Black Box Canberras: British Test and Trials Canberras Since 1951 - Dave Forster

[phil gollin]

.

Another find on Amazon.co.uk ;

Black Box Canberras: British Test and Trials Canberras Since 1951

Hardcover

– 30 Sep 2016

by Dave Forster (Author)

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Black-Box-Canberras-British-Trials/dp/1902109538/ref=cm_wl_huc_item

English Electric's Canberra saw an unbroken 46 years of service in the UK as a test and trials aircraft from 1951 until final retirement in 1994. Flown by Government research establishments, military units and military defence contractors on a vast range of tasks, the versatile Canberra contributed to the development of aircraft engines, airborne radars, reconnaissance sensors, aircrew equipment, nuclear weapons, conventional armament, missiles and much more.

The Canberra was flown in particular as a platform for the majority of post-war UK-developed airborne interception radars, from AI.18 through AI.20, AI.23 and a number of experimental radars, to AI.24 Foxhunter and beyond.

Other projects covered included missile program; electro-optical sensors for the TSR-2 optical linescan; reconnaissance radars for the V-Force and the TSR.2's P.391 SLAR and the ASTOR SAR that led to the Sentinel R.1. The UK stealth program and the 'Rubber Duck' Canberra is examined as are Double Scorpion and Spectre rocket engines as well as aiming systems and the Q-band strike radar.

The huge variety of airframe modifications and color schemes of these special aircraft are fully illustrated making this an invaluable book for the aviation enthusiast, modeler and historian.

Hardcover: 228 pages

Publisher: Hikoki Publications (30 Sept. 2016)

Language: English

ISBN-10: 1902109538

ISBN-13: 978-1902109534

Product Dimensions: 21.1 x 1.3 x 29.7 cm

 

[CJGibson]

Black Box Canberras has gone to the printers and should be available by mid-November (hopefully at IPMS Telford)

Much is known and documented about the RAF service life of the English Electric Canberra, the first of Britain’s Cold War jet bombers. What is less well-known is that as soon as the Canberra bomber entered production in 1951, it was immediately pressed into service by the UK Ministry of Supply as a high-performance research and development trials aircraft.

Over the next four and a half decades, the Canberra was flown by secretive government research establishments and defence contractors on a huge range of equipment development trials, encompassing everything from engines and fuel systems, to nuclear weapons, guided missiles and radars.

Illustrated throughout with many previously-unpublished photographs and drawings, Black Box Canberras documents all the principal test and trials Canberras over the aircraft’s long service life. Aircraft modifications and development tasks are described in detail, providing a unique insight into a variety of defence projects, some well-known, others more secretive and obscure – such as the UK’s ‘stealth’ aircraft program and rocket engine trials. Each chapter covers a different area of technology, arranged in chronological order, revealing the vital role played by Canberra trials aircraft in the evolution of key British defence technologies, while appendices list the major users of trials Canberras and provide detailed lists of aircraft, projects and dates.

Dave has sourced some stunning images and sheds light on a number of programmes in which the Canberra played a key role.

 

[zen]

Fascinating and what a find! This is definitely going on the list of books to buy.

Interesting to note the work on seekers there.

Green Sparkler's ARH seeker and the GEC A5. The former Orange Cocktail being 16" diameter and the latter 12" with a Cassegrain dish.
Both are deeply intriguing for what they say about the effort to research these and what sort of conceptual missiles they were thinking of at the time.

 

[yellowaster]

The Orange Cocktail system was really an experimental proof of the twin-dish active CW seeker concept. I would not read too much into the antenna size as installed in the Canberra, as that used off-the-shelf equipment to expedite the installation. I assume that the final system would have been much slimmed-down to fit into a missile.

 

[zen]

Not necessarily an assumption that can be supported.

What system had a pre-existing 16" dish?

Bloodhound and Thunderbird at 20" diameter missiles, a 16" dish speaks of a inefficient mechanism for sweeping the dish around to loose some 4".

While a 12" dish is very much Red Dean/Red Hebe territory, it's not the John Forbat AAM size (8"), but certainly fits 'Family'.

Anyway we have in this a much tighter view on the development of the AI sets for Fighters and seekers for missiles as actually worked on.

Starting with the sheer scale of the delays in AI.18, let alone the developments what would have been a very high priority for F.155T aircraft.

Then we see the RRE's GEC FMCW effort from Oct 1957
Followed by GEC FMiCW effort, with dual band in 1962
Followed by the Elliot FMICW 1964 cancelled 1967

With this we see the effort behind OR.346 and AW.406 aircraft and gain some idea of just how much was to be done to realise any of these concepts.

An excellent book that gives us a good glimpse of the effort behind a lot of systems needed to realise the potential of various combat aircraft.

.....yes I got a copy recently.

 

[yellowaster]

The Orange Cocktail installation in the Canberra was an experimental proof-of-concept of an active CW homing system. It used a couple of 16-inch "modified Type 70 Scanners". Those must have come from some pre-existing system, as only equipment that has passed type approval gets a Type number. It's not been possible (so far) to determine what equipment a Type 70 scanner was associated with. (Any pointers welcome). However, looking at dates of closely numbered scanners (e.g. Type 68) it must be something that received approval late war/early post war. It also has to be something working on X-band with a 16-inch diameter dish. My best guess would be the Cloud & Collision Warning Radar (a couple of those scanners were used for the later experimental twin-dish CW AI in the Canberra) or, failing that, possibly some variant of AGLT.

 

[JFC Fuller]

I am surprised more has not been said about this wonderful book. Firstly it should be a must-have for any Canberra fans as it details the myriad of test activities the type undertook during it's long career and the modifications undertaken to allow those activities. On top of this there is reference to proposed but never implemented improvements to the type (such as the UK rotary bomb bay). More widely, as the Canberra was used in such a wide array of test activities and over such a long period of time this book touches on many of the topics that have appeared on this forum and in other works over the years ranging from rocket engines to EW & radar, even torpedoes get a mention.

Finally, its a high quality printing with a broad selection of images. I would highly recommend this to anyone with an interest in either the Canberra or UK post-war defence aerospace history.

 

[Foo Fighter]

Last I heard NASA had two in flight status and one being refurbished to restart flight service soon.

 

[newsdeskdan]

I am surprised more has not been said about this wonderful book. Firstly it should be a must-have for any Canberra fans as it details the myriad of test activities the type undertook during it's long career and the modifications undertaken to allow those activities. On top of this there is reference to proposed but never implemented improvements to the type (such as the UK rotary bomb bay). More widely, as the Canberra was used in such a wide array of test activities and over such a long period of time this book touches on many of the topics that have appeared on this forum and in other works over the years ranging from rocket engines to EW & radar, even torpedoes get a mention.

Finally, its a high quality printing with a broad selection of images. I would highly recommend this to anyone with an interest in either the Canberra or UK post-war defence aerospace history.

The Blue Envoy team have produced one great work after another and this is no exception. Even five years ago it seemed inconceivable that we would ever see such a well-produced and comprehensive work as this on the 'black box' Canberras. Dave Forster has done a fantastic job!

 

[CJGibson]

Yes, we do a rather good job.

Chris

 

[zen]

Just want to say it's a very good book and many thanks to those involved in producing it. Big thumbs up folks!

 

[Hood]

Currently reading this. I back JFC Fuller's recommendation, its worth it for the story of the Canberra's use in experimental work but also for the sheer number of other weapons and electronic programmes covered and their background context too. It's a very readable account despite being technical in content. There are the odd grammatical errors that have slipped through the editing process but generally this is a very well produced book and the photographs have excellent reproduction.
I'd rate this five stars (aka make room on your shelf!)

 

[pathology_doc]

More background snippets on AAM development, among other things. I see potential for some of this stuff to make its way into a revised BSP4 (yeah, I know, hopeless dreamer I am).

What more could I ask for? Drooly McDrool Drool Drool.