CANBERRA – B.2/T.17 – WJ565

WJ565 was the second production aircraft built under contract 6/Acft/5943/CB6(b) placed in October 1950 for 100 B.2s (only 75 of this contract were actually built). Ready for collection on 31 March 1953, WJ565 was taken onto the charge of Controller (Aircraft) and sent, on 9 April 1953, to A&AEE to undertake bombing trials. It stayed with A&AEE for a year before being dispatched, on 19 April 1954, to the Boulton Paul works at Defford where it was used in trial installations of the BP gunpack – this equipment later to be used by B(I)8s and B(I)6s. At an unknown date, WJ565 was returned to A&AEE.

Then it was converted to T.17 standard at Samlesbury, again date unknown, before being issued to the RAF for service with 360 Sqd. As 360 Sqd was formed at RAF Watton on 1 April 1966 and received its T.17s around the September of that year, WJ565’s conversion would have been circa 1964/5. It flew the ECM trainer role until February 1981 when it was transferred into storage at RAF St Athan. WJ565’s last flight, as “CL”, was on 2 November 1981, it had only 3509 hours on the airframe.

November 1985 saw this T.17 being allocated as a Ground Instructional Airframe, No 8871M, and issued to No 2 School of Technical Training where it stayed until offered for sale in September 1991. At the moment I have no history of it after that. It has been maintained in first-class condition and is now on show as a resident at the South Yorkshire Aircraft Museum Aeroventure Park.