English Electric Canberra - Survivor WT532
PR.7 WT532 - Bournemouth Aviation Museum, Hurn, Dorset
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Canberra PR.7 WT532 at Hurn, 6th June 2022; Damien Burke
Built in 1955, this PR.7 was ready for collection in the September of that year. WT532 first went onto the charge of 80 Squadron which had been recently formed at RAFG Laarbruch (June 1955). She was temporarily seconded to 17 Squadron at RAFG Wahn but returned to 80 Squadron. Before 80 Squadron disbanded at RAFG Bruggen in 1969, WT532 was transferred to the charge of 13 Squadron then at RAF Luqa (Malta). A move back to Germany saw this PR.7 going "home" to join 31 Squadron at RAFG Laarbruch. On the move again and sometime before September 1970, WT532 transferred to 58 Squadron at RAF Wyton. This PR squadron disbanded at Wyton in 1970 and WT532 moved onto the Station Flight there.
In 1981, WT532 was allocated to Battle Damage Repair Flight at RAF Coltishall as 8728M but in 1982 she was reinstated as WT532 and transferred to the MoD(PE) at RAE Bedford. Her last flight (after 7285 hours) was in February 1985 after which she languished for a year. Finally, she was designated 8890M and allocated as a Ground Instructional airframe to No 2 School of Technical Training at RAF Cosford.
In 1991 she was put up for disposal and purchased by Lovaux for spares recovery, being transported to their site at Bournemouth Airport. After being stripped of anything useful she was given to the airport's fire section and was used by them for training until July 1999, when she was donated to the Bournemouth Aviation Museum. In relatively poor condition by this point, she was reduced to a cockpit section and that was restored to a state that allows public entry. The rear fuselage and the tail were removed and sold off as the restoration project proceeded. The cockpit has recently been repainted into her earlier scheme f grey over photo-reconnaissance blue.
In 1981, WT532 was allocated to Battle Damage Repair Flight at RAF Coltishall as 8728M but in 1982 she was reinstated as WT532 and transferred to the MoD(PE) at RAE Bedford. Her last flight (after 7285 hours) was in February 1985 after which she languished for a year. Finally, she was designated 8890M and allocated as a Ground Instructional airframe to No 2 School of Technical Training at RAF Cosford.
In 1991 she was put up for disposal and purchased by Lovaux for spares recovery, being transported to their site at Bournemouth Airport. After being stripped of anything useful she was given to the airport's fire section and was used by them for training until July 1999, when she was donated to the Bournemouth Aviation Museum. In relatively poor condition by this point, she was reduced to a cockpit section and that was restored to a state that allows public entry. The rear fuselage and the tail were removed and sold off as the restoration project proceeded. The cockpit has recently been repainted into her earlier scheme f grey over photo-reconnaissance blue.
Information on this page current as of 16/06/2022, last updated by Damien |
Find other photos of WT532 on the following sites:
Air-Britain - Airliners.net - Airplane-Pictures.net - flickr.com - WorldAirPics.com - JetPhotos.net - PlanePictures.net