English Electric Canberra - Survivor WF922
PR.3 WF922 - Midland Air Museum, Baginton, Warwickshire
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Canberra PR.3 WF922 at Midland Air Museum, 14th May 2022; Jake Wallace
This is an interesting Canberra, one of only two PR.3s left, and with quite a diverse career. She entered service in 1953 with 82 Sqn and for the next few years was owned variously by 58 Sqn, 69 Sqn, and 39 Sqn. She went to the Ministry of Aircraft who placed it with Boulton Paul at Seighford for modifications. In 1963 she was transferred to Marshalls of Cambridge for Trials Installations and flight trials of survey cameras.
In 1967 she was at 15 MU (RAF Wroughton) before transferring to the Aircraft & Armament Experimental Establishment, Boscombe Down in 1968. While at A&AEE, WF922 was engaged in trials of Lindholme gear for use on the PR.9 in the Near East Air Force. In 1969, still at A&AEE, she had more camera mods carried out and also was fitted with a Sperry vertical gyro for evaluation trials.
1970 saw WF922 at the Radar Research Establishment where she underwent an overhaul with further new photo equipment being fitted in 1971. Eventually, she was sold back to BAC and flown to Marshalls of Cambridge and reportedly broken up - but in actual fact she was just dismantled, and soon acquired by the Midland Air Museum at Coventry Airport.
After arriving at the museum in the 1980s, restoration work began with rewiring and safety checks before powering her up once more, and she still has working systems to this day thanks to the efforts of a few dedicated volunteers led by one ex-Canberra man. WF922 was also treated to a repaint a few years ago, but that hasn't lasted all that well, with it flaking in several areas, and the green fading badly. and the airframe remains in very good condition, although sadly the canopy perspex has clouded quite badly as with most aircraft that sit outside with no canopy cover.
In 1967 she was at 15 MU (RAF Wroughton) before transferring to the Aircraft & Armament Experimental Establishment, Boscombe Down in 1968. While at A&AEE, WF922 was engaged in trials of Lindholme gear for use on the PR.9 in the Near East Air Force. In 1969, still at A&AEE, she had more camera mods carried out and also was fitted with a Sperry vertical gyro for evaluation trials.
1970 saw WF922 at the Radar Research Establishment where she underwent an overhaul with further new photo equipment being fitted in 1971. Eventually, she was sold back to BAC and flown to Marshalls of Cambridge and reportedly broken up - but in actual fact she was just dismantled, and soon acquired by the Midland Air Museum at Coventry Airport.
After arriving at the museum in the 1980s, restoration work began with rewiring and safety checks before powering her up once more, and she still has working systems to this day thanks to the efforts of a few dedicated volunteers led by one ex-Canberra man. WF922 was also treated to a repaint a few years ago, but that hasn't lasted all that well, with it flaking in several areas, and the green fading badly. and the airframe remains in very good condition, although sadly the canopy perspex has clouded quite badly as with most aircraft that sit outside with no canopy cover.
Information on this page current as of 16/05/2022, last updated by Jake |
Find other photos of WF922 on the following sites:
Air-Britain - Airliners.net - Airplane-Pictures.net - flickr.com - WorldAirPics.com - JetPhotos.net - PlanePictures.net