CANBERRA – B.20 – RAAF – A84-504

RAAF B.20 – A84-502

A84-502 – At an Air Training Corps facility, Sydney

(Photo : Ben Sampson/Classic Wings Downunder via Paul McCutcheon )

A84-502 – On display at Aviex 2000
(Photo : Paul McCutcheon )

Originally WT492, a T.4 trainer, this Canberra was built by English Electric at Preston in 1955 and sold to the RAAF as a Mk21 dual-control trainer, serial A84-502. It was delivered on 3 May 1956 to 1 (Bomber) Officer Conversion Unit (OCU) and served with the RAAF for 12 years. It was eventually allocated to Ground Instructional use at RAAF Waaga according to one source.

Daniel Leahy (Australian Canberra enthusiast) comments :

It was ‘reserialled’ Instructional Aircraft No 1 (This means it’s Canberra Instructional Aircraft No 1). This would have been while it was used as an instructional airframe at RAAF Base Wagga (this base has also been known as RAAF Forest Hill, but officially it’s RAAF Base Wagga). My guess is it was used there by RSTT (RAAF School of Technical Training I think – where they teach mechanics etc).

Classic Wings Downunder magazine gives it as being “recovered” by enthusiasts (HARS) from RAAF Forest Hills in 1989.

The Historic Aircraft Restoration Society own English Electric Canberra Mk.4 A84-502 (ex RAF W492). Paul McCutcheon reports that he does not know whether HARS intend to make A84-502 airworthy, however, as this group are renowned for getting the most difficult restoration projects into the air, it is a distinct possibility.