Bournemouth Aviation Museum

A hands-on aviation experience

Canberra

WT532

WT532 was built by English Electric in 1955 as one of a large number of P.R.7's and delivered to the RAF 29th September 1955. Initially allocated to RAF Germany and issued to 80 Squadron at Laarbruch, it then served with 17 Squadron at Wildenrath, 80 Squadron (again), 13 Squadron at Akrotiri, 31 Squadron at Larrbruch, returning to the UK to join 58 Squadron at Wyton, the Station Flight at Wyton and finally 13 Squadron again who had returned to Wyton. Withdrawn from flying duties in 1981, it moved to Coltishall in December and was allocated 8728M. However it was recalled to flying duties in February 1982 and flown to Bedford to be a trials aircraft with the Royal Aircraft Establishment. Withdrawn from flying again in February 1985, WT532 was stored until moved to No.2 SoTT at Cosford in April 1986 as 8890M (not carried). Surplus to their requirements, the airframe was sold to Lovaux Ltd for scrap in October 1991 and moved by road to their site at Bournemouth in April 1992 for spares recovery. Donated to the Airport Fire Section in June 1994, it survived the next five years by only being slightly scorched. It's fuselage was donated to the Museum in the Summer of 1999 enabling the cockpit section to be restored by the volunteers for display purposes.

Canberra at the Museum (credit Mark Shepherd)

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