User:BillCJ/Sandbox/General Dynamics RB-57F
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| RB-57F/WB-57F Canberra | |
|---|---|
 A WB-57F flies over the Gulf of Mexico near its base at NASA/JSC |
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| Type | Reconnaissance aircraft |
| Manufacturer | Martin |
| Status | Retired (2 still used by NASA) |
| Primary users | United States Air Force NASA |
| Developed from | B-57 Canberra |
The General Dynamics RB-57F and WB-57F were twin-engine jet reconnaissance aircraft (photographic and meteorological) which entered service in the 1950s. Originally based on the British English Electric Canberra, the US-built Martin B-57 Canberra had evolved into several unique variants, of which the RB/WB-57F models were the most modified.
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[edit] Development
At the outbreak of the Korean War in 1950, the United States Air Force found itself in dire need of an all-weather interdiction aircraft. The piston-engined Douglas A-26 Invaders were limited to daytime and fair weather operations and were in short supply. Thus, on 16 September 1950 the USAF issued a request for a jet-powered bomber with a top speed of 630 mph (1,020 km/h), ceiling of 40,000 feet (12,190 m), and range of 1,150 miles (1,850 km). Full all-weather capability and secondary reconnaissance role had to be included in the design. To expedite the process, only projects based on existing aircraft were considered. The contenders included the Martin XB-51, and the North American B-45 Tornado and AJ Savage. In an extremely rare move, foreign aircraft including the Canadian Avro Canada CF-100 Canuck and the British English Electric Canberra were also given consideration. The AJ and B-45 were quickly dismissed because their outdated designs had limited growth potential. The CF-100 was too small and lacked sufficient range. The XB-51, while very promising and much faster, had limited maneuverability, a small weapons bay, and limited range and endurance.
On 21 February 1951, a British Canberra B.2 became the first-ever jet to make a non-stop unrefuelled flight across the Atlantic Ocean, arriving in the United States for USAF evaluation. The Canberra emerged a clear winner of the 26 February flyoff against the XB-51. Since English Electric was unable to produce enough aircraft for both the RAF and the USAF, on 3 April 1951 Martin was granted the license to build Canberras, designated B-57 (Martin Model 272) in the US. To expedite production, the first B-57As were largely identical to the Canberra B.2s with the exception of more powerful Armstrong Siddeley Sapphire engines of 7,200 lbf (32 kN) of thrust, also license-built in the US as Wright J65s. In addition, canopy and fuselage windows were slightly revised, the crew was reduced from three to two, wingtip fuel tanks were added, engine nacelles were modified with additional cooling scoops, and the conventional "clamshell" bomb-bay doors were replaced with a low-drag rotating door originally designed for the XB-51.
The first production aircraft flew on 20 July 1953, and was accepted by USAF on 20 August. During the production run from 1953 to 1957, a total of 403 B-57s were built.
[edit] Variants
_061031-F-1234P-023.jpg/180px-General_Dynamics_WB-57F_Canberra_side_view_detail_(SN_63-13294)_061031-F-1234P-023.jpg)
- RB-57F
- High-altitude reconnaissance version developed by General Dynamics, TF33-P-11A turbofan engines with provision for auxiliary J60-P-9 turbojets, first flight 23 June 1963; 21 built (3 converted from RB-57As, 4 from RB-57Ds, the rest from B-57Bs).
- WB-57F
- Weather reconnaissance version.
- RB-57Fs used for high altitude atmospheric sampling in support of nuclear weapon testing and weather research. Two WB-57F aircraft were transferred to NASA and are the only WB-57s still flying in the world today.[1] They are used for atmospheric research and for monitoring Space Shuttle takeoff and landing.
[edit] Operators
- United States Air Force
- NASA
- NCAR/High Altitude Mapping Missions, Inc,[2]
[edit] Survivors
- WB-57F Weather reconnaissance
- 63-13293 Museum of Aviation Warner Robins AFB, Georgia [3]
- 61-13501 Pima Air & Space Museum Tucson, Arizona
[edit] Specifications (B-57B)
Data from Quest for Performance[4]
General characteristics
- Crew: 2
- Length: 65 ft 6 in (20.0 m)
- Wingspan: 64 ft 0 in (19.5 m)
- Height: 14 ft 10 in (4.52 m)
- Wing area: 960 ft² (89 m²)
- Empty weight: 27,090 lb (12,285 kg)
- Loaded weight: 40,345 lb (18,300 kg)
- Max takeoff weight: 53,720 lb (24,365 kg)
- Powerplant: 2× Wright J65-W-5 turbojets, 7,220 lbf (32.1 kN) each
- * Zero-lift drag coefficient: 0.0119
- Drag area: 11.45 ft² (1.06 m²)
- Aspect ratio: 4.27
Performance
- Maximum speed: Mach 0.79 (598 mph, 960 km/h) at 2,500 ft (760 m)
- Cruise speed: 476 mph (414 knots, 765 km/h)
- Stall speed: 124 mph (108 knots, 200 km/h)
- Combat radius: 950 mi (825 nm, 1,530 km) with 5,250 lb (2,380 kg) of bombs
- Ferry range: 2,720 mi (2,360 nm, 4,380 km)
- Service ceiling 45,100 ft (13,745 m)
- Rate of climb: 6,180 ft/min (31.4 m/s)
- Wing loading: 42 lb/ft² (205 kg/m²)
- Thrust/weight: 0.36
- Lift-to-drag ratio: 15.0
Armament
- Guns: 4× 20 mm (0.787 in) M39 cannon, 290 rounds/gun
- Bombs:
- 4,500 lb (2,000 kg) in bomb bay, including nuclear bombs
- 2,800 lb (1,300 kg) on four external hardpoints, including unguided rockets
Avionics
- APW-11 Bombing Air Radar Guidance System
- SHORAN bombing system
- APS-54 Radar Warning Receiver
[edit] See also
Related development
Comparable aircraft
Related lists
[edit] References
[edit] External links
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