When you consider, that the service ceiling of a Canberra was already 55,000 ft, and with modification the the B57F took that to 63000 ft, whilst still being able to cruise at 400 knots, at high altitude, itself the plane was remarkable. By the time you added other modifications, the plane was outstanding in every respect, and role - probably no more so than interdiction. The enhanced RB57F with the even larger wing, and slightly modified turbofan engines, allowed the aircraft to cruise comfortably at 68,000 ft + depending on air density. And it could still do this with two crew members, cameras, night vision, and and extra fuel pods! The British modified the Canberra during nuclear testing, in order to sample the air at high altitude, so they fitted a larger modified wing and rocket motors which allowed it to soar between 60 - 70,000 feet for short periods. Being able to fly at that altitude in the RB57F, and at that speed, only 2000 feet or so lower than the U2, was an incredible achievement by the US Air Force, and if it wasn't for it's large radar cross section, which would have have been very visible on enemy radar, Kelly Johnson probably needn't have designed the U2. But obviously that's a big if, and and the Canberra wasn't capable of overflying Enemy Territory, even at extreme altitude, without showing up brightly on radars, so the U2 was a necessity. Even so, the RB57f, could still fly 130 knots faster than the U2 at that altitude. Even with the smaller wing, in the interdiction role, it was able to Comfortably fly at 50,000 feet, which was some way out of the range of ground to air rockets at the time, and immune to enemy searchlight - for the most part anyway. However, by the 60s, with missiles improving the way that they were, the B57 would have been a shooting duck at any altitude or speed. It became deadly as a ground attack aircraft with rocket salvos, and machine gun fire, laying down cover for ground support, as a medium bomber, able to carry two 10,000lb bunker busters, and still manoeuver and fight it's out of a tussle with a Mig. Mini we used as magnesium and napalm pellet drops which devastated certain infrastructures and enemy installations. A truly great and versatile aircraft, and served its purpose well.
Yowzza ! Just realized that the last few minutes of this episode have freight train running by in the background , I am certain that is the only Vietnam War era footage I have seen of a freight train . Incredible !
Saw these birds coming in and out of DaNang. Impressive aircraft. The guys who flew 'em were in love with 'em. As pointed out in this video, the cartridge start system was capable of making one think that a mortar attack was going on, especially when four or five of them were lighting the wick at the same time !!! The rotary weapons bay was a Godsend to the armorers. Nice, quick turn-around time with less ball-busting work.
The first British airliner I ever boarded was the BAC111 that was flown out of SYR by American Airlines on the way to Chicago with a stop at Buffalo, NY. It used the cartridge start, which was a little disturbing. Worse was the very loud worm and screw assembly for the flaps. I would also mention the VERY loud thud when the landing gear retracted. Well. It got me there
LASL used one of these at the NTS to take samples with wing tip sample collectors during weapons testing there in 1957=59. I was liaison between LASL and the AEC during these flights. Paul Guthals was the second seater and health physics expert. they once knocked down a 100 foot tower by flying too close.
I am puzzled how they can say this was the first foreign aircraft the USA used since WW1. In WW2, the Americans used Supermarine Spitfires and DeHavilland Mosquitoes.
I think they mean specifically ordered for production. The Spits and Mossies in US Service in WW2 were mainly "Extras" the RAF had lying around that the US used before replacing them later on.
Things have sure changed since then. X-15's, Valkarie, Blackbirds, F-14, F-15, F-16, Raptors. They even walked on the fucking moon. Left everyone else in the world decades behind.
@@novanhippie7048 The Mossi was probably the best all round aircraft of WW2, and knocked spots off the closest American rival. Since the Mustang was based on a British spec for a long range Spitfire the role requirement of the Spit vs Mustang was very different, but knowing someone who flys both (he one of the Shuttleworth collection's pilots btw) who says the Spit is the better handling of the pair, but the pilot needs to be more aware as it will bite you and being a short range interceptor fighter did not have the legs or the predictable handling and comfort of the Mustang.
The Martin B-57B was a fine redesign of the post WWII British bomber, but with its 7300 lb payload (4500 lb internal and 2800 lb external) and 598 mph top speed it was outperformed by the much smaller, more maneuverable Douglas A-4 Skyhawk that was both faster and capable of carrying a heavier ordinance war load. It is a complement to Ed Heinemann that the A-4 is still in service today.
NASA still uses these for their extreme high altitude. Imagine a plane designed in the 40s, when trains were steam powered and jet engine had just been invented is still kicking and has no replacement.
derek It was NOT designed in the 40's !!!! DUUUH!!!! the NASA version has a different LONGER wing and different engines, similiar but NOT the same !!!! !
26:19: bottom of the frame is a man in white - one of the airport workers at Glenn Martin about a millisecond from his death. And there were some injuries too (along with the pilot's death of course).
The Canberra was not the only foreign military aircraft the American Military has purchased since World War One as this film states. The USAAF purchased and operated quite a few DeHavlind Mosquitos during the Second World War as well. There just wasn't any American aircraft available that could match the Mossie, not of its type or capabilities anyway. The USAAF mostly used them in Special Operations in support of OSS operations and agents deep within occupied territories including Germany itself. As the Mosquito was the fastest aircraft of any country or type of aircraft, including fighters, until the Me 262 jet fighter became operational the would often use the Mosquito to support OSS agents and teams doing things like dropping them into their target areas, resupply, and flying set patterns at prearranged times to listen for the agents radio broadcasts to receive their reports and issue orders. The OSS agents radio's were very low in power and more directional than ordinary radio's to ensure the agents transmissions wouldn't be intercepted and the agents located and caught to the greatest degree possible. The low power meant the Germans would almost have to be on top of them to detect them as the low powered signal didn't have a very big range. The aircraft though knowing transmission schedules and locations would be able to receive their signals clearly being in the air above them in the general areas. The missiles speeds meant that especially at night when it usually operated in this role it gave it a good margin of safety. But even in daylight operations operating normally in combat for the British it proved to suffer the fewest losses of any bomber type during the war by a good margin, this despite the fact the Mosquito was used for the most risky bombing and attack missions usually at tree top levels without fighter protection of any kind. The Mossie was the best light/medium bomber of the war, able to carry the same bomb loads as the B17 Flying Fortressat speeds faster than any fighter, greater than 400 Knots, with a crew of two instead of ten and it's only protection being it's speed as it had no defensive guns. Not bad at all for an Aircraft the RAF Command said they had no use for and had ordered Mr Dehavilind to cease all development/production. Fortunately for England Mr DeHavlind ignored the RAF Brass and began full production on his own dime. When asked about this by senior engineers he told them " Oh they want the Mosquito, they just don't know they want it yet." But unfortunately for England Mr Frank Whittle wasn't rich like DeHavlind was so in the late twenties early thirties when the same RAF Command told Whittle the Turbo Jet engine had no future in aviation and cut all funding when canceling any further development and work, whittle was unable to finance it on his own even though he knew they were very wrong. He published his early work in obscure engineering and aviation trade publications which Mr Willy Merscherschmidt eagerly read a couple of years later. These articles led directly to the Me262 eventually. If the RAF Command would have had foresight and vision and continued development the RAF would have slaughtered the He111s Me109s, and other piston German Aircraft in the skies over France and England in 1939 and 1940 with at least 3rd generation jet fighters, possibly even 4th gen fighters changing the course of history. But who knows really.
The USAAF operated the Beaufighter in the Med as a Night fighter until the P-61 was ready. They also operated a number of British trainers and light transports in 1942-45 under what was known as reverse lend lease. The US Army also used Horsa Gliders on D-Day. The people who put the brakes on Whittle were the Royal Aircraft Establishment who didn't have the money or resources to develop a Jet engine in the early 1930s , plus the metals required to build a Jet didn't exist and wouldn't exist in the UK until the very late 1930s.
James M the USAF never purchased a single shitfire or Mosquito, they were given because RAF did NOT have pilots to fly them !!!! Mosquito was the fastest BOMBER, not the fastes plane, many fighters were faster, P47 p51 P38 F4U F6F etc Few Mk's could break 400 MPH yet many fighters did !!!! Mosquito as designed carried 4 500# bombs 2,000 # and a special 4,000# cookie was developed to fit the bomb bay and a B17 G most produced model of B17 at 8500 carried 6,000# bombs for 2,000 miles USAF figures !!! ! You fukin Limeus sure like to lie and try to Bullshit people !! !But not me !!!!
@@wilburfinnigan2142 Your correct in the comment that the USA didn't buy the aircraft but the USAAF did operated a number of British types in WW2 on what was known as reverse lend lease (just as most of the US aircraft used by the British after 1941 were actually on loan). Types operated Airspeed Oxford. USAAF got 132 aircraft DH89 Dominie Miles Master Percival Proctor Boulton Paul Defiant TT Mk 3 Westland Lysander DH Tiger Moth Avro Anson Hawker Hurricane Were all used in second line support and training roles by USAAF units in England until the end of the war or until its US equivalents became available in 1943/44 after the allies won the Battle of the Atlantic. Spitfire Mk 5 was used in the Fighter and Reconnaissance role in the UK and the Med until late 1943 when they were replaced by the P47 Spitfire Mk 9 was used for photographic reconnaissance until the end of the European war. The Bristol Beaufighter was used as a Night Fighter until mid 1944 and the Mosquito was like wise operated in that role until the end of the war to make up for the shortfall of P61's. Plus the fact that the P61 wasn't operational in Europe until mid 1944. Mosquito was used for reconnaissance until the end of the war because it was a better aircraft than the Lockheed F5 Lightning at that role.
@@richardvernon317 You also missed the fact that over 500 of the Mustang photo recon planes were used also of the various models of the Mustangs !!! The Brits even borrowed some of the MkI & MKII versions, the Allison engined version from the USAAF for their long range missions, it was a back and forth borrowing as planes and pilots were available !!!! NOT just one way !!! Brits received 38,000 aircraft from the USA in WW II !!!!!!!
A truly great aircraft, we in the uk carried on using it until about 15 years ago, the crazy thing was that with all it’s upgrades it had received over the years the basic airframe was still relevant and at altitude could still out turn most modern fighters, we used it in its later years as a reconnaissance aircraft but as I said the crazy thing was when it was retired there was nothing on the market that could fill the gap, same thing with the Nimrods, they where often requested in preference over the AWACS for search and surveillance duties even in Afghanistan due to its unique properties and high tech equipment no other nations could match but again it was an old airframe and retired before a replacement was in hand, both of the above have now thankfully have updated new aircraft that do the job but for a while there was about a 10 year gap where we had to rely on other NATO assets
Outmanoeuvring a fighter is no good when it can hack you down with a missile!!!! The Canberra's manoeuvrability was a very useful asset when the threat was a fighter armed only with cannons. By 1970 with the advent of long range air to air missiles it was a sitting duck.
Interestingly, the Avro Vulcan, in computer simulations, has been shown to be capable of "out-dogfighting" an F15 at very high altitude. Something to do with comparative wing loadings at high altitude.
@@colinkepple7555 Means nothing if you can't shoot back. Standard Canberra's were shot down by manned fighters in the 1950's with ease. The RAF lost a Canberra over Syria in 1956 at 48,000 feet to three Syrian Meteor F Mk 8!!! In 1959 the Indian air force lost a Canberra to a pair of PAF F-86's. Fighters operate as a pair as standard, while your Canberra or Vulcan is out turning a Fighter at one angle, the fighter's buddy comes in at another angle and hoses the target down. The only Canberra's that avoided interception during that period were a few Specials that could get much higher (mainly 6 very modified RB-57A's of the USAF and ROC air force who flew overflights of Eastern Europe and mainland China until the U-2 came on line. In fact one of the ROC AF Canberra's became the first aircraft to be shot down by a SAM in history (SA-2 missile over china in 1959). The exploits of the very high altitude RB-57A's in the mid 1950s were still classified when this film was made, so they were not mentioned.
It was a starter cartridge, which was designed to allow the aircraft to operate in primitive forward bases without needing aux power unites. The engines themselves did not smoke, it was only for a minute or so on the ground while the turbines were spooling up. I lived on base maybe 1/8 miles from the flight-line and it always looked like a plane had crashed with the smoke coming over the hangers. I see a lot of comments insisting the Brit version did not use the starter cartridge, I don't know. I do know that the US installed larger engines to reach higher altitudes.
"It was the first foreign aircraft to be bought by the Air Force, since WWI." The "Air Force" wasn't around until 1947. "The Great War" was over in 1918. Loocy, you have some 'splainin' to do! steve
@@petermoeller5901, US forces had LOTS of aircraft before 1947. Until then the branch of service, was called the US Army. The US Air Force, wasn't removed from the Army, until 1947. The same day the Air Force was separated from the Army, the CIA and NSA were formed, and by the same bill. steve
So, the B-57 was used in Vietnam during the war? I never say a single B-57 and I was in a lot of ground combat where CAS and B-52 strikes were vital to our survival.
RB-57s were AFAIK, not the strike variants. This show is nice, but has more than a few errors. Like calling the B-57 a fighter/bomber at the very start, when it was a light/medium bomber.
Intreresting but spoilt by the commentary, did Tom Hair take any notice of the name. N.b. Canberra could reach 21,000 metres altitude (70,000 feet) carry a nuclear payload without the crew in a space suit (borrowed for the Mercury astronauts). Very underestimated plane, looks evil in black.
Originally, it WAS a Brit plane but were eventually converted from the metric and were built by Martin in the US. It was definitely Brit design and was a damned good one.
Wilbur Finnigan that’s called licence building it’s still a British plane , if ur still saying it’s American then wot if Britain licence built f-16, then by ur logic it would be A British plane
Icarus Airways yes, haven't you heard of them? They were launched out of the wing and went up into the sky and blew up clouds. It wasn't until some time later, that someone spun the rockets through 90° on their pods, so that when they launched they went down and not up, and blew up ground targets, that they became known as air to ground. 😉☺️
They conviently forget to mention that in 1957 the English Electric Canberra set a atlitude record of 70,310 feet. Also the British one had several PR varients with extended nose, and was reporteldy better even then the U2 when fitted with the same cameras.
@@differentname8051 WRONG WRONG ALL Fuking WRONG !!!The Canberra was ORIGINALLY a British built plane....BUT the USA had a license to built the Airframe and engines in the USA as the B57 !!!!!! US military does NOT use foreign Built military hardware !!!!!!
Wilbur Finnigan alright don't spit your drink out. I think what they meant is, that it was a British designed aircraft originally, that's all. Obviously the documentary explains that it was built under licence and modified by the US Air Force, you don't have to be an idiot to know that. Don't jump down people's throats when they're stating an opinion that's not a million miles away from fact. The world knows you are a patriot, but personally, I'm a patriot of the world. I was born in Connecticut, live in Britain, and love both my country, and my other country as well.
One of the reasons the US bought the B57, and not the more advanced B51, was then President Harry Truman hated Glenn Martin and vowed Martin would never be allowed to build an aircraft of its own design as long as he was President.
I think the main reason was that the B51 was under-powered, overweight and had unpleasant flying characteristics, rather than a grudge. Harry Truman disliked the British and reneged on a number of WW2 commitments with regard to mutual transfer of technology. If he was inclined to put personal prejudice over national need, he would probably never have agreed to license build the Canberra.
@@chrisknight6884; This may come as a surprise to you, but the aircraft you claim to be under powered and overweight, the B51, was 63 MPH faster than the B57, (645pmh verses 582mph) . I don't know if Truman disliked the British, but he HATED Glenn Martin. The only reason Martin got the contract for the B57 was they had the ability to produce it fast because they now had excess capacity because the B51 had been cancelled. Given time the B51 might have been a great aircraft, but Truman was not willing to give Martin anything but a bad time. It all started during WWII when then Senator Harry Truman got into a screaming match with Glenn Martin over B26 production. Truman demanded the B26 be redesigned to make it safer for inexperienced pilots, and Glenn Martin told him that Martin had a signed contract to make B26s, and Truman could pound sand.
@A Twinspark; yes, but when Truman and Martin got into their argument, Truman was NOT Martin's customer, Hap Arnold was. At the time there were 531 Congressmen, and it would have been impossible to please every one of them. Martin had no idea that Roosevelt would drop Henry Wallace off the ticket in 1944, and put a rude Senator from Missouri named Harry Truman on the ticket as Vice President. Martin also had no idea that Roosevelt would die at his mistresses' home not long after starting his 4th term, making Truman the 33rd President.
That's not how you pronounce Canberra. Most of the background "music" is raucous, intolerable and inappropriate. Very fine looking aircraft though, sleek.
Neil Laidlaw Frank Whittle made his first blueprint in 1921 whilst at Cranwell. That's incredible, even if it couldn't have been built at the time without out better metallurgy and understanding of materials.
For goodness sake ..... it is NOT Can-bear-a! the name is pronounced Can-bra. Two syllables, not three. Ask the Australians, after all the aircraft was named after their capital city.
Quite simple really- like camera, only with a b. An aboriginal word for "meeting place" I believe. It's just annoying hearing the narrator mispronounce the name over and over and over again.
@reverse thrust A Yabbie is a small fresh water crustacean native to Australia. A type of crayfish. It's a bottom feeder in every sense of the word, but tastes nice in a lemon butter sauce!
if the USA buys British tech then it must be good. But also Britain understands quality and we gladly buy USA products. Trump is a bitter pill i can see that . but when a country is ill it takes a strong pill and it tastes nasty but it WILL DO YOU GUYS GOOD. It is in Britain,s interests that the USA remains strong. Come on guys you saved us twice we don't forget!
You, sir, are of the minor opinion. Many have come to my sight asking about the music in the Great Planes series. myplace.frontier.com/~usnraptor/Great_Planes
When you consider, that the service ceiling of a Canberra was already 55,000 ft, and with modification the the B57F took that to 63000 ft, whilst still being able to cruise at 400 knots, at high altitude, itself the plane was remarkable.
By the time you added other modifications, the plane was outstanding in every respect, and role - probably no more so than interdiction.
The enhanced RB57F with the even larger wing, and slightly modified turbofan engines, allowed the aircraft to cruise comfortably at 68,000 ft + depending on air density. And it could still do this with two crew members, cameras, night vision, and and extra fuel pods!
The British modified the Canberra during nuclear testing, in order to sample the air at high altitude, so they fitted a larger modified wing and rocket motors which allowed it to soar between 60 - 70,000 feet for short periods.
Being able to fly at that altitude in the RB57F, and at that speed, only 2000 feet or so lower than the U2, was an incredible achievement by the US Air Force, and if it wasn't for it's large radar cross section, which would have have been very visible on enemy radar, Kelly Johnson probably needn't have designed the U2.
But obviously that's a big if, and and the Canberra wasn't capable of overflying Enemy Territory, even at extreme altitude, without showing up brightly on radars, so the U2 was a necessity. Even so, the RB57f, could still fly 130 knots faster than the U2 at that altitude.
Even with the smaller wing, in the interdiction role, it was able to Comfortably fly at 50,000 feet, which was some way out of the range of ground to air rockets at the time, and immune to enemy searchlight - for the most part anyway. However, by the 60s, with missiles improving the way that they were, the B57 would have been a shooting duck at any altitude or speed.
It became deadly as a ground attack aircraft with rocket salvos, and machine gun fire, laying down cover for ground support, as a medium bomber, able to carry two 10,000lb bunker busters, and still manoeuver and fight it's out of a tussle with a Mig. Mini we used as magnesium and napalm pellet drops which devastated certain infrastructures and enemy installations.
A truly great and versatile aircraft, and served its purpose well.
And the British B(I)8 was designed to toss bomb tactical nukes! A role it served up until 1972.
I miss Wings....
Thank you for presenting the second narration of this very great episode of Wings. Much appreciated.
A handsome vintage jet - a true classic !
Yowzza ! Just realized that the last few minutes of this episode have freight train running by in the background , I am certain that is the only Vietnam War era footage I have seen of a freight train . Incredible !
I love the music
Amazing how Discovery Network has changed since 😞 BTW. Listening to the music track at apx 40:00 makes me think of Miami Vice 😉
At Fort Bliss Redeye gunner school (1968), a B-57 flew over us on the deck, then pulled up and did a loop right over us. Quite a plane.
Saw these birds coming in and out of DaNang. Impressive aircraft. The guys who flew 'em were in love with 'em. As pointed out in this video, the cartridge start system was capable of making one think that a mortar attack was going on, especially when four or five of them were lighting the wick at the same time !!!
The rotary weapons bay was a Godsend to the armorers. Nice, quick turn-around time with less ball-busting work.
Ve Wheel: iN 1953 The Vulcan repeatedly did rolls at low level until told to stop
You are a blessed Patriot to have experienced this. Soooooo jealous. ✈
Thanks for posting.. My father was a crew chief on one at Edward's afb in the early 70's..
I work on RB57 at Stewart afb Newburgh NY 1961 1964
The first British airliner I ever boarded was the BAC111 that was flown out of SYR by American Airlines on the way to Chicago with a stop at Buffalo, NY. It used the cartridge start, which was a little disturbing. Worse was the very loud worm and screw assembly for the flaps. I would also mention the VERY loud thud when the landing gear retracted. Well. It got me there
Twin aft jets with a "T" tail? What year was this experience for you? I wish I could have seen a cartridge start jet. Thanks for sharing.
@@elijahhansen6657 very standard conformation. Little h=jet pods slung close to the wing. The cartridge was most defined by a LOT of black smoke.
I am proud my country's air force used these B-57 bombers
And here's Phil again!
LASL used one of these at the NTS to take samples with wing tip sample collectors during weapons testing there in 1957=59. I was liaison between LASL and the AEC during these flights. Paul Guthals was the second seater and health physics expert. they once knocked down a 100 foot tower by flying too close.
Royal Australian Air Force was the first foreign buyer/builder hence the Canberra name. Canberra is our capital city/swamp.
I remember the Australian Air Force B57's at NAS Agana Guam during early Vietnam. Neat cartridge start.
The plane was called the Canberra before it was bought and built under licence by the Australians
Not really a swamp, more like a waste of good real estate for raising sheep.
@@michaelwood9766 .
What's a B 57 ?
I am puzzled how they can say this was the first foreign aircraft the USA used since WW1.
In WW2, the Americans used Supermarine Spitfires and DeHavilland Mosquitoes.
They are refering to good aircraft.
I think they mean specifically ordered for production. The Spits and Mossies in US Service in WW2 were mainly "Extras" the RAF had lying around that the US used before replacing them later on.
Things have sure changed since then. X-15's, Valkarie, Blackbirds, F-14, F-15, F-16, Raptors. They even walked on the fucking moon. Left everyone else in the world decades behind.
LOL another misled member of the mighty Evil Empire.@@chopchop7938
@@novanhippie7048 The Mossi was probably the best all round aircraft of WW2, and knocked spots off the closest American rival. Since the Mustang was based on a British spec for a long range Spitfire the role requirement of the Spit vs Mustang was very different, but knowing someone who flys both (he one of the Shuttleworth collection's pilots btw) who says the Spit is the better handling of the pair, but the pilot needs to be more aware as it will bite you and being a short range interceptor fighter did not have the legs or the predictable handling and comfort of the Mustang.
1988. Of course. I can tell from the background music, lol.
It's like I'm listening to Top Gun bomber edition
Wow , ! the G model was a tour de’ force .
thx Phil
You're Welcome 🙂
Thanks phil cipher
The Martin B-57B was a fine redesign of the post WWII British bomber, but with its 7300 lb payload (4500 lb internal and 2800 lb external) and 598 mph top speed it was outperformed by the much smaller, more maneuverable Douglas A-4 Skyhawk that was both faster and capable of carrying a heavier ordinance war load. It is a complement to Ed Heinemann that the A-4 is still in service today.
NASA still uses these for their extreme high altitude. Imagine a plane designed in the 40s, when trains were steam powered and jet engine had just been invented is still kicking and has no replacement.
derek It was NOT designed in the 40's !!!! DUUUH!!!! the NASA version has a different LONGER wing and different engines, similiar but NOT the same !!!! !
@@wilburfinnigan2142 Actualky the core airframe is 1940's. Just as Boeing pretend the 737 MAX is all new but has the 1960's design in its airframe.
Don't worry about Wontbur/ Sore Arse Tractor, he's got rabid anti British fetish! He makes the odd good point, otherwise ignore his rants.
26:19: bottom of the frame is a man in white - one of the airport workers at Glenn Martin about a millisecond from his death. And there were some injuries too (along with the pilot's death of course).
It’s 100% English Electric & Handley Page. And it was actually named after our capital city Canberra 🇦🇺
It looks cool
First jet crossing of the Atlantic.
The Canberra was not the only foreign military aircraft the American Military has purchased since World War One as this film states. The USAAF purchased and operated quite a few DeHavlind Mosquitos during the Second World War as well. There just wasn't any American aircraft available that could match the Mossie, not of its type or capabilities anyway. The USAAF mostly used them in Special Operations in support of OSS operations and agents deep within occupied territories including Germany itself. As the Mosquito was the fastest aircraft of any country or type of aircraft, including fighters, until the Me 262 jet fighter became operational the would often use the Mosquito to support OSS agents and teams doing things like dropping them into their target areas, resupply, and flying set patterns at prearranged times to listen for the agents radio broadcasts to receive their reports and issue orders. The OSS agents radio's were very low in power and more directional than ordinary radio's to ensure the agents transmissions wouldn't be intercepted and the agents located and caught to the greatest degree possible. The low power meant the Germans would almost have to be on top of them to detect them as the low powered signal didn't have a very big range. The aircraft though knowing transmission schedules and locations would be able to receive their signals clearly being in the air above them in the general areas. The missiles speeds meant that especially at night when it usually operated in this role it gave it a good margin of safety. But even in daylight operations operating normally in combat for the British it proved to suffer the fewest losses of any bomber type during the war by a good margin, this despite the fact the Mosquito was used for the most risky bombing and attack missions usually at tree top levels without fighter protection of any kind. The Mossie was the best light/medium bomber of the war, able to carry the same bomb loads as the B17 Flying Fortressat speeds faster than any fighter, greater than 400 Knots, with a crew of two instead of ten and it's only protection being it's speed as it had no defensive guns. Not bad at all for an Aircraft the RAF Command said they had no use for and had ordered Mr Dehavilind to cease all development/production. Fortunately for England Mr DeHavlind ignored the RAF Brass and began full production on his own dime. When asked about this by senior engineers he told them " Oh they want the Mosquito, they just don't know they want it yet." But unfortunately for England Mr Frank Whittle wasn't rich like DeHavlind was so in the late twenties early thirties when the same RAF Command told Whittle the Turbo Jet engine had no future in aviation and cut all funding when canceling any further development and work, whittle was unable to finance it on his own even though he knew they were very wrong. He published his early work in obscure engineering and aviation trade publications which Mr Willy Merscherschmidt eagerly read a couple of years later. These articles led directly to the Me262 eventually. If the RAF Command would have had foresight and vision and continued development the RAF would have slaughtered the He111s Me109s, and other piston German Aircraft in the skies over France and England in 1939 and 1940 with at least 3rd generation jet fighters, possibly even 4th gen fighters changing the course of history. But who knows really.
The USAAF operated the Beaufighter in the Med as a Night fighter until the P-61 was ready. They also operated a number of British trainers and light transports in 1942-45 under what was known as reverse lend lease. The US Army also used Horsa Gliders on D-Day. The people who put the brakes on Whittle were the Royal Aircraft Establishment who didn't have the money or resources to develop a Jet engine in the early 1930s , plus the metals required to build a Jet didn't exist and wouldn't exist in the UK until the very late 1930s.
James M the USAF never purchased a single shitfire or Mosquito, they were given because RAF did NOT have pilots to fly them !!!! Mosquito was the fastest BOMBER, not the fastes plane, many fighters were faster, P47 p51 P38 F4U F6F etc Few Mk's could break 400 MPH yet many fighters did !!!! Mosquito as designed carried 4 500# bombs 2,000 # and a special 4,000# cookie was developed to fit the bomb bay and a B17 G most produced model of B17 at 8500 carried 6,000# bombs for 2,000 miles USAF figures !!! ! You fukin Limeus sure like to lie and try to Bullshit people !! !But not me !!!!
@@wilburfinnigan2142 Your correct in the comment that the USA didn't buy the aircraft but the USAAF did operated a number of British types in WW2 on what was known as reverse lend lease (just as most of the US aircraft used by the British after 1941 were actually on loan).
Types operated
Airspeed Oxford. USAAF got 132 aircraft
DH89 Dominie
Miles Master
Percival Proctor
Boulton Paul Defiant TT Mk 3
Westland Lysander
DH Tiger Moth
Avro Anson
Hawker Hurricane
Were all used in second line support and training roles by USAAF units in England until the end of the war or until its US equivalents became available in 1943/44 after the allies won the Battle of the Atlantic.
Spitfire Mk 5 was used in the Fighter and Reconnaissance role in the UK and the Med until late 1943 when they were replaced by the P47
Spitfire Mk 9 was used for photographic reconnaissance until the end of the European war.
The Bristol Beaufighter was used as a Night Fighter until mid 1944 and the Mosquito was like wise operated in that role until the end of the war to make up for the shortfall of P61's. Plus the fact that the P61 wasn't operational in Europe until mid 1944.
Mosquito was used for reconnaissance until the end of the war because it was a better aircraft than the Lockheed F5 Lightning at that role.
@@richardvernon317 You also missed the fact that over 500 of the Mustang photo recon planes were used also of the various models of the Mustangs !!! The Brits even borrowed some of the MkI & MKII versions, the Allison engined version from the USAAF for their long range missions, it was a back and forth borrowing as planes and pilots were available !!!! NOT just one way !!! Brits received 38,000 aircraft from the USA in WW II !!!!!!!
Take off in the Martin B-57 can *berra*
A truly great aircraft, we in the uk carried on using it until about 15 years ago, the crazy thing was that with all it’s upgrades it had received over the years the basic airframe was still relevant and at altitude could still out turn most modern fighters, we used it in its later years as a reconnaissance aircraft but as I said the crazy thing was when it was retired there was nothing on the market that could fill the gap, same thing with the Nimrods, they where often requested in preference over the AWACS for search and surveillance duties even in Afghanistan due to its unique properties and high tech equipment no other nations could match but again it was an old airframe and retired before a replacement was in hand, both of the above have now thankfully have updated new aircraft that do the job but for a while there was about a 10 year gap where we had to rely on other NATO assets
Outmanoeuvring a fighter is no good when it can hack you down with a missile!!!! The Canberra's manoeuvrability was a very useful asset when the threat was a fighter armed only with cannons. By 1970 with the advent of long range air to air missiles it was a sitting duck.
Interestingly, the Avro Vulcan, in computer simulations, has been shown to be capable of "out-dogfighting" an F15 at very high altitude. Something to do with comparative wing loadings at high altitude.
@@colinkepple7555 Means nothing if you can't shoot back. Standard Canberra's were shot down by manned fighters in the 1950's with ease. The RAF lost a Canberra over Syria in 1956 at 48,000 feet to three Syrian Meteor F Mk 8!!! In 1959 the Indian air force lost a Canberra to a pair of PAF F-86's. Fighters operate as a pair as standard, while your Canberra or Vulcan is out turning a Fighter at one angle, the fighter's buddy comes in at another angle and hoses the target down. The only Canberra's that avoided interception during that period were a few Specials that could get much higher (mainly 6 very modified RB-57A's of the USAF and ROC air force who flew overflights of Eastern Europe and mainland China until the U-2 came on line. In fact one of the ROC AF Canberra's became the first aircraft to be shot down by a SAM in history (SA-2 missile over china in 1959). The exploits of the very high altitude RB-57A's in the mid 1950s were still classified when this film was made, so they were not mentioned.
Look at the smoke that thing puts out! You don't need radar to see that piece coming!
@ Chp Chop. All early jet engines smoked badly. Educate yourself.
It was a starter cartridge, which was designed to allow the aircraft to operate in primitive forward bases without needing aux power unites. The engines themselves did not smoke, it was only for a minute or so on the ground while the turbines were spooling up. I lived on base maybe 1/8 miles from the flight-line and it always looked like a plane had crashed with the smoke coming over the hangers. I see a lot of comments insisting the Brit version did not use the starter cartridge, I don't know. I do know that the US installed larger engines to reach higher altitudes.
It was a jet-age replacement for the Mosquito. The B26 was not in it.
Oops. Didn’t Watch enough of the video before commenting. Apologies to the producers
cool
The B-57 fulfilled its tactical attack role just fine. Another deHavilland aircraft used by the US forces in Vietnam was the Caribou transport.
Beavers too! (L-20/U-6A). Very rugged STOL.
Actually the Canadian Beaver and Otter were also used in South East Asia.
I didn't know Gomez Addams did a stint in the Army.
I 'm not the only one😁
As per usual.. Its a great American achievement ! (with British components).
Need I say more ?
Well I mean it was a british plane n licence built by Martin , unless ur being sarcastic or sumin In ur comment I can’t tell
How do I identify what base/units B57s were attached to?
Classified domain of wing raider .
RTX voice is working HARD to get rid of the horrible audio pops in this recording.
The original is always the better.
I didnt know it was call the Canbera
It is not a Can-BERRA. The correct pronunciation is CAN-berra.
If you're in Australia, it's CANbrah
How did it get the Martin monicker ??
neddy they were built by martin for the USAF !!!! DUUUUHH!!!!!!
why didn't they pace the engines closer to the centerline. That would have made it more stable in an engine out situation.
Say can-bear-ra again, I double dare you.
We had the B 57s in Japan during the Korean war
"It was the first foreign aircraft to be bought
by the Air Force, since WWI."
The "Air Force" wasn't around until 1947.
"The Great War" was over in 1918.
Loocy, you have some 'splainin' to do!
steve
I don't get it?
@@Lotus14S2 , there was no "Air Force" until
1947.
steve
@@petermoeller5901, US forces had LOTS of aircraft before 1947.
Until then the branch of service, was called the US Army.
The US Air Force, wasn't removed from the Army, until 1947.
The same day the Air Force was separated from the Army,
the CIA and NSA were formed, and by the same bill.
steve
So, the B-57 was used in Vietnam during the war? I never say a single B-57 and I was in a lot of ground combat where CAS and B-52 strikes were vital to our survival.
First I knew as well but didn't get there until 7/67.
RB-57s were AFAIK, not the strike variants.
This show is nice, but has more than a few errors. Like calling the B-57 a fighter/bomber at the very start, when it was a light/medium bomber.
Used in Da Nang by the 8th and were then using wingtip tanks too. 1962-1966
@@normansilver905 Thank you. I was not in Vietnam until 1968.
Intreresting but spoilt by the commentary, did Tom Hair take any notice of the name. N.b. Canberra could reach 21,000 metres altitude (70,000 feet) carry a nuclear payload without the crew in a space suit (borrowed for the Mercury astronauts). Very underestimated plane, looks evil in black.
RAAF had some too
@Major Disaster yes and the RAAF Canberra's performed admirably in Vietnam alongside the US ones.
And NZ
10:30 I was unaware the Washington administration had persisted into the 1950s. I'm sure this would come as a great surprise to George Washington.
Hpld on, it's a Brit bird, not U.S.
John No it was built in the USA by Martin aircraft !!!
British design, The USAF ones were built in the US.
The program is talking about the B-57
Originally, it WAS a Brit plane but were eventually converted from the metric and were built by Martin in the US. It was definitely Brit design and was a damned good one.
Wilbur Finnigan that’s called licence building it’s still a British plane , if ur still saying it’s American then wot if Britain licence built f-16, then by ur logic it would be A British plane
5:20 is that Gomez?
Ground to air unguided rockets?
Icarus Airways yes, haven't you heard of them? They were launched out of the wing and went up into the sky and blew up clouds.
It wasn't until some time later, that someone spun the rockets through 90° on their pods, so that when they launched they went down and not up, and blew up ground targets, that they became known as air to ground.
😉☺️
One has to Love those old docs where only the music was cheesy!
They conviently forget to mention that in 1957 the English Electric Canberra set a atlitude record of 70,310 feet. Also the British one had several PR varients with extended nose, and was reporteldy better even then the U2 when fitted with the same cameras.
ciao
The narrators pronunciation of Canberra is grating, there is no 'Bear' in the word!
Nce documentary, I just wish the narrator could have pronounced Canberra properly.
I always thought it was a Canadian made plane.
thelncong NOPE !!! Made in the USA !!!!!
@@wilburfinnigan2142 nope made in Britain
@@differentname8051 WRONG WRONG ALL Fuking WRONG !!!The Canberra was ORIGINALLY a British built plane....BUT the USA had a license to built the Airframe and engines in the USA as the B57 !!!!!! US military does NOT use foreign Built military hardware !!!!!!
Wilbur Finnigan alright don't spit your drink out. I think what they meant is, that it was a British designed aircraft originally, that's all.
Obviously the documentary explains that it was built under licence and modified by the US Air Force, you don't have to be an idiot to know that. Don't jump down people's throats when they're stating an opinion that's not a million miles away from fact.
The world knows you are a patriot, but personally, I'm a patriot of the world. I was born in Connecticut, live in Britain, and love both my country, and my other country as well.
I came here from playing war thunder
A B57 Hanna Barberra🤪
One of the reasons the US bought the B57, and not the more advanced B51, was then President Harry Truman hated Glenn Martin and vowed Martin would never be allowed to build an aircraft of its own design as long as he was President.
I think the main reason was that the B51 was under-powered, overweight and had unpleasant flying characteristics, rather than a grudge. Harry Truman disliked the British and reneged on a number of WW2 commitments with regard to mutual transfer of technology. If he was inclined to put personal prejudice over national need, he would probably never have agreed to license build the Canberra.
@@chrisknight6884; This may come as a surprise to you, but the aircraft you claim to be under powered and overweight, the B51, was 63 MPH faster than the B57, (645pmh verses 582mph) . I don't know if Truman disliked the British, but he HATED Glenn Martin. The only reason Martin got the contract for the B57 was they had the ability to produce it fast because they now had excess capacity because the B51 had been cancelled. Given time the B51 might have been a great aircraft, but Truman was not willing to give Martin anything but a bad time. It all started during WWII when then Senator Harry Truman got into a screaming match with Glenn Martin over B26 production. Truman demanded the B26 be redesigned to make it safer for inexperienced pilots, and Glenn Martin told him that Martin had a signed contract to make B26s, and Truman could pound sand.
@A Twinspark; yes, but when Truman and Martin got into their argument, Truman was NOT Martin's customer, Hap Arnold was. At the time there were 531 Congressmen, and it would have been impossible to please every one of them. Martin had no idea that Roosevelt would drop Henry Wallace off the ticket in 1944, and put a rude Senator from Missouri named Harry Truman on the ticket as Vice President. Martin also had no idea that Roosevelt would die at his mistresses' home not long after starting his 4th term, making Truman the 33rd President.
Can-ber-a ffs.
I was thinking exactly the same thing throughout 😂
Caan-bera lol
Tim Gooding _____ He says it like the baseball player Yogi Berra.
Just as well it wasn't christened Worcester
did the US use the Caribou
They did. BTW, that's a Canuck aircraft...
That's not how you pronounce Canberra. Most of the background "music" is raucous, intolerable and inappropriate. Very fine looking aircraft though, sleek.
Yes, the music is irritating.
You... Know that Wings is a show from the 1980's... Yes?
Air brakes on a P-51???. What's up with that???. Maybe a A-36 !!!.
I think he said B-51 [actually XB-51], though it did sound like P-51
mistake it was not made in 1906 they had no jet engines then 1960 would have been closer
Jet engines First was 1939 which flew second was Whittles 1941
Neil Laidlaw Frank Whittle made his first blueprint in 1921 whilst at Cranwell. That's incredible, even if it couldn't have been built at the time without out better metallurgy and understanding of materials.
not martin, English electric
The program is talking about the B-57...get it?
And they make fine washing machines.
Chauvinism personified. It was an English Electric License built by Martin
For goodness sake ..... it is NOT Can-bear-a! the name is pronounced Can-bra. Two syllables, not three. Ask the Australians, after all the aircraft was named after their capital city.
Quite right. Spent a few years there, fishing for yabbies in Lake Burley Griffin. "A yabbie will swim a mile for a turd".
Americans really bugger up simple pronunciations of many words..
@@shebbs1 Kookaburra anyone? :0
Quite simple really- like camera, only with a b. An aboriginal word for "meeting place" I believe.
It's just annoying hearing the narrator mispronounce the name over and over and over again.
@reverse thrust A Yabbie is a small fresh water crustacean native to Australia. A type of crayfish. It's a bottom feeder in every sense of the word, but tastes nice in a lemon butter sauce!
No nose wheel steering on that beast. Typical British engineering.
"Landing with one engine out could lead to a write off of the aircraft"... Screw that what about the crew?
It’s pronounced Can-bra.
What the Fuck is a CANBEARA.. Its a CANBERRA
Could do without the racket.
the only since ww1? bolllocks the Spitfire and Beaufighter were both bought by the USAACand fought in both europe and Africa,
so much ignorance.....
I forgot they bought the De Havilland Mosquito as well..
The b57 lol why is the b52 bigger than the b 57 lol
Stats because dum ass the B52 was built before the B57...has nothing to do with the size !!! Geeeeeese !!!
Wilbur Finnigan what have geese got to do with anything,?
if the USA buys British tech then it must be good.
But also Britain understands quality and we gladly buy USA products.
Trump is a bitter pill i can see that .
but when a country is ill it takes a strong pill and it tastes nasty but it WILL DO YOU GUYS GOOD.
It is in Britain,s interests that the USA remains strong.
Come on guys you saved us twice we don't forget!
An interesting documentary but made nearly unwatchable by the repetitive and totally unnecessary 'music' (if one can call it that).
You, sir, are of the minor opinion. Many have come to my sight asking about the music in the Great Planes series. myplace.frontier.com/~usnraptor/Great_Planes
@@USNRaptor Only those for whom Danger Zone by Kenny Loggins is the ultimate in musical experiences!