This Day in Aviation History
May 13th, 1949
First flight of the English Electric Canberra.
 
The English Electric Canberra is a British first-generation jet-powered medium bomber manufactured in large numbers through the 1950s. The Canberra could fly at a higher altitude than any other bomber through the 1950s and set a world altitude record of 70,310 ft (21,430 m) in 1957. Due to its ability to evade the early jet interceptors and its significant performance advancement over contemporary piston-engined bombers, the Canberra was a popular export product and served with air forces of many nations. In February 1951 a Canberra became the first jet aircraft to make a non-stop transatlantic flight.
 
In addition to being a tactical nuclear strike aircraft, the Canberra proved to be highly adaptable, serving in varied roles such as tactical bombing and photographic and electronic reconnaissance. Canberras served in the Suez Crisis, the Vietnam War, the Falklands War, the Indo-Pakistani wars, and numerous African conflicts. In several wars, each of the opposing sides had Canberras in their air forces. The Canberra was retired by its first operator, the Royal Air Force (RAF), in June 2006, 57 years after its first flight. Three of the Martin B-57 variant remain in service, performing meteorological work for NASA, as well as providing electronic communication (Battlefield Airborne Communications Node or BACN) testing for deployment to Afghanistan….
 
Source:
Wikipedia, English Electric Canberra: http://gstv.us/1TIsyXa
 
YouTube, The English Electric Canberra Definitive Documentary: http://gstv.us/1TIw43X
 
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Photo from: http://gstv.us/1TIwo2B
 
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