Martin B-57E Super CanberraThe Martin B-57 Canberra is an American-built, twin jet tactical bomber and reconnaissance aircraft that entered service with the United States Air Force (USAF) in 1953. The B-57 is a license-built version of the British English Electric Canberra manufactured by the Glenn L. Martin Company. Initial Martin build models were similar to their British built counterparts; Martin later modified the design to incorporate larger quantities of US-sourced components and produced the aircraft in several different variants, the primary distinction being the tandem cockpit they used.
The B-57 Canberra holds the distinction of being the first jet bomber in U.S. service to drop bombs during combat. The Canberra was used extensively during the Vietnam War in a bombing capacity; dedicated versions of the type were also produced and served as high-altitude aerial reconnaissance platforms (the Martin RB-57D Canberra), and as electronic warfare aircraft. The B-57 Canberra was also sold to export customers abroad, further combat use was seen by the Pakistani Air Force during the Second Kashmir War and the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971.
In 1983, the USAF opted to retire the type; the B-57 Canberra's retirement marked the ending of the era of the tactical bomber.
After the Martin XB-51 lost the fly-off competition to the English Electric Canberra, Martin was selected to build the Canberra (designated B-57) under license. The Martin Company offered a new blended design that incorporated the top characteristics of both the Canberra and the XB-51 - Martin designated the proposed design, the B-51B Super Canberra. The configuration featured swept wings with embedded engine nacelles, and the signature T-tail of the XB-51. The primary feature that would provide outstanding performance, would be the two afterburning engines that generated 17,000 lb. of thrust. Documents provided to the Air Force declared that the Super Canberra could be operational by 1954. The USAF was interested in gaining a faster version of the Canberra and gave Martin the go-ahead. Martin responded by undertaking extensive testing to redesign the wings and tail of the standard B-57, going from a broad straight wing design to swept wings and tail.
The result was the B-57E, as the USAF designated it. It featured twin J79 engines (11,905 lbf (52.96 kN) dry; 17,835 lbf (79.33 kN) with afterburner), equipped with afterburners which propelled the aircraft with a full bomb load to Mach 1.5 at altitude. Because of the thinness of the wing (6%), there was no room for conventional undercarriage and so a bicycle one was adopted. Initial plans had called for a rearward facing twin 20mm cannon remote controlled turret but this was discarded as impractical. A “T” tail was adopted to get the tail planes out of the jet wash. Equipped with advanced radar bombing equipment in the nose, the Super Canberra was capable of carrying a bomb load of approximately 4,500 lb (2,000 kg) in bomb bay, including free fall nuclear bombs at approximately 50,000 feet (15240 metres) for approximately 950 miles (825 nm, 1,530 km).
Operationally, the Super Canberra was used in the last two years of the war in Vietnam, flying high over the North Vietnamese defences. It took part in Operation Linebacker II and successfully bombed Hanoi and Haiphong several times without loss.
The ModelThe model combines elements of four kits. The fuselage is from the 1/72 Italeri B-57, with a Blackbird Models, “Patricia-Lynne” resin nose and the tail is from a 1/144 Academy DC-9, with extra skinning to increase it's chord. The wings and engines come from an A-Model Yak-28 kit, with extended wing tips and roots. It depicts an aircraft from the 442 CCTS 1st TFW, in SEAC camouflage in 1972.
