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English Electric Canberra B-2 G-BVWC
| Location: Coventry | In Service: 1949-2005 |
| Manufacturer: English Electric Company Ltd, Lancashire | Purpose: 3 seat high-altitude bomber |
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Power Plant: Two Rolls-Royce Avon RA7 turbojets |
Length: 65 ft.6 in. |
| Construction: All-metal semi-monocoque | Maximum speed: 620mph Range: 3,380 miles (5,440km) Service ceiling 45-50,000 ft Rate of climb: 3,400ft/min (17m/s) Wing loading: 48lb per sq ft (234kg per sq m) Thrust/weight: |
Armament: 8,000lb (3,628kg) of bombs. Nuclear capability
History: Wartime experience had shown that defensive armament was of little use in a bomber. It added weight reducing the aircraft's speed, range and payload, and was rarely effective against fighter attacks. The Mosquito had demonstrated that a fast, manoeuvrable but unarmed bomber could deliver its payload - and return safely - far more reliably than a gun-equipped "heavy". So when the design brief was conceived for the Canberra, the philosophy of maximum speed and minimum weight was paramount. By the standards of the day the Canberra is exceptionally aerodynamic. The tubular fuselage is devoid of protrusions, and the cockpit bubble barely breaks the profile. The wing-mounted engine pods look huge - as indeed they are. The intention was to cram the maximum power into the smallest possible area. As a result, the Canberra was fast - very fast. It could exceed 600mph, and deliver its bomb load - around double that of a Flying Fortress - from over 40,000ft. The type was an outstanding success. It was built under licence in the USA as the Martin B57, while demand in the UK was so high that Handley Page and Short Brothers were enlisted to increase manufacturing capacity. In 1951 the Canberra was the first jet to cross the Atlantic without refuelling. Classic Flight's own B2 achieved the world altitude record in 1957 when it reached 70,310ft (21,430m).
