Whose Canberra?

[Zoom]

Whilst walking the hound this morning I was overflown at 1155 by a dark, even black, Canberra - not a PR9 - whose military number (in white) began with a W and finished with a 3, perhaps 53. Since there aren't many of them about, can anyone tell me anything about this one?

[H Peacock]

Not sure where you were when you saw the Canberra, but I strongly suspect it was the B2/6 (WK163) based with Air Atlantique at coventry. :)

[wonderboysteve]

WK163, former world altitude record holder (Using a Napier Scorpion in the bomb bay). Operated by Air Atlantique I believe.

[foldingwings]

WK163? Was flying at Duxford this last weekend, I believe. It's a B2

Foldy

[steamchicken]

What do they do with her? I know they have the Maritime & Coastguard Agency Atlantic Recce contract looking for dodgy fishing boats and oil slicks - is this the enforcement wing?

[Echo 5]

WK163 completed several fly pasts a few minutes ago over BAe Systems at Samlesbury and was due to carry out a display at Warton afterwards.
Many thanks to the Air Atlantique crew as it was much appreciated by us ground bound peasants.

[foldingwings]

And if you turn to page 51 of this week's Flight International you can purchase WK163 and the rest of Air Atlantique's vintage collection for the bargain basement price of £1M (well offers in excess of, actually!)

Hope they are purchased as a complete collection and remain on the UK circuit!

Foldy

[eal401]

Just witnessed the display over Warton, what a fantastic looking and sounding aircraft!

[green granite]

Saw her yesterday, or was it Saturday? on it's way back from Duxford, lovely sight

[scroggs]

Who flies it these days? is Dave Piper still involved?

[Zoom]

Thanks for all that, gents. Since I live only 15 miles from Coventry and pass the airport every month or so, I suppose I should really have known the answer. Anyway, it was a great sight and took me back to my 120 hours or so on the beast whilst holding many moons ago.

[Olde Devonian]

Great looking aircraft, unfortunately I was busy for the Samlesbury and Warton displays but saw it parked for the afternoon. Obviously not my day as I also missed both the departure and the formation pass with the Typhoon :D
Thanks anyway - sounded good

[airsound]

Andy Rake flew her at the Duxford Spitfire Air Show on Saturday at about 1412 and on Sunday at about 1405. She looked absolutely gorgeous in her colours of 617 Sqn in the 1950s, complete with the red flash.

She was indeed the world altitude record holder - 70,310ft in 1957, with that Napier Scorpion in the bomb bay. She started life as a B2, and while she was at RAE Pershore she got B6 wings, undercarriage and engines. Which I believe makes her unique.

I think she belongs to the Canberra Display Team, but is operated from Coventry as part of Air Atlantique's Classic Flight.

Long may she continue.

airsound

[100berramate]

Some nice piccies of WK163 at Duxford 2/3 Sep and hopefully some of the formation at Warton to come!http://forum.keypublishing.co.uk/showthread.php?t=62153
yours Andy

[scorpion63]

The Canberra in question was WK163 it was flown at Warton and Salmesbury by Andy Rake with me in the back making sure he didn't touch anything he shouldn't.
Andy and I also did Duxford via Connington on 23 July and return to Coventry and Marham on 26 July returning via Wyton on 28 July after the Canberra stand down.
Our first outing of the season was to Waddington on 30 June with Dave Piper and me carrying out the annual airtest on the way, we landed with not one fault after a 2 year temporary grounding while the engines were being rebuilt.
Dan Griffith and I did Elvington on 19 & 20 August and Dave Piper with Geoff Burns in the back attempted to get to East Fortune but had to turn back with a u/s fuel pump.
The airframe is unique in being the only Canberra designated as a B2/6 as well as being the only absolute record breaker in flying condition anywhere in the world and as such was scrapped by our well informed government in 1995.
She is owned by Classic Aviation Projects but operated by Air Atlantique Classic Flight.

[Beeayeate]

163's also unique in that it's the only Canberra flying in the UK- at least for the next year or so until a 9 gets into the luft again.

So, if you happen to see a Canberra in the skies in the forseeable future it will be WK163.


:ok:

[airsound]

163's also unique in that it's the only Canberra flying in the UK- at least for the next year or so until a 9 gets into the luft again.

So, if you happen to see a Canberra in the skies in the forseeable future it will be WK163.


:ok:

Oh I geddit - B/I-8. VG..... (doh)

airsound

[Beeayeate]

Oh I geddit - B/I-8. VG..... (doh)
airsound
Well done that man. One choccy biscuit for you then.


:cool:

[airsound]

If I remember rightly, when B/I-8s (or us lesser mortals) were flying from El Adem, an even better treat than a choccy biccy was a Comet Egg for brekker.

airsound

[Beeayeate]

Ah, so you know of the mythical B(I)8. Good one. A cranberrie not usually recalled by most folk. ;)

Got absolutely no idea what a 'Comet Egg' is, do tell. Don't think our Comet on 51 Sqn carried one, mostly crisps and sausage rolls. :cool:



.

[scroggs]

The Canberra in question was WK163 it was flown at Warton and Salmesbury by Andy Rake with me in the back making sure he didn't touch anything he shouldn't....

Our first outing of the season was to Waddington on 30 June with Dave Piper and me carrying out the annual airtest on the way

I didn't know Andy was involved too. Must be getting too much time off!

[hobie]

There are a few nice photo's of WK163 recently posted on A.net that might be worth viewing ....

http://www.airliners.net/search/photo.search?codesearch=WK163&distinct_entry=true

[airsound]

Ah, so you know of the mythical B(I)8. Good one. A cranberrie not usually recalled by most folk. ;)
Got absolutely no idea what a 'Comet Egg' is, do tell. Don't think our Comet on 51 Sqn carried one, mostly crisps and sausage rolls. :cool:
.

Well...... sorry about a spot of thread creep, btw, but when a Comet of 216 (the shiniest of the Shiny Fleet) had to nightstop at the charming El Adem, the crew (and, I think, V-Force crews) were entitled to Eggs for Brekky. The rest of us scallies (Hastings and the like) were not so entitled. So, natch, it became a matter of honour to find some way of getting one's eatin irons into the aforetomentioned Eggs.

I recall an even better occasion when a particularly crafty AQM (that's what we used to call loadies) managed to get into the VIP store. So as we thundered across the Empty Quarter en route to Khartoum in our 4-engined triumph of Handley Page engineering (should that be Humbly Pudge?), this Q produced..... waitforrit waitforrit...... Caviar Sandwiches. I well remember the Sig (yes we had those as well) leaning round his HF set and shouting "Ayoop Q - I fancy another of they caviar butties - fanbloodytastic....." :}

airsound

[Rigex]

Not so mythical or exclusive as the B(I)6:)