CANBERRA MK 20 AS USED IN VIETNAM BY 2 SQN 1

ENGINES: 2x Rolls-Royce/CAC Avon Mk. 1 engines, 6,500 lb thrust, or 2x Avon Mk.109 turbines of 7,500 lb thrust

DIMENSIONS:

  • SPAN: 64 ft 0 in / 19.5 m.
  • LENGTH: 65 ft 6 in / 19.96 m.
  • HEIGHT: 15 ft 7 in / 4.75 m.

PERFORMANCE (Avon 109s):

  • MAX. SPEED: 504 kts / 933 kph
  • NORMAL CRUISE: 380 kts / 703 kph
  • OPERATIONAL CEILING: 45,000 ft / 13,716 m.
  • INITIAL CLIMB: 4,200 ft. / 1,280 m.per min
  • MAX. FERRY RANGE: 3,154 n.m. / 5,841 km.
  • RADIUS OF ACTION (4500 lb bomb load): 984 nm / 2,060 km

WEIGHTS:

  • EMPTY WEIGHT: 25,400 lb / 11,521 kg
  • MAX. LOADED: 50,000 lb / 22,680 kg

CREW: 2 (Pilot and navigator/bomb aimer)

FUEL TANKS: Three tanks in the main fuselage and inside both wings as well (bladder type tanks). If the Canberra were on a long flight, wingtip tanks could also be fitted. Note the two wingtip tanks, fitted to the U.S. B-57's.

3d b57 fuel tank.jpg - 50kb

ARMAMENT:

  • Max. bomb load 8,000 lb / 3629 kg. Typical Vietnam load 6x 750 lb / 340 kg. bombs, four in bomb bay and one below each wingtip.
  • On the wingtips - the bomb pylons were mounted to the wingtip fuel tank fixtures.
  • The bomb bays were roughly about three feet behind the Navigator's ejection seat. See photo below showing a Canberra releasing it's load. Note the underside of the fuselage - you can see the front and part of the bottom of the bomb bay door.
  • NO DEFENCE WEAPONRY AT ALL, not even ECM.

3d canberra bombing.jpg - 103kb

EJECTION SEATS:

  • Seating was in tandem - Navigator behind the Pilot with the Navigator's instrument panel between the two of them.
  • The ejection seats were Martin Baker's and were fitted with barometric devices, that automatically separated the crewman from the seat at (by memory of Jim Drever) approx. 12,200 feet.
  • Ejection seats were "fired" manually.
  • It is not possible to say with any certainty if the ejection mechanism would have malfunctioned after the "explosion" as it would have depended on the placement and severity of the "hit." But having said that, if a part of the aircraft other than the cockpit took the force of the explosion, it is reasonable to assume that one or both airmen would have still been able to eject.
  • Sequence for ejection was predetermined, navigator then pilot. The Pilot would have instructed the Navigator, using the words "EJECT, EJECT, EJECT", after which the Pilot would bang out.

AVIONICS

  • Mk. 4, Ground Position Indicator (G.P.I.), showing LATITUDE and LONGDITUDE and the Mk. 1 Air Position Indicator (A.P.I.)
  • F 52 Aerial Camera.
  • Tactical Air Navigation (TACAN) azimuth indicator. Not sure of manufacturer's name.
  • Green Satin 'Doppler' Radar for groundspeed and drift (wind effect).
1 Thanks to Mr Jim Drever for his assistance in assembling this detail and for providing the photographs to illustrate his points.