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Canberras with Red Beard


neillbill

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1 hour ago, Space Ranger said:

Oh, good grief. My comment was more about funny code names than politics. I'm sorry you did not see it that way. Your response is far more political than my original post.

Oh really? I wasn't aware that "Orange Hair" was a US military Code Name. :fraidnot:

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Sorry Selwyn, the door mod was for the Mk.7. The two perforated baffles were added after drop trials. I still have no definitive answer regarding Red Beard, but I suspect that if as you say it was smaller than the Mk.7 there would have been no need to reassess the weapon it would fit in the bomb bay with little problem. The modified doors could have been fitter to all Canberra's modified to use either weapon or LABS equipped aircraft? Were the two types of bomb used side by side or did one supercede the other? I've not spotted anything in the AP's as yet regarding diferant doors, but now I know what to look for I will re visit the B(I)6 AP Book1. As an aside, the B.57 could extend its main undercarriage legs by 3"(?) to facilitate loading of the pre loaded bomb doors. The B.57 also had a dedicated "Special weapons door" If the British Canberra had the same set up it would have made life easier!

 

John     

Edited by canberra kid
missing word
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41 minutes ago, ReccePhreak said:

Probably because of my 24 year USAF career, including a stint in COMSEC and a TS-SCI clearance. :whistle:

Well, thank you for your service in any case.

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I haven't been able to find the article on the carriage of Red Beard but I did find the photo I had in mind on the Wikipedia page for Red Beard (nuclear weapon). I realize the perils of quoting Wikipedia by the photo caption says the whole beam, brace and baffle contraption was winched up into the Canberra's bomb bay. Looks like it could be at

 tight fit but I have never seen a nuclear capable mark of Canberra with a bulged bomb bay.

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16 hours ago, Trenton guy said:

I haven't been able to find the article on the carriage of Red Beard but I did find the photo I had in mind on the Wikipedia page for Red Beard (nuclear weapon). I realize the perils of quoting Wikipedia by the photo caption says the whole beam, brace and baffle contraption was winched up into the Canberra's bomb bay. Looks like it could be at

 tight fit but I have never seen a nuclear capable mark of Canberra with a bulged bomb bay.

I've never seen any Canberra with a bulged bomb bay door, only a few with cut aways. Other than the series of photos from which the photo I posted came, I've never seen a semi recessed weapon of any type,but there were Canberra's with no doors at all that were involved in mine laying trials, but that's a diferant story.

 

John   

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Gents, a little bit of a sense of humor failure here and some unwelcome comments I have removed. Please play nice as the thread is informative and I for one would like it to stay open.

 

Thanks

 

Julien

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After a  bit more digging in the B(I)6 AP.

b9i06c_zpstzpiu0sk.png

 

 

 

I've found no direct mention of a Mk.7 but in the attached scan I've found a clue, in the red box you will see "bomb doors EA3.11.2051/2" this is a diferant  number to the "standard door" which has the reference number of EA9.11.2051/2

b9i06a_zpsxiqumgas.png 

b9i06b_zpsjkq3bqs9.png

There is no indication in the section covering the bomb door fitting that indicates there is an alternative door.

 

John 

 

Edited by canberra kid
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If you think about it, the Germany based Canberra's were supposed to carry out the same role as the Bucc's and then the Tonka's, e.g. carry a tactical nuke east and drop it on the bad guys!

 

If you have to modify the bomb doors then you need to do that to a large number of jets on the sqn, in reality all of them!  Or, you have to be able to fit the bomb in a hurry when the balloon is about to go up without having to go through some timely loading procedure which requires jacks!

 

So did Red Beard fit the bomb bay without modification, were all of the bomb bays modified or was it carried semi-recessed?  In which case why haven't we seen pictures of Canberra's with semi-recessed loads?

 

Just a thought.

 

Truth told, I can't see this thread title without imagining a B.6 with one of those comedy stick on beards!

Edited by Wez
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Reading between the lines in the AP I would venture a guess that all B(I)6's and B(I)8's would have been fitted with the modified doors EA3.11.2051/2, as you rightly say in the early days delivery of instant sunshine was the prime role of the RAFG Canberra force, Red Beard appears to have fitted an unmodified bomb bay, where as the Mk.7 required bomb doors EA3.11.2051/2,  but I can't see any reason why the the modified door couldn't be used as standard so either bomb could be used.

John

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3 hours ago, canberra kid said:

Reading between the lines in the AP I would venture a guess that all B(I)6's and B(I)8's would have been fitted with the modified doors EA3.11.2051/2, as you rightly say in the early days delivery of instant sunshine was the prime role of the RAFG Canberra force, Red Beard appears to have fitted an unmodified bomb bay, where as the Mk.7 required bomb doors EA3.11.2051/2,  but I can't see any reason why the the modified door couldn't be used as standard so either bomb could be used.

John

The only bombs used by RAF Canberra in Europe were the American weapons. The RAF Red Beard weapons were kept in Cyprus and Singapore for use "East of Suez" and to support SEATO commitments in the far east.

 

Selwyn

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19 hours ago, Selwyn said:

The only bombs used by RAF Canberra in Europe were the American weapons. The RAF Red Beard weapons were kept in Cyprus and Singapore for use "East of Suez" and to support SEATO commitments in the far east.

 

Selwyn

Thanks for that info Selwyn, so the RAFG Canberra's would have been fitted with the EA3.11.2051/2 as a matter of course in the Nuclear strike role.

John

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