Martin B-57 Canberra ( eng. Martin B-57 Canberra ) - American tactical bomber and reconnaissance , licensed [2] and a modified version of the British bomber English Electric Canberra .
| B-57 canberra | |
|---|---|
 B-57A over the Chesapeake Bay , Maryland | |
| Type of | bomber |
| Manufacturer | Martin |
| The first flight | July 20, 1953 |
| Start of operation | 1954 |
| Status | withdrawn from service (2 used by NASA ) |
| Operators | US Air Force Pakistan Air Force Taiwan Air Force |
| Units produced | 403 |
| Unit cost | US $ 1.26 million (B-57B) [1] |
| Base model | English Electric Canberra |
He made his first flight on July 20, 1953 . Serially produced in 1954 - 1957 . (403 aircraft built). It was exported to Pakistan and Taiwan . It was used in the Vietnam War .
Content
- 1 Operators
- 2 Combat use
- 3 Modifications
- 4 The performance characteristics of the B-57B
- 4.1 Specifications
- 4.2 Flight performance
- 4.3 Armament
- 5 See also
- 6 notes
- 7 References
Operators
Pakistan
USA
- US Air Force
- NASA (Three aircraft modifications WB-57 are used for scientific purposes)
Republic of China
Combat use
B-57 was used in the Vietnam War to provide direct air support to ground units in South Vietnam , as well as in operations on the " Ho Chi Minh trail " in Laos .
In the second half of the 50s and the beginning of the 60s, the RB-57D reconnaissance modification, which was distinguished by a 12-meter wide wing, was used for high-altitude reconnaissance over the territory of the USSR, China and the Warsaw Pact countries . A ceiling of 17-18 km provided low vulnerability for air defense of that time, although to a lesser extent than that of U-2 scouts. The radical modification RB-57F with a wing span of 37.2 m and four engines (2 double-circuit TF-33 , plus 2 auxiliary J-9 pylons under the wing) had a ceiling of 22,860 m and a flight range of 6,000 km. According to the characteristics of the aircraft was close to the U-2, but it was heavier and could take more equipment. However, the modification was delayed and it began to enter the combat units only in the second half of the 60s, when it was already clear that the air defense missile systems successfully cope with high-altitude targets. U-2 remained in service, as due to its smaller size it was less noticeable for radars, and the Canberra reconnaissance quickly left the stage.
Shot on October 7, 1959 near Beijing with the S-75 complex at an altitude of 20,600 m, the Taiwanese Air Force RB-57D was the first aircraft in the world to be destroyed by missiles [4] . For the sake of secrecy, it was officially announced that he was shot down by an interceptor .
Modifications
| Type of | Description | Units built | Picture |
|---|---|---|---|
| B-57A | The first series of aircraft. Transfer to the customer began on August 20, 1953. All machines were used for research and testing, but were not transferred to combat units. [2] | 8 | |
| RB-57A | Aircraft Scout. It differed from the bomber version by the photo equipment located at the rear of the bomb bay, allowing both day and night shooting, while it was possible to dismantle the equipment for using the aircraft as a bomber. For night shooting, lighting bombs were provided. [2] | ||
| EB-57A | Aircraft electronic warfare. It was intended for training air defense system operators and fighter pilots in working with active electronic countermeasures. The machines were obtained as a result of the modification of RB-57A, which consisted of installing electronic warfare equipment in the bomb bay, upgrading the energy system in connection with an increase in power consumption and equipping the workplace of the electronic warfare operator at the place of the navigator. Underwing suspension tanks were replaced with passive jamming units. [2] | 12 |
Performance Specifications B-57B
Source: Loftin, LK, Jr. Quest for performance: The evolution of modern aircraft
Specifications
- Crew : 2 people
- Length : 20.0 m
- Wingspan : 19.5 m (37.2 m for RB-57F)
- Height : 4.52 m
- Wing area : 89 m²
- Wing Elongation Ratio: 4.27
- Empty weight : 12,285 kg
- Curb weight : 18 300 kg
- Maximum take-off weight : 24,365 kg
- Engine:: 2 × turbojet Wright J65-W-5
- Thrust: 32.1 kN
- Front drag coefficient at zero lift: 0.0119
- Equivalent resistance area: 1.06 m²
Flight performance
- Maximum speed : 960 km / h ( M = 0.79) (at an altitude of 760 m)
- Cruising speed : 765 km / h
- Stall Speed : 200 km / h
- Combat radius : 1,530 km (with 2,380 kg of bombs)
- Ferry range : 4380 km
- Practical ceiling : 13,745 m (22,860 m for RB-57F)
- Rate of climb : 31.4 m / s (1884 m / min)
- Specific wing load : 205 kg / m²
- Dead weight : 0.36
- Aerodynamic quality of the aircraft : 15
Armament
- Cannon armament : 4 × 20 mm M39 guns , ammunition - 290 sn. / Barrel
- Combat load : 2000 kg in the internal compartment, 1300 kg on the external sling
- Bombs , NAR
See also
- Lockheed u-2
Notes
- ↑ Knaack, Marcelle Size (1988). Post-World War II bombers, 1945-1973. Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-16-002260-6 .
- ↑ 1 2 3 4 Martin B-57 .
- ↑ Jones, Barry. A Nice Little Earner (Neopr.) // Aeroplane. - 2006. - October ( t. 34 , No. 10 ). - S. 93–97 .
- ↑ First combat use of S-75 air defense systems
Links
- RB-57 Canberra . Corner of the sky: aviation encyclopedia. Date of treatment April 19, 2016.
- Igor Mikhelevich. Canberra for Uncle Sam. Aircraft Martin B-57 . Aviation and time (2012). Date of treatment April 19, 2016.