RB/WB57F Highly modified originally British Canberra. USAF "Longwing" High Altitude Reccy, mostly unknown, no longer in service.

 

Very freaky looking. Are those static wicks on all the trailing surfaces?

 

Interesting!
Static wicks - I understand what they do/are used for but are there usually that many? That kinda looks excessive, if my memory serves me right.

 

That's what I'm wondering about. Normally I only see a couple on each trailing surface of a Cessna or Piper, that is if they are installed at all.

FAA question: How many static wicks must be present?

Answer: All of them.

 

Brent, good FAA reply. 21 of these aircraft were originally ordered by AEC for upper atmospheric nuclear sampling. Because of the plane's versatillity, many "customers" wanted piggy back missions. Several planes in the "500" series were maintained under 24 hour guard in a sealed off hangar and only personnel with a special clearance could approach them. Now declassifed, one plane was shot down by a Soviet SAM 2 over the Black Sea in Dec 1965, with the crew never recovered. The wings were "wet wings" from the engine nacelles out to the fiberglass tips, carrying I believe 23,000 lounds of JP 4. A package carried under the bomb bay area had a Hasselbad-ZEISS 12 inch camera that could take pictures up to 60 miles away and had a 30" resolution from altitude. Was a very unadvertised aircraft, the last 3 units were flown by NASA until recently. I was Life Support Superintendent maintaining more than 200 Full Pressure Suits specially fitted and issued 2 each per crew member. I am not an electronics type, but I believe the wicks were for ELMO's FIRE.
Many things about the missions flown and their purpose have never been disclosed, even though unclassified and non-military in nature.


John P. CMSgt USAF ret.

 

Ive seen a plane like that not long ago. I live in the line of flight just north of Ellington. My X fiance worked at Continental express there she quit just b4 they moved to Hobby. How about that huge guppy lookin cargo plane, now that is on odd plane too. The nose opens up.

 

Our last 3 and "newest" "F"s were taken over by NASA for many projects including tracking shuttle launches. They were based at Ellington, but flew world wide programs. They were painted white, our planes were left unpainted as a weight saver.
The "Pregnant Guppies" were developed from C-97 Strato Cruisers. Also very versatile. pics at http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/station/...y/gallery.html
I've never been to JSC as much as I worked with their people, I've got to make it a point to do a Houston rally and visit the center.

John P. CMSgt ret.

 

If'n y'all get a chance this is a great place to spend an afternoon go to Davi-Monthan AFB and take the walkabout it's GREAT!

http://www.dm.af.mil/

You can walk under an SR-71!

Oh, and by the way-the recon Canberra was just spotlighted on the Discovery Channel show about Cold War era spy planes. Just this last week.

 

Thanks for the Discovery Channel item. I'll have to watch for a repeat.
By the way, the PIMA Air Museum is across the highway from AMARG and has a number of one of a kind birds.

Checkout http://www.pimaair.org/aircraft.php

John P. CMSgt USAF ret

 

I can see an XFire road trip in the makings here !!! Thanks for the link !

 

That's the Place!!! It's just beside, as you said, D-M AFB.

Thanks for the straightening out!

 

Thanks for the inside info. Maybe in another 20 years everything will be declassified and disclosed. I'm sure the family members of the shot down crew would like to learn more of what happened.

The FAA has rules stating that nav lights are to be turned on at sunset. Except the FAA has never explained exactly when sunset occurs.

The FAA wants nav lights turned on when an aircraft is moving at night. An FAA inspector dinged a pilot who was pushing a plane back into its tiedown spot after a night flight because the plane was in motion but the nav lights weren't turned on.

A new propeller was designed that had the blade tips bent back. An FAA inspector saw a plane with such a propeller and redtagged the plane because the inspector thought the prop had hit something which bent the blades. This one I think actually happened at Montgomery Field in San Diego maybe 20 years ago. Yet the story is still told to this day.

The FAA - a government buracracy doing.......something.

 

You're right, Brent, the family of the crew of the shootdown is still hoping for information.

 

I was a jet engine mechanic in 58WRS, Kirtland Airplane Patch,NM, from Dec. 64 to Jul. 66. Seems I remember(very vaguely) tail numbers from 292 through 299 in F models. We also had some C's and maybe a couple of D's. We deployed a lot: Panama, Alaska, Australia and Nevada. I got spoiled. We gave 1st Sgt Sam Gullo many headaches.
Be safe.
Chow,
j. lloyd, retired military

 

Welcome Trooper! I arrived 21 Oct 1964, Ret Kirtland 1 Sept 1973. Ran the Life Support Section. I eventually wound up doing Sam's job for Col Wolfe (dec) Red Campbell (dec)Reedy (unk) and Ret MGen Click Smith (dec) Drop me a line sometime and let me know where you're at. My profile has info.
John Penz, CMgt USAF ret
FTroopChief original F patch atch.