We are still trying to find a suitable engine with the right paperwork, until we aquire an engine we are firmly grounded. Any leads to an airworthy Avon 109 with all the correct log cards and records would be very much appreciated.
Next year sees the 60th anniversary of the first flight of the Canberra and it would be a great shame to miss celebrating this unique event.

So did the Lightning, I haven`t heard of fire issues with that a/c either. Must be something unique to the Belvedere / Gazelle engine installation.

Pete

The Canberra PR9, Hunter FGA 9 and the Javlin in particular all suffered from Avpin fires on start up, the PR9 was easy to deal with as the fire was usually outside of the engine nacelle but the Javlin just burned!

The Canberra, irrespective of mark, also produces “the Blue Note” they have no guns but similar Avon engines to the Hunter, the noise becomes appearent at fairly high speed with the engines throttled back.

We received our new Canberra B2s in early 1952 and they had Maxaret brake systems. It was also stated in the Vol 1.

Ken

Maxaret units were introduced with the 21 inch wheels not the 19 inch fitted to the “light weight” B2,PR3,T4 and derivitaves, ie T17,TT18etc. Heavy weight B6,PR7, B(I)8,PR9 all had 21 inch wheels. My 231 OCU course notes, dated October 1963 state that “ALL 231 OCU Canberra are without Maxaret units”.

Although no longer Napier powered, former world altitude holder Napier Scorpion Canberra WK163 is still very much in existance at Coventry although waiting for a new Avon engine at the moment.

The 3 (not 4) Vulcans were XH498, which had the accident at Wellington Airport and made a forced landing at Ohakea, XH502 and XH499 which was OC 617 sqdns personnal mount. They were accompanied by an RAF Brittania for the ground crew and the Beverley for the spares and ground equipment.
I have several photographs of the detachment a various points around the globe as my father was the crew chief of XH499. I will try to scan and post when I have a few minutes.

Hi.

The early Canberra’s were fitted with two stage seats, the initiator was at the top and the main charge was uncovered by the internal slide tube moving up. The back crew had no problems, jetison hatch and pull! The pilot had a bit more to do, he would jetison the canopy, then pull up a wire locked lever, this would explode a ring charge round the rod going to the elevators, a spring would pull the control column out of the way of his knees and then he could eject!

Not totally correct but close.

The nav could either jettison the hatch manually, above 60 knots, ie in the case of an emergency landing where rapid egress was desirable or just pull the handle and everything is automatic it is not neccessary to fire the hatch seperatly.

When the pilot initiates ejection, the seat sequence starts, gas from the seat cartridge fires the seat up the rail, once the seat is travelling the main charge fires, a secondary charge fitted only to the pilots seat sends gas to the stick snatch unit, this in turn drives an over centre cam which allows the snatch spring to pull the control column forward clearing the pilots legs, at the same time the electrically actuated severence charge is fired cutting the elevator control rod in the cockpit.

However some Canberras where fitted with charges around the canopy to shatter it before ejection this was fired by the handle mentioned earlier, as it took time to fire manually the through canopy route was and still is prefered, the other problem was that the canopy could tilt front edge first into the airflow and decapitate the pilot if it folded under.

All 3 seats in the Canberra have the same number of charges but the pilots seat has an extra charge to provide gas to the snatch unit.