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English Electric Canberra PR.9
English Electric · Tactical Reconnaissance · UK · Early Jet (1946–1969)
The English Electric Canberra is a British first-generation, jet-powered medium bomber. It was developed by English Electric during the mid- to late 1940s in response to a 1944 Air Ministry requirement for a successor to the wartime de Havilland Mosquito fast bomber. Among the performance requirements for the type was an outstanding high-altitude bombing capability and high speed. These were partly accomplished by making use of newly developed jet-propulsion technology. When the Canberra was introduced to service with the Royal Air Force (RAF), the type's first operator, in May 1951, it became the service's first jet-powered bomber.
Specifications
- Category
- Fixed Wing
- Sub-Category
- Reconnaissance
- Domain
- Defence
- Era
- Early Jet (1946–1969)
- Country
- UK
- Manufacturer
- English Electric
- Co-Manufacturer
- Short Brothers
- Operator
- UK
- Primary Role
- Tactical Reconnaissance
- Status
- Retired
- Service Entry
- 1960
- Produced
- 23
- Propulsion
- Turbojet
- Engine
- 2x Rolls-Royce Avon 206 turbojets
- Thrust / Power
- 11,250 lbf each
- Launch
- Ground
- Length (ft)
- 66.8
- Wingspan (ft)
- 67.6
- Empty Weight (lb)
- 28500
- MTOW (lb)
- 55000
- Payload (lb)
- 6000
- Endurance (hr)
- 5
- Service Ceiling (ft)
- 58000
- Range (mi)
- 3630
- Max Speed (mph)
- 580
- Max Speed (Mach)
- 0.87
- Armament
- Guns: 4 × 20 mm Hispano Mk.V cannon mounted in rear bomb bay (500 rounds/gun), or 2 × 0.30 in (7.62 mm) machine gun pods; Bombs: Total of 8,000 lb (3,628 kg) of payload can be mounted inside the internal bomb bay and on two underwing hardpoints, with the ability to carry a variety of bombs.; Typically, the internal bomb bay can hold up to 9 × 500 lb (227 kg) bombs, or 6 × 1,000 lb (454 kg) bombs…