The Martin B-57 Canberra
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The Martin B-57 Canberra
The Martin B-57 Canberra was a twin jet engine, light bomber and reconnaissance aircraft (photographic, electronics, and meteorological) which entered service in the 1950s. Originally based on the British English Electric Canberra, the US-built B-57 had evolved into several unique variants. At the outbreak of the Korean War in 1950, the United States Air Force found itself in dire need of an all-weather interdiction aircraft. The piston-engined Douglas A-26 Invaders were limited to daytime and fair weather operations and were in short supply. Thus, on 16 September 1950 the USAF issued a request for a jet-powered bomber with a top speed of 630 mph (1,020 km/h), ceiling of 40,000 feet (12,190 m), and range of 1,150 miles (1,850 km). Full all-weather capability and secondary reconnaissance role had to be included in the design. To expedite the process, only projects based on existing aircraft were considered. The contenders included the Martin XB-51, and the North American B-45 Tornado and AJ Savage. In an extremely rare move, foreign aircraft including the Canadian Avro Canada CF-100 Canuck and the British English Electric Canberra were also given consideration. The AJ and B-45 were quickly dismissed because their outdated designs had limited growth potential. The CF-100 was too small and lacked sufficient range. The XB-51, while very promising and much faster, had limited maneuverability, a small weapons bay, and limited range and endurance. Performance * Maximum speed: Mach 0.79 (598 mph, 960 km/h) at 2,500 ft (760 m) * Cruise speed: 476 mph (414 knots, 765 km/h) * Stall speed: 124 mph (108 knots, 200 km/h) * Combat radius: 950 mi (825 nm, 1,530 km) with 5,250 lb (2,380 kg) of bombs * Ferry range: 2,720 mi (2,360 nm, 4,380 km) * Service ceiling 45,100 ft (13,745 m) * Rate of climb: 6,180 ft/min (31.4 m/s) * Wing loading: 42 lb/ft² (205 kg/m²) * Thrust/weight: 0.36 * Lift-to-drag ratio: 15.0
YouTube | January 14, 2009
