Airplane of the Day - Canberra Redux

Martin WB-57

Martin WB-57

WB-57 (the weather bomber?) comes from the RB-57, the reconnaissance version, which in turn was derived from the B-57 which was a licensed copy of the English Electric Canberra. The English plane first flew in 1949, 72 years ago. 

NASA operates three WB-57's. One had been mothballed back in 1974. NASA pulled it from the boneyard in 2011 and refurbished it. It took to the air in 2013.

In the 1950's the Canberra was at the top of the heap. Flight records set by Canberras

• January 1951 – first non-stop unrefuelled transatlantic crossing by a jet.
• August 1952 – the prototype B.5 made the first double transatlantic crossing by a jet.
• May 1953 – world altitude record 63,668 ft
• October 1953 – winner of the London-Christchurch Air Race. 12,270 miles
• August 1955 – altitude record 65,889 ft
• August 1957 – altitude record 70,310 ft

Previous post about the Canberra.