English Electric Canberra - Survivor WH876
B.2(mod) WH876 - Boscombe Down Aviation Collection, Old Sarum airfield, Wiltshire
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Canberra B.2(mod) WH876 at Boscombe Down Aviation Collection, 6th June 2017; Richard E Flagg
Ready for collection in October 1953, this B.2 was taken into RAF charge with 115 Sqd, newly reformed with Canberras in January 1954 at RAF Marham. Between then and September 1960 she was transferred onto 207 Sqd (also at Marham) and 73 Sqd in Akrotiri. WH876 was transferred to the charge of the Ministry of Aircraft in September 1960 where she stayed until being flown to Shorts Brothers, Belfast. There she was converted into a Mk U.14 radio-controlled aircraft. She first flew in this configuration on 10 September 1961.
WH876, in U.14 configuration, was used as a pilotless drone target by 728B Squadron. This was a Royal Navy squadron, at Hal Far, Malta, who flew these target drone Canberras on guided missile trials (Seacat and Seaslug). WH876 was numbered "595" whilst with the RN. The Canberras, six of them, were painted all-over white with wide black bands around the outer part of the wings. The navy only managed to shoot down one of the six - WH921 ("590") - brought down by a missile fired by HMS Girdle Ness on 6 October 1961. Having survived the Navy(!), WH876 returned to the UK in December 1961 where she was put into store at Pershore.
During 1963, WH876 was re-worked as a B.2 with the removal of the radio control equipment and joined the Bomber Maritime Test Squadron at the A&AEE in March 1964. It was used mostly for target towing although, by 1971, an in-flight refueling nose probe had been fitted for dry tests - this was never a "wet" system. In the mid-1970s, WH876 was carrying out ejector seat tests with the A&AEE at Boscombe Down having replaced WJ638 which had been used previously. She remained at Boscombe until she was transferred to Martin Baker at Chalgrove in mid-1985 to carry out work on parachute trials.
Returning to Boscombe Down in 1988, WH876 was put into storage again and was finally dismantled there in 1990. Thankfully, the cockpit section was saved and went on display at the Boscombe Down Aviation Collection by 1994 where she still remains today, undercover and well looked after.
WH876, in U.14 configuration, was used as a pilotless drone target by 728B Squadron. This was a Royal Navy squadron, at Hal Far, Malta, who flew these target drone Canberras on guided missile trials (Seacat and Seaslug). WH876 was numbered "595" whilst with the RN. The Canberras, six of them, were painted all-over white with wide black bands around the outer part of the wings. The navy only managed to shoot down one of the six - WH921 ("590") - brought down by a missile fired by HMS Girdle Ness on 6 October 1961. Having survived the Navy(!), WH876 returned to the UK in December 1961 where she was put into store at Pershore.
During 1963, WH876 was re-worked as a B.2 with the removal of the radio control equipment and joined the Bomber Maritime Test Squadron at the A&AEE in March 1964. It was used mostly for target towing although, by 1971, an in-flight refueling nose probe had been fitted for dry tests - this was never a "wet" system. In the mid-1970s, WH876 was carrying out ejector seat tests with the A&AEE at Boscombe Down having replaced WJ638 which had been used previously. She remained at Boscombe until she was transferred to Martin Baker at Chalgrove in mid-1985 to carry out work on parachute trials.
Returning to Boscombe Down in 1988, WH876 was put into storage again and was finally dismantled there in 1990. Thankfully, the cockpit section was saved and went on display at the Boscombe Down Aviation Collection by 1994 where she still remains today, undercover and well looked after.
Information on this page current as of 14/11/2021, last updated by Jake |
Find other photos of WH876 on the following sites:
Air-Britain - Airliners.net - Airplane-Pictures.net - flickr.com - WorldAirPics.com - JetPhotos.net - PlanePictures.net