English Electric Canberra - Survivor XM279
B(I).8 XM279 - Norfolk & Suffolk Aviation Museum, Flixton, Norfolk
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Canberra B(I).8 XM279 at Flixton, 2017; Les Woodward
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 she was transferred to 3 Sqd at RAFG Geilenkirchen at some time in early 1965. Eventually she arrived at RAF St Athan, as did most B(I).8s, and was declared a Non-Effective Aircraft on 16 May 1972.
The aircraft was sold to Marshalls of Cambridge on 19 March 1974 - one week short of her 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, she 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 Suffolk Aviation Museum, Flixton.
The aircraft was sold to Marshalls of Cambridge on 19 March 1974 - one week short of her 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, she 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 Suffolk Aviation Museum, Flixton.
Information on this page current as of 01/07/2021, last updated by Jake |
Find other photos of XM279 on the following sites:
Air-Britain - Airliners.net - Airplane-Pictures.net - flickr.com - WorldAirPics.com - JetPhotos.net - PlanePictures.net