Nasa's WB-57 takes to the air again after 41 years grounded.
 

You cannot keep a canberra down and NASA have just regenerated a third WB-57 to add to the fleet.

See link for more and stunning pictures.

NASA?s new WB-57F, N927NA, flies for the first time in 41 years | GAR

When the MRCA (Tornado eventually) was running further and further behind schedule, the acronym became Must Refurbish Canberras Again. I presume crosswind technique is crab; wing-down would be "interesting".

Something going on in the Sandbox we want to know about?


Martin/General Dynamics RB-57F Canberra - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Despite the antenna various, change of engine, there's just no mistaking the pedigree of this aircraft. Nice to know that not everything British is gone.

Smudge:ok:

Maybe these guys could tap NASA for some cash to help them...

http://www.facebook.com/pages/WJ574-...143?ref=stream

Nice to see the old lady airborne again - you cannot keep a good one down. Lot of dust in the air....................

Just remember it is a NASA asset being used for weather research.

http://area51specialprojects.com/u-2...e/u2a_naca.jpg

(Note in the haste to do the phony photo shoot without making it too obvious that the airbase didn't exist, someone seems to have installed the pogos backwards.)

Seems they never really quit flying.......as there were Ops out of Kbar and other places quite recently. (much less than 40+ years anyway).

Yes they have two current and have just added the third :)

Battlefield Airborne Communications Node (BACN)
 

Plenty of articles on the internet about the BACN equipment it can carry:

The Aviationist » NASA?s WB-57F BACN ?flying gateway? once again heading to Afghanistan

Monster Machines: Why Are The Most Vital Aircraft In The USAF Arsenal Owned By NASA? | Gizmodo Australia

For anyone that is interested, there is lots of info and some great pics on the official NASA website:

WB-57 Home

Departure from Mildenhall:


Departure from Nellis AFB:

Takin' off, looks like Angel of the North!

Nice to see.

Now I just have to pose a question......which need not be answered if One does not want the NSA, FBI, CIA, and IRS digging into your underwear.....but just what does the B-57 platform do that a modified Drone can not? If they can loiter a drone above the Battlefield for pushing 24 hours at a time....then it would follow it would be far cheaper, more effective, and not risk a two man crew to accomplish the mission.

The discuss a Camera Pod....but discuss Comm Node....which suggests there is some looking and talking going on....along with some photography and SigInt work too.

I have always felt one needs to consider known capabilities then figure out what niche isn't being covered.

I saw that first hand in Somalia when a very odd looking airplane got rolled out of a hangar by some folks who were not there. That added to the P-3, AC-130, and other assets that were there every night.

Official comments reported that particular kind of Airplane had gone out of service very shortly after Vietnam folded but what a surprise to discover it had not.

So....just what is NASA up to in Kandahar these days?

Yup, that N registered King Aire always had my attention at Mog.

Wasn't the King Air.....but had a Bell 212 that worked with it....SAR backup. Hid in the old 160th Hanger.

I recall a brief detachment of an RB-57F to Tengah in the late 60s, not least because it was at one of the Det parties that I met my first wife :(

Watching the takeoff was interesting - not on full power, presumably in case of singe engine failure, and then at about 500' the full-power climb at an incredible angle and relatively slow speed.

Nice to see the videos of an aircraft that lasted much longer than that marriage :cool:

Edit ... Just found a photo of it, whilst looking for something else!
https://picasaweb.google.com/britbra...97148533735922

Not a lot of EE Canberra left in that methinks . . .

Something weird and wonderful, such as the Lockeed YO-3A?

Beags.....not sure it was an "A" model.

Oh, one of THOSE things. The ones that are not made in Switzerland, despite the name, nudge nudge wink wink.

Lovely videos - all noise and smoke.

These aircraft quite regularly transit through R.A.F.Mildenhall, I video'd one there on at least two separate occasions some 5 years ago, and they have been back several times since.

So was the aircraft, which wasn't operated by people who weren't there in Somalia, a Lockheed YO-3A Quiet Star?

Not during my time there which was dec 92- june (I think) 93. There were some don't ask those guys any questions types, but during my time they were in EP-3'S a Kingaire and a few helo's.

If it wasn't.....it sure looked like one!


YO-3A


Since it was outside the hanger in the daylight......I have to assume they did not care for people to know of their presence. The ramp was in direct observation from the high ground inland of the Airport. Actually....it was in direct fire from the high ground specifically the "Soap Factory". The Ramp was littered with spent rounds.

Yes, I went ditch diving on many occasions when the local ruffians send rounds our way. SAS, what time frame was this aircraft there? I left long before the party ended.

Trick question.....uhm.....errrrr.....about mid-summer '94 as I recall.


South African friend, ex-RAF, accosted me one morning on the ramp....inquired why I walked off from him everytime he spoke to me. He thought perhaps he had offended me somehow I guess. Upon a moment's thought I realized what was going on....everytime he wanted to stand and talk while we were getting ready to fly....I would walk over behind a helicopter so it was between me and the Soap Factory.

When I told him what I was doing and to accept my apologies for giving him reason to question my relationship with him....he very smartly (British usage of the word...) stepped over to where I was.

Seems he got plugged once before in NI flying a Wessex.

SASless - could it have been a Schweizer RG-8? (SA 2-37A). The CIA are reported to have used those.

It was a YO-3 for sure.

RG-8A would seem more plausible than a YO-3A:


Or maybe it was an Auror...............aargh! Black Discovery outside....:uhoh:

Beags.....it may be more plausible to you....but I was there, in person, seen it with my own two eyes, and thus am far better suited to identify what was there in front of me. Do you not agree looking at the palm of your hand and guessing falls short of being there and seeing it?

The NASA YO-3 was/is still around, but I presume that would be a bit high profile for Mogadishu at that time!

So are you saying that it was the (NASA) YO-3A rather than the RG-8A? Your earlier post wasn't that clear to me.

There is a WB-57 being restored currently at KAPA. Last I saw it was still in green primer too.

Beags....I am saying it was a cleverly Camo'ed YO-3....who owned it I have no idea....there were no markings on it. The folks who ran it lived in a bunch of nice RV Trailers up on the dunes overlooking the Ocean and seemed to hold a lot of communion rituals each day. I reckon they were Christians who enjoyed action.

I think the YO-3As went on the surplus list after VN and went to a number of agencies. The Culinary Institute might have been interested in the potential of the special prop and drive system as a basis for a blender.

YO-3A

Ok, someones gonna have to go to the reunion and get the details.

I nominate City of Flight.....her beguiling charming smile could melt the coldest heart!

Agreed! Off she goes...

The UK's sole flying Canberra PR9 BTW has lost it's hemp PR scheme and has been rolled out in the scheme she would have worn opon entering service..


Stunning

Aviation News: New colours for Midair Squadron?s Canberra PR9 XH134 / G-OMHD | GAR

Aurora
 

Not sure if it would be more appropriate to start a new thread as the last dozen posts have not been about the B57.

Lots of chatter about smaller kites involved in supposedly similar tasks.

I think it was Beags who mentioned the thing not made in Switzerland.

I think he may refer to this:

Aurora Flight Sciences - Home

Same was exhibited at Helitech at Duxford and some of the kit from it at DSEI last time.

I understand we had a few in the UK with Military registration and roundels for a while.

We have had a few similar things such as those assembled in Bembridge with strange lumps and bumps that have been recorded.

Drag