Canberra PR.7 WH779
Thread Starter
Canberra PR.7 WH779
Hi All,
I'm trying to find Ex or present aircrew that flew In Canberra PR.7 WH779... Any stories that your willing to share will be a Great Help with her history.
Best Regards,
Darren Green (owner of 779's cockpit)
www.wh779.webs.com
I'm trying to find Ex or present aircrew that flew In Canberra PR.7 WH779... Any stories that your willing to share will be a Great Help with her history.
Best Regards,
Darren Green (owner of 779's cockpit)
www.wh779.webs.com
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Would just like to say what an excellent site, you have done it proud.
I almost hesitate to ask.....
...but does anyone know if Bruce Bull is still with us? I'm sure he'd have flown it, as he seemed to have flown every Canberra the RAF ever had.
The Ancient Mariner
The Ancient Mariner
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PR7 Range
Having not flown a PR3 or 7 since 1961 my memories are hazy at best! However, with the front 1/2 of the bomb bay converted to an extra fuel tank it certainly went further than the bomber. It is not clear whether figures being mentioned include the use of wing tip tanks. However, the figures I have found for range are 1000 miles and 2000 miles! This seems to me to be 1000 miles out and back or 2000 miles A to B.
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If I am reading the movement card correctly, it became a GI airframe in 1971, but then was declared effective again, five years later, and re-entered service for another ten years. That must be pretty unusual?
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If my failing memory serves me correctly this is one of the 2 (or 3?) PR7s that were transferred to tatty ton when 13 Sqn disbanded (around 1982?). I remember flying a few sorties in those jets before they were scrapped/sold to friendly countries. My log books are in boxes but I will see what I can find - we had them right at the end of their RAF flying careers.
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Canberra bits
Nice to see Canberra bits being kept for the interested to see
I flew most of the Canberra types by being on squadrons and as the TP at Aldergrove were major servicing was done. I then went to RAE for my last 4 years. The story gets a bit more tricky
Many of the RAE aircraft were made up fom bits and used for specific trials before components and re-used
For example 774 was used on harpoon trials
All the early Canberras could be split at the transport joint and joined with other components. The 9 did not have a transport joint and so was outside this area but was used in the SC9 which was not a conversion but especially manufactured for the role
You may find on examination that lots of bits of 779 are arround on other frames
I flew most of the Canberra types by being on squadrons and as the TP at Aldergrove were major servicing was done. I then went to RAE for my last 4 years. The story gets a bit more tricky
Many of the RAE aircraft were made up fom bits and used for specific trials before components and re-used
For example 774 was used on harpoon trials
All the early Canberras could be split at the transport joint and joined with other components. The 9 did not have a transport joint and so was outside this area but was used in the SC9 which was not a conversion but especially manufactured for the role
You may find on examination that lots of bits of 779 are arround on other frames
Thread Starter
spectre150If my failing memory serves me correctly this is one of the 2 (or 3?) PR7s that were transferred to tatty ton when 13 Sqn disbanded (around 1982?). I remember flying a few sorties in those jets before they were scrapped/sold to friendly countries. My log books are in boxes but I will see what I can find - we had them right at the end of their RAF flying careers.
Thread Starter
Hi All...
For all you Ex Canberra guys this is a great Forum for you Canberra Crazy
I'm on this forum as WH779 were I post all my updates on 779...
For all you Ex Canberra guys this is a great Forum for you Canberra Crazy
I'm on this forum as WH779 were I post all my updates on 779...
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It's good to see that the memory of the faithful PR7 is alive and well and that WH779 is being cared for in such good hands. I flew WH779 from RAF Luqa on a number of occasions during my tour with XIII (PR) Squadron. I'll dig out my logbook. Many happy memories of a great tour and so many distant places.
My longest sortie in a PR7 (not WH779) was from KAF Eastleigh (Nairobi) to Cairo, a distance of about 5200 miles, taking 5 hours and 5 minutes. Then a quick aircrew turnround and back to Malta. XIII Squadron did not operate the PR7 with tip tanks in those days. No autopilot either!
Keep up the good work WH779!
My longest sortie in a PR7 (not WH779) was from KAF Eastleigh (Nairobi) to Cairo, a distance of about 5200 miles, taking 5 hours and 5 minutes. Then a quick aircrew turnround and back to Malta. XIII Squadron did not operate the PR7 with tip tanks in those days. No autopilot either!
Keep up the good work WH779!
Thread Starter
MMHendrie1It's good to see that the memory of the faithful PR7 is alive and well and that WH779 is being cared for in such good hands. I flew WH779 from RAF Luqa on a number of occasions during my tour with XIII (PR) Squadron. I'll dig out my logbook. Many happy memories of a great tour and so many distant places.
My longest sortie in a PR7 (not WH779) was from KAF Eastleigh (Nairobi) to Cairo, a distance of about 5200 miles, taking 5 hours and 5 minutes. Then a quick aircrew turnround and back to Malta. XIII Squadron did not operate the PR7 with tip tanks in those days. No autopilot either!
Keep up the good work WH779!
My longest sortie in a PR7 (not WH779) was from KAF Eastleigh (Nairobi) to Cairo, a distance of about 5200 miles, taking 5 hours and 5 minutes. Then a quick aircrew turnround and back to Malta. XIII Squadron did not operate the PR7 with tip tanks in those days. No autopilot either!
Keep up the good work WH779!
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WH779
Maybe my memory is not as good as I thought - that card suggests that the airframe was returned to 100 Sqn (notwithstanding stints with MOD(PE)) and was still on their books until at least 1986. I was pretty sure we did not have the PR7s for long but I left the sqn in 1983. On reflection, it was perhaps some ex-39 Sqn PR9s that were delivered to a friendly South American country around that time, not our PR7s.
Maybe my memory is not as good as I thought - that card suggests that the airframe was returned to 100 Sqn (notwithstanding stints with MOD(PE)) and was still on their books until at least 1986. I was pretty sure we did not have the PR7s for long but I left the sqn in 1983. On reflection, it was perhaps some ex-39 Sqn PR9s that were delivered to a friendly South American country around that time, not our PR7s.