred to as ‘the only Canberra B.2/6’ – or is this just an airshow commentator’s conceit?

Thats a good point, hopefully the AA gang might let us know that one. Think Id better have a proper read of Les’s page on 163 as he mentioned that but I didnt read it properly!!! Bex

Tim, shes a B2, if u havent seen this site already, then click the link below, and on the Survivors page its got a nice bit about 163. The pages are done by the forums LesB who just happens to be a jolly nice chap 😀 Bex

http://www.bywat.co.uk/canframes.html

Doesn’t she have the wings and engines of a Mk6? I have heard her referred to as ‘the only Canberra B.2/6’ – or is this just an airshow commentator’s conceit?

WK163

Point of interest, what mark is WK163?

Tim, shes a B2, if u havent seen this site already, then click the link below, and on the Survivors page its got a nice bit about 163. The pages are done by the forums LesB who just happens to be a jolly nice chap 😀 Bex

http://www.bywat.co.uk/canframes.html

….gives the pilot a bit of confidence if the Sooty goes up for the first flight after an engine strip

This is an Atlantic/Atlantique tradition.

I well remember standing in the hold of a DC6 straight out of a D-check with the entire maintenance crew for the shakedown flight.

Moggy