Jackonicko
2nd Aug 2006, 19:01
RAF long term Canberra fleet refurbishing programme c.1976-c.1982
Can some kind soul tell me more?
I believe there's more in the English Electric 'Putnam' but my copy of that fine tome is 100 miles away!
I know that:
By 1979, there were about 100 Canberras in UK MoD service.
It had been planned to keep a slightly reduced 'long term Canberra fleet' active well into the 1990s, and that a comprehensive refurbishing programme was put in place to support this, with aircraft returning to Samlesbury for a comprehensive overhaul and modernisation programme. The first was WE113 (?) which returned to BAE (when?) and this aircraft was finally redelivered to the RAF (when?).
The scope of the programme was reduced (when?) from the originally planned 80 aircraft (85 according to some sources) when the programme was launched (when?) to just 54 in 19** (when?), as a result of defence spending cuts, but the plan was still to keep a cadre of assorted target facilities aircraft (B.Mk 2s, T.Mk 4, PR.Mk 7s, and T.Mk 17s (does anyone know how many of each type - or even the :8 serials?)), in service (plus a number of MoD (PE) aircraft). A number (how many, dates, etc.?) of the PR.Mk 9s were to be separately refurbished by Shorts.
Can some kind soul tell me more?
I believe there's more in the English Electric 'Putnam' but my copy of that fine tome is 100 miles away!
I know that:
By 1979, there were about 100 Canberras in UK MoD service.
It had been planned to keep a slightly reduced 'long term Canberra fleet' active well into the 1990s, and that a comprehensive refurbishing programme was put in place to support this, with aircraft returning to Samlesbury for a comprehensive overhaul and modernisation programme. The first was WE113 (?) which returned to BAE (when?) and this aircraft was finally redelivered to the RAF (when?).
The scope of the programme was reduced (when?) from the originally planned 80 aircraft (85 according to some sources) when the programme was launched (when?) to just 54 in 19** (when?), as a result of defence spending cuts, but the plan was still to keep a cadre of assorted target facilities aircraft (B.Mk 2s, T.Mk 4, PR.Mk 7s, and T.Mk 17s (does anyone know how many of each type - or even the :8 serials?)), in service (plus a number of MoD (PE) aircraft). A number (how many, dates, etc.?) of the PR.Mk 9s were to be separately refurbished by Shorts.