English Electric Elegance
English Electric Canberra WT333 ("Treble Three") performing another pass along the runway at Bruntingthorpe.
This beautifully restored and cared for Canberra is kept and operated at Bruntingthorpe airfield in Leicestershire.
Built by English Electric as a B(I)8 variant with offset ‘fighter’ style cockpit canopy in March 1956, WT333 never served with the Royal Air Force, being used for a test bed for such things as: Low Altitude Bombing System, Microcell Rocket firing trials, torpedo separation trials etc.
She also visited Australia in 1966 taking part in armament trials on behalf of the WRE (Weapons Research Establishment.)
In the late 1970's, she was fitted with the cockpit of Canberra B.2 WK135 by RRE technicians. This work resulted in the loss of the B(I)8s distinctive offset fighter style cockpit canopy, along with a much longer nose being grafted on.
After finishing her working career, she was put up for disposal. WT333 was purchased by Classic Aviation Projects and registered as G-BVXC on 9th January 1995. Delivery by air to Bruntingthorpe took place on 28th January 1995 – her final flight. Once at Bruntingthorpe she was used as a source of spares for sister Canberras XH568 and WK163.
She was then sold on as an airframe. A pair of Rolls Royce Avon 109 engines were purchased and installed in the aircraft to return her to a taxiable condition.
I observed that she is a popular feature at the recent "Cold War Jets" open day that took place at Bruntingthorpe on 26th May 2019, which is where my pictures are taken.
WT333's website can be found at:
on-target-aviation.com/heritage/
English Electric Elegance
English Electric Canberra WT333 ("Treble Three") performing another pass along the runway at Bruntingthorpe.
This beautifully restored and cared for Canberra is kept and operated at Bruntingthorpe airfield in Leicestershire.
Built by English Electric as a B(I)8 variant with offset ‘fighter’ style cockpit canopy in March 1956, WT333 never served with the Royal Air Force, being used for a test bed for such things as: Low Altitude Bombing System, Microcell Rocket firing trials, torpedo separation trials etc.
She also visited Australia in 1966 taking part in armament trials on behalf of the WRE (Weapons Research Establishment.)
In the late 1970's, she was fitted with the cockpit of Canberra B.2 WK135 by RRE technicians. This work resulted in the loss of the B(I)8s distinctive offset fighter style cockpit canopy, along with a much longer nose being grafted on.
After finishing her working career, she was put up for disposal. WT333 was purchased by Classic Aviation Projects and registered as G-BVXC on 9th January 1995. Delivery by air to Bruntingthorpe took place on 28th January 1995 – her final flight. Once at Bruntingthorpe she was used as a source of spares for sister Canberras XH568 and WK163.
She was then sold on as an airframe. A pair of Rolls Royce Avon 109 engines were purchased and installed in the aircraft to return her to a taxiable condition.
I observed that she is a popular feature at the recent "Cold War Jets" open day that took place at Bruntingthorpe on 26th May 2019, which is where my pictures are taken.
WT333's website can be found at:
on-target-aviation.com/heritage/