THE ENGLISH ELECTRIC CANBERRA RECORDS
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During the first ten years the English Electric Canberra was hardly ever out of the newspapers as a record breaker. By 1958 this remarkable bomber had achieved no less than 19 flight records and three altitude records that had been officially recognised. There were a number of “unofficial” records that, without official observance, went unrecorded. In the table below, the speed given is the “average” speed in mph. |
FLIGHT RECORDS [POINT-TO-POINT]
|
Date |
Event |
Type |
Serial |
Time |
Crew |
Speed |
|
1951 |
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|
21 Feb |
Atlantic crossing – Aldergrove to Gander |
B.2 |
WD932 |
4h 37m |
SqdLdr A.Caillard, FltLt Haskett, FltLt A.Robson |
Unofficial |
|
31 Aug |
Atlantic crossing – Aldergrove to Gander |
B.2 |
WD940 |
4h 18m |
WgCmdr R.Beamont, DA Watson, R.Rylands |
481.12 |
|
1952 |
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|
18 Feb |
London/Tripoli |
B.2 |
WD962 |
2h 41m 49.5s |
SqdLdr L.Devigne, FltLt P.Hunt, |
538.12 |
|
26 Aug |
Atlantic double crossing – Aldergrove to Gander and back |
B.5 |
VX185 |
10h 3m 29s |
WgCdr R.Beamont, Peter Hillwood, Dennis Watson |
411.99 |
|
26 Aug |
Atlantic crossing – Gander to Aldergrove/ |
B.5 |
VX185 |
3h 25m 18s |
WgCdr R.Beamont, Peter Hillwood, Dennis Watson (?) |
605.52 |
|
25 Sept |
UK/Luqa (Malta) and back |
6h 5m |
AVM Dermot Boyle, FgOff R.Brownlow, Sgt T.Cramp |
Unofficial |
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|
28 Sept |
London/Nairobi |
B.2 |
WD987 |
9h 55m 16s |
WgCdr H.Connelly, SqdLdr D.Clare, ACM Sir Hugh Loyd |
427.3 |
|
1953 |
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|
27 Jan |
London/Karachi (en route on next item) |
PR.3 |
VX181 |
8h 52m 28s |
FltLt M Whittington, FltLt J.Brown |
441.8 |
|
27/28 Jan |
London/Darwin |
PR.3 |
VX181 |
22h 0m 21s |
FltLt M Whittington, FltLt J.Brown |
391.2 |
|
8 Oct |
London/Iraq (Basra), during NZ Air Race |
PR.3 |
WE139 |
5h 11m 5s |
FltLt R.Burton, FltLt D.Gannon |
554.3 |
|
8/9 Oct |
London/New Zealand Air Race |
PR.3 |
WE139 |
23h 50m 42s |
FltLt R.Burton, FltLt D.Gannon |
494.48 |
|
8/9 Oct |
London/Ceylon (Sri Lanka) |
PR.7 |
WH773 |
10h 25m 21s |
WgCdr L.Hodges, SqdLdr R.Currie |
519.5 |
|
17 Dec |
London/South Africa (Capetown) |
B.2 |
WH699 Aries IV |
12h 21m 3s |
WgCdr G.Petty, SqdLdr T.McGarry, SqdLdr J.raig |
486.6 |
|
19 Dec |
Capetown/London |
B.2 |
WH699 Aries IV |
13h 16m 25s |
WgCdr A.Humphrey, SqdLdr D.Bower, SqdLdr R.Powell |
452.8 |
|
1954 |
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|
14/15 Oct |
Norway/Canada. 1st British jet flight over the North Pole |
B.2 |
WH699 Aries IV |
6h 43m |
WgCdr A.Humphrey, SqdLdr D.Bower, FltLt F.Wood |
N/A |
|
1955 |
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|
28 Feb |
Scampton/Cyprus (Nicosia) |
4h 13m |
AVM J.Whitley |
Unofficial |
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|
28 June |
Ottawa/London |
B.2 |
WH699 Aries IV |
6h 42m 12s |
SqdLdr I.Broom |
496.82 |
|
23 Aug |
London/New York |
PR.7 |
Wt528 |
7h 29m 57s |
Capt J.Hackett, Peter Moneypenny |
461.12 |
|
23 Aug |
New York/London |
PR.7 |
WT528 |
6h 17m |
Capt J.Hackett, Peter Moneypenny |
550.35 |
|
23 Aug |
London/New York/London |
PR.7 |
WT528 |
14h 21m 45s |
Capt J.Hackett, Peter Moneypenny |
481.52 |
|
24 Oct |
Wyton/Khormaksar [58 Sqd Canberra] |
PR.7 |
WT504 |
7h 45m |
SqdLdr E.Holloway,FgOff Broom |
Unofficial |
|
1956 |
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|
16 Feb |
London/Cairo. |
B(I)8 |
WT329 |
3h 57m 19s |
Peter Hillwood, Dennis Watson |
551.8 |
|
1957 |
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|
25 May |
Tokyo/London |
PR.7 |
WT528 Aries V |
17h 42m 2s |
WgCdr W.Hoy, FltLt P.Lageson, FltLt J.Denis |
335.7 |
|
1958 |
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|
22 Feb |
Washington/Caracas [T.4 delivery] |
T.4 |
2E-39 |
4h 10m 59s |
Capt J.Hackett, Peter Moneypenny and FAV officer |
492.95 |
ALTITUDE RECORDS
|
1953 |
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|
4 May |
With Bristol Olympus engines |
B.2 |
WD952 |
63,668 ft |
W.F. Gibb |
|
|
1955 |
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|
29 Aug |
With Bristol Olympus engines |
B.2 |
WD952 |
65,890 ft |
W.F. Gibb |
|
|
1957 |
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|
28 Aug |
With Scorpion rocket motor |
B.2 |
WK163 |
70,310 ft |
Mike Randrup |
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