CANBERRA PR7 WT532 (nose section)
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A highly successful British design which, along with the Hawker Hunter, was built in large numbers during the 1950's and 1960's achieving worldwide sales. Designed during 1945 as a high altitude bomber powered by two Rolls-Royce Avon jet engines, the Canberra was built by English Electric Aircraft at Preston. The prototype flew from Warton in May 1949, and was ordered in large numbers for the RAF as the Canberra B.2. It was a success from the start, and many overseas sales were achieved. The highest accolade came in March 1951 when the Canberra was selected by the USAF, with production being undertaken in the United States by Martin as the B-57. With a load of 6,000lb in bombs, and a crew of three, the Canberra B.2 entered service with the RAF in May 1951, being followed three years later by the improved B.6. The last version to remain in RAF service was the B.(1).8 night intruder bomber which was withdrawn from RAF Germany in June 1972. A total of 1,376 Canberras were built, including 403 in the United States and forty in Australia, and this total was represented by twenty seven different variants.
As well as a RAF bomber, large numbers of Canberras were ordered for photo reconassance duties, the first of a number of versions being the P.R.3, which entered service at Wyton in December 1952. These were followed by the P.R.7 and then by the much improved P.R-9. All versions had greater range, were unarmed, carried seven cameras under the fuselage, and the P.R.9 had an increased wing area, plus more powerful Avons, which gave it a much greater operational ceiling. To ease production, the P.R.9 was built by Short Bros at Belfast, entering service in January 1960, and it still remains in RAF service at the start of the 21st Century.
Other versions of the Canberra used by the RAF and the Royal Navy were specialised trainers and target tugs, as well as test and trials aircraft used by many experimental establishments such as Boscombe Down and Farnborough. All versions of the Canberra were operated by air forces worldwide, many being ex RAF aircraft which were rebuilt by English Electric/British Aircraft Corp during the 1970/80's.
WT532 was built by English Electric in 1955 as one of a large number of P.R.7's, and delivered to the RAF in September. Initially allocated to RAF Germany and issued to 80 Squadron at Laarbruch, it then served with 17 Sqd at Wildenrath, 80 Sqd (again), 13 Sqd at Akrotiri, 31 Sqd back at Laarbruch, returning to the UK to join 58 Sqd at Wyton, the Station Flight at Wyton and finally 13 Sqd 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 RAE. 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, it 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. Its fuselage was donated to Bournemouth Aviation Museum in summer of 1999 so that its cockpit section could be restored for display.