Canberra: The Operational Record

Washinton, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution Press - Summit Books - Simon & Schuster, Incl, 1989. First Edition Stated . Hard Back. Very Good/Very Good. 7 1/4" x 9 3/4. 168 Pages Indexed. Nine red lines of owner's name and address on the front endpaper. Top corners very lightly bumped. Beyond this is an As New book with flawless interior text and illustration pages. For forty years the Canberra has been a familiar sight in England and around the world in war and peace. This illustrated book tells the story of the many successes of this classic aircraft. The Canberra, Britain's first jet bomber, was a replacement for the Mosquito. Its introduction to service was a very low-key affair until the Korean War proved that the new swept-wing MiG-15 jet fighters of the communist countries had outdated, almost at a stroke, the West's piston-engined bombers, such as the B-29 and B-50. Britain needed a jet bomber, capable of holding its own with the new generation of fighters. Canberra was put into superpriority production to bridge the gap. It fulfilled its purpose to such good effect that even the USA built it under licence as the Martin B-57. Thereafter, for over three decades, Britain was able to depend on this inspired design, refurbished time and again to meet the country's ever-changing defence requirements as well as those of a host of overseas customers. This book is the definitive record of the operational history of these versatile aircraft, from inception in 1944 to the survivors of 1988. This book accurately traces each progressive stage of development of the Canberra that took place, as ever-increasing demands were made upo n it to perform such diverse tasks as high and low altitude bombing, training, photo recon, and target drone. Contents in Four Parts: The Canberra in the Royal Air Force, Canberras Overseas, The Martin B-57, and British Canberra Contracts. Illusterations on most pages.