CANBERRA – B(I)8 – XM279

B(I)8 – XM279

The nose, starboard side, at the Norfolk & Suffolk Air Museum (Photo : Les Bywaters)	At the Norfolk & Suffolk Air Museum, July 1999 (Photo : Les Bywaters)
“In-service” photo below. To the best of my knowledge, this is the ONLY bit of a B(I)8 accessible to the public in the UK. Awaiting collection at English Electric Co, Preston, on 26 March 1959, XM279 entered service with 16 Sqd at RAFG Laarbruch. Not much is known about this B(I)8 except that it was transferred to 3 Sqd at RAFG Geilenkirchen at some time in early 1965. There is a picture of this B(I)8 flying as part of a 3-ship formation on the B(I)8 Gallery page. Eventually it arrived at RAF St Athan, as did most B(I)8s, and was declared Non-Effective Aircraft on 16 May 1972. The aircraft was sold to Marshalls of Cambridge on 19 March 1974 – one week short of its 15th birthday in RAF service! The intention was that XM279 would be converted to B(I)68 standard for Peru as part of an 11 aircraft contract (the seventh such contract) placed in June 1973. However, it seems to have slipped through the net and was actually broken up for spares by Marshalls for the same Peru contract. It was during this period (the breaking-up) that XM279’s nose seems to have been released for sale to the public. The nose was obtained by the South Yorkshire Aviation Museum in 1982 and was later acquired by Ian Hancock to add to his growing collection of aircraft at the Norfolk and Sufolk Aviation Museum, Flixton. I visited XM279 in July 1999 and found it as shown in the photos. It sits in company with many of Ian’s collection including an ex-3 Sqd T.4, WH840. Any help would be gratefully accepted by Ian Hancock, c/o the Norfolk & Suffolk Aviation Museum, Flixton.
XM279, 3 Sqn, taxiing in at Khormaksar in 1964 after the long trip from RAFG Geilenkirchen, Germany. Note the black underside, large white serial and basic 3 Sqn crest on fin. (Photo : Ray Deacon )