B.64 – B-112

This T.4 was built by English Electric at Preston as WJ875. Ready for collection on Christmas Day 1954, it entered RAF Service with Station Flight at RAF Wyton. Not long after however, it was transferred to 230 Operational Conversion Unit (OCU). This started a round of transfers between 230 and 231 OCUs that lasted nearly 13 years.

WJ875 was sold to BAC on 27 March 1968 and chosen for conversion to B-64 standard for the Argentinian Air Force. One of two such T.4 conversions, WJ875 was delivered on 26 February 1971 to 1 Sqd of the Fuerza Aerea Argentina.

The excellent photograph (at top) by Juan Cicalesi, shows B-112 mounted in a flying attitude and looking in good condition at Parana, Entre Rios.

The series of three pictures (below) are also by Juan Cicalesi and show a B-64 (B-111) during start-up. Although the FAA fitted a compressed air starting system to their Canberras, the standard cartridge start for the Avons was retained for use where air-start ground equipment was not available. The typical black smoke from the cartridges is very evident, followed by a fair amount of white after-burn smoke.