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Aviation History
1952
1952 - 0163.PDF
FLIGHT, 18 January 1952 7i One of the earliest "Flight" photo graphs of the original prototype Canberra 8.1 (two Rolls-Royce Avons) which made its first flight on Friday, May 13th, 1949, with VV/C. R. P. Reamont at the controls. BACKGROUND TO A BOMBER History, Design, Construction and Development of the Canberra ENGLISH ELECTRIC Canberra ! Though already three years old, it is a name which still grips the imagination; one, moreover, which is backed by a history dating from 1912, for in that year the Coventry Ordnance Works—later to become one of the components of the English Electric Group—produced a biplane for the officially sponsored Military Trials. With Dick, Kerr and Co., Ltd., of Preston, the Phoenix Dynamo Manufacturing Co., Ltd., of Bradford, Willans and Robinson, Ltd., of Rugby, and Siemens Dynamo Works, Stafford, the C.O.W. merged to form the English Electric Company. During the First World War the three first-named firms built landplanes and floatplanes to official designs; Willans and Robinson made aircraft engines, and Dick, Kerr and Co. and the Phoenix Dynamo Company between them were the largest manufacturers of flying-boats in the country. From their works came a variety of types ranging in weight from about 7,000 lb to more than 30,000 lb, notable among which was the Cork, of 85ft span, and powered with two Rolls-Royce Eagles or two Napier Lions. The Ayr, which was flying in the early post-war years, was unorthodox in having its lower wings formed as extensions of the hull; they were given a very sharp dihedral angle and provided lateral stability on the water. One of the better known and most successful of the early English Electric types was the Wren high-wing monoplane, which had an A.B.C. engine, nominally of 3 h.p., but developing 6-7 h.p. at 2,600 r.p.m. In 1926 English Electric closed down its aviation depart ment, but during the rearmament period preceding the out break of the last war the company approached the Govern ment with an offer of manufacturing facilities for aircraft at Preston, and in 1938 received a contract for Handley Page Hampdens. Later, Halifaxes were ordered, and in 1942 the company acquired control of D. Napier and Son, Ltd., of Acton. War-time production totalled 80 Hampdens and 2,920 Halifaxes. In post-war years the company has been building Vampires on behalf of the de Havilland Aircraft Co., Ltd., and the majority of all Vampires in service throughout the world are products of English Electric. Plans for the company's return to aircraft design, as well as production, were laid in 1945, when Mr. W. E. W. Petter, B.A., F.R.Ae.S., formerly technical director of Westland Aircraft, Ltd., was appointed chief engineer. The Canberra idea had begun to take shape in Mr. Petter's brain in 1944, and on joining English Electric he was enabled to gather round him a small team of very capable specialists to assist in bringing it to fruition. Initially a low-level attack machine had been envisaged, but a study of jet-bomber possibilities brought about a change in official views, and a design contract was finally placed with English Electric for a high- altitude aircraft to be powered by two Rolls-Royce Avon turbojets. For defence it was to rely on the excellence of its performance, not only in respect of speed, but altitude and manoeuvrability also. And so it was that the Canberra came into being. Interviewed by Flight during 1949, Mr. Petter explained that the technical solution was found to lie primarily in the right choice of wing. A light wing-loading, comparatively low aspect ratio, smooth structure and modest thickness/ chord ratio were deemed to be pre-requisites, and sweepback was found to be unnecessary at the Mach numbers attainable when carrying a useful military load with the thrust likely to be available from two Avons during the operational life of the aircraft. Throughout the development period extensive use was made of research and test equipment with which the English Electric design staff at Warton is well supplied. Especially valuable were the 9ft by 7ft wind tunnel, a high-speed tunnel and a large "cathedral-type" test frame—all located in a single building. The only detailed description of the Canberra which has been authorized applies to the original B.i, though later marks are essentially similar. The 64ft mid-positioned wing is of symmetrical, high-speed aerofoil section, and of single- spar construction. There is no conventional centre-section and the port and starboard spars are joined by a bridge member spanning the fuselage, the connection being made in fork/lug fashion direct to the boom ends, with double horizontal pins top and bottom. The mainplane and fuselage skins run together in a perfectly clean intersection, without filleting. The wing carries pressure-balanced ailerons with spring tabs, hydraulically operated split trailing-edge flaps, and finger-type air brakes in top and bottom surfaces. Of circular section, the fuselage is built in three parts—the "Flight" photograph The biplane built by the Coventry Ordnance Works—later one of the components of the English Electric Group—for the Military Trials of 1912.
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