Martin RB-57F Canberra
Encyclopedia
The Martin RB-57F Canberra was a highly specialized strategic reconnaissance aircraft developed by General Dynamics
in the 1960s from the B-57 Canberra tactical bomber. It was later used by the Air Weather Service for weather reconnaissance (WB-57F), and later by NASA
for high-altitude atmospheric research.
WB-57Fs are the only B-57 aircraft model still flyable and in service (NASA, 2011).
Corporation had a contract the United States Air Force
for the maintenance of the RB-57D aircraft although wing spar problems had grounded most of the RB-57D fleet that year. The RB-57F was the result of an Air Force request for a high-altitude reconnaissance aircraft with better performance than the RB-57D. Because General Dynamics was responsible for contract maintenance on the D model, the USAF asked for a conversion proposal for the new aircraft, which was to become the RB-57F. In October, the Fort Worth Division of General Dynamics was given a contract for the development of two redesigned aircraft under the designation RB-57F.
The two aircraft for initial development were Martin B-57B-MA 52-1589 and 53-3864. The re-manufactured RB-57Fs incorporated many major changes. The first was the greatly enlarged wing. The wing had a span of more than 122 ft, which was 14 ft more than the RB-57D and nearly double that of a B-57B. Extensive use was made of honeycomb sandwich panels, which had originally been developed by Convair
for the Convair B-58 Hustler supersonic bomber. All control surfaces had tightly sealed gaps in order to reduce drag, and there were no wing flaps. In addition, the size of the tail was also greatly increased. The height of the vertical stabilizer was increased to 19 ft and, combined with an increase in the width, doubled the area of the stabilizer, which was necessary for yaw control at very high altitudes (up to 80,000 ft).
Another obvious change was the replacement of the Wright J65 turbojets with Pratt & Whitney
TF33 turbofan engines. The TF33s gave the aircraft more than double the thrust of the B model. The RB-57F was also capable of being fitted with two Pratt & Whitney J60 turbojets, which were mounted in pods and could be attached to the wings outboard of the TF33s. These auxiliary engines were only for use at altitude, in fact, they were not equipped with starters and had to be air started while the aircraft was in flight. At altitudes above 40,000 ft, the J60s generated about 3,300 lbs of thrust each and increased the maximum altitude of the RB-57F by 2,000 to 3,000 ft.
The wings had four hard points where various camera and air sampling pods could be mounted when the J60 engine pods were removed. The electronics were also updated on the F model. The nose of the aircraft was lengthened to house sophisticated navigational equipment along with sensitive detection equipment for gathering electronic/signal intelligence. The aircraft carried high-altitude cameras and was used for taking oblique shots at 45 degrees up to 60 nm range from the aircraft and provided a 30 inch resolution. The cockpit layout was the same as that for the standard B-57 crew of two. The cockpit was provided with a modified Lear MC-1 autopilot.
The extensive modifications resulted in new serial numbers for fiscal year 1963 being assigned to the modified aircraft. 52-1589 was rebuilt as RB-57F 63-13286, 52-3864 became 63-13287.
. They returned to the United States in February 1964. The results of the testing were successful and the USAF awarded a contract to General Dynamics for the construction of 19 more RB-57Fs from existing B-57 airframes.
The first 12 RB-57Fs were converted from grounded 1952 and 1953 serial B-57B aircraft that were still on active duty grounded with wing spar problems. (63-13288 - 63-13299); three (63-13300 - 63 13302) were converted from RB-57A aircraft by using spare B-57B nose sections; The final four (63-13500 - 63-13503) were converted from RB-57Ds that were taken out of storage. Production was completed in March 1967.
, Air Weather Service, Military Air Transport Service
, at McClellan Air Force Base
, California. They were assigned to the following squadrons:
Air Weather Service RB-57Fs duties involved high-altitude atmospheric sampling and radiation detection work in support of nuclear test monitoring, mostly on behalf of the Atomic Energy Commission
. Some RB-57Fs were fitted with probes to scoop up airborne particles in a program of ongoing monitoring of nuclear tests. Most of this activity was centered on nuclear tests carried out in Communist China
, but some were also used in US air space to monitor air in the aftermath of underground nuclear tests. At least one RB-57F was used for research into airborne laser equipment by the Air Force Logistics Command
research laboratory at Kirtland AFB. In 1968, the Air Weather Service's RB-57Fs were redesignated WB-57F.
(and its successor organization Military Airlift Command
) was frequently used by the USAF for clandestine, special operations missions prior to the establishment of Air Force Special Operations Command
in the 1980s. The RB-57F, with its very high-altitude ceiling was frequently used as a strategic reconnaissance aircraft when necessary. Four of the aircraft were operated as reconnaissance aircraft, two with the 56th SRS at Yokota, and two with the 59th SRS at Kirtland AFB. The aircraft at Kirtland AFB were deployed to Europe where they were operated by the 7407th Support Squadron at Rhein-Main AB, West Germany.
On 14 December 1965, one of the RB-57Fs (63-13287) operating from Rhein-Main AB was lost during a mission over the Black Sea
. What actually happened is still uncertain. There were reports that the aircraft had been shot down by a Soviet S-75 Dvina
Surface-to-air missile
, but at the time, the official statement by the USAF was that the aircraft crew had probably perished from an oxygen system failure, since it took over an hour for the aircraft to spiral down from altitude and fall into the Black Sea. Although seven or eight days were spent searching for the wreckage, only small bits and pieces of it were ever found. However, there were also reports that the two crewmembers were captured alive by the Soviets, with their ultimate fate being uncertain.
In 1965 one RB-57F from the 56th SRS on loan to Pakistan
, during the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965
, was operated by 24 Squadron
of the Pakistan Air Force
. The original reason for the 56th SRS deployment to Pakistan was to monitor Communist Chinese nuclear tests, which had begun in October 1964. The aircraft were flown by USAF crews during these operations. One of the RB-57Fs was returned to Yokota AB before the outbreak of hostilities with India, but the other remained.
With US agreement, the RB-57F operated by No 24 Squadron used the aircraft to carry out daily sorties over Indian Air Force
airfields at altitudes of up to 65,000 ft, carrying out strategic reconnaissance. The RB-57F was also locally modified by the PAF to carry a 4,000 lb bombload, but it was never actually operated in a bombing role. On some occasions, the RB-57F operated alongside a pair of PAF B-57Bs that were jamming Indian military radio transmission and were monitoring the location of the Indian Army's mobile radar installations.
All three aircraft were involved in directing attacks on the Indian radar station at Amritsar
, and during these operations, one of the PAF B-57Bs was shot down in error by Pakistani Anti-Aircraft Artillery. Eventually, on 15 September 1965, the aircraft was straddled by two SA-2 SAMs as it commenced its descent towards Peshawar
. Despite suffering major structural damage and sustaining over 170 holes, the pilot managed to nurse the aircraft back to Peshawar where he made a successful forced landing. The aircraft was eventually repaired and returned to the USAF.
Three aircraft were lost in operational service. Two in accidents, the other possibly a Cold War
casualty.
Several retired USAF RB-57Fs have been used by NASA in support of various research programs. NASA needed an aircraft capable of operating at high altitude and be capable of carrying a large payload to support the Earth Resources Satellite
Program. Three WB-57F aircraft were transferred from the USAF in the late 1960s and early 1970s. The three aircraft were designated NASA 925 (ex 63-13501), NASA 926 (ex 63-13503) and NASA 928 (ex 63-13298).
For NASA operations the aircraft often carry a 6,000 lb data-gathering sensor pallet in the 3 ft x 6 ft former bomb-bay underneath the center fuselage and as fuel burns off the aircraft are capable of reaching 70,000 ft, consequently, when operating at extreme altitude both the pilot and System Equipment Operator (SEO) wear full pressure suits.
Currently only two of the original three WB-57F aircraft remain in service, NASA 926 and NASA 928. The aircraft operate out of Ellington Field
, Houston, Texas
and have been kept busy conducting a variety of civil tasks worldwide, particularly using the Airborne Remote Earth Sensing (ARES) instrument, a combined hyperspectral imager/radiometer with a two dimensional focal plane array, in addition to a variety of cameras. During the Space Shuttle
era, the aircraft were equipped with a special high-definition camera and other sensors in a specially adapted gimbal-mounted ball turret mounted in the nose, known as the WB-57F Ascent Video Experiment (WAVE) to track and video Space Shuttle launches and recoveries from high altitude.
On 10 October 2005, one of the NASA WB-57F aircraft N928NA, flew from Ellington Field via CFB Goose Bay
, Newfoundland and Labrador
to RAF Mildenhall
in Suffolk
, England
arriving during the evening of 11 October 2005. The WB-57F then flew four missions out of Mildenhall at up to 48,500ft in UK airspace collecting ‘cosmic dust’. The Cosmic Dust Collector (CDC) mission uses two small metallic rectangular boxes carried under each wing that are designed to open at altitude and collect ‘interplanetary dust particles’, or in other words the remains of small meteorites or rocks from space that accumulate in the upper atmosphere, on an adhesive strip. At the end of the assigned track the boxes then automatically close at high altitude and after landing the adhesive strip was removed and returned to the US for analysis. The missions also allowed the WB-57F crews to validate new radios and avionics and ensure these could interface correctly with European ATC agencies.
There was also an unconfirmed report that the aircraft also supported a UK MOD assessment of future sensors for UAV applications in a European environment, by carrying the sensors in its sensor pallet under the fuselage.
In August 2006, NASA 928 arrived at RAF Mildenhall
totally devoid of all the usual identification marks, particularly serial numbers or NASA logos. The only insignias were a small US flag on the tail fin and some even smaller flags beneath the cockpit on the port side. The lack of insignia possibly indicated that the aircraft was operating on behalf of another US government agency. After some local sorties, possibly to test the onboard equipment, the aircraft departed to Kandahar Airport, Afghanistan
via NSA Souda Bay, Crete
. The aircraft then flew a number of sorties out of Kandahar, presumably carrying a classified sensor package and then returned to Ellington Field via Souda Bay and Mildenhall.
Several of the RB-57Fs sent to storage at Davis-Monthan remain, presumably used as parts aircraft supporting the two NASA aircraft. #63-13293 is at Robins AFB, Georgia at the Museum of Aviation
on static display. NASA 925 (63-13501) was returned to Davis-Monthan in September 1982 and is now on static display at the adjacent Pima County Air Museum.
General Dynamics
General Dynamics Corporation is a U.S. defense conglomerate formed by mergers and divestitures, and as of 2008 it is the fifth largest defense contractor in the world. Its headquarters are in West Falls Church , unincorporated Fairfax County, Virginia, in the Falls Church area.The company has...
in the 1960s from the B-57 Canberra tactical bomber. It was later used by the Air Weather Service for weather reconnaissance (WB-57F), and later by NASA
NASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is the agency of the United States government that is responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research...
for high-altitude atmospheric research.
WB-57Fs are the only B-57 aircraft model still flyable and in service (NASA, 2011).
Development
In 1962 General DynamicsGeneral Dynamics
General Dynamics Corporation is a U.S. defense conglomerate formed by mergers and divestitures, and as of 2008 it is the fifth largest defense contractor in the world. Its headquarters are in West Falls Church , unincorporated Fairfax County, Virginia, in the Falls Church area.The company has...
Corporation had a contract the United States Air Force
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
for the maintenance of the RB-57D aircraft although wing spar problems had grounded most of the RB-57D fleet that year. The RB-57F was the result of an Air Force request for a high-altitude reconnaissance aircraft with better performance than the RB-57D. Because General Dynamics was responsible for contract maintenance on the D model, the USAF asked for a conversion proposal for the new aircraft, which was to become the RB-57F. In October, the Fort Worth Division of General Dynamics was given a contract for the development of two redesigned aircraft under the designation RB-57F.
The two aircraft for initial development were Martin B-57B-MA 52-1589 and 53-3864. The re-manufactured RB-57Fs incorporated many major changes. The first was the greatly enlarged wing. The wing had a span of more than 122 ft, which was 14 ft more than the RB-57D and nearly double that of a B-57B. Extensive use was made of honeycomb sandwich panels, which had originally been developed by Convair
Convair
Convair was an American aircraft manufacturing company which later expanded into rockets and spacecraft. The company was formed in 1943 by the merger of Vultee Aircraft and Consolidated Aircraft, and went on to produce a number of pioneering aircraft, such as the Convair B-36 bomber, and the F-102...
for the Convair B-58 Hustler supersonic bomber. All control surfaces had tightly sealed gaps in order to reduce drag, and there were no wing flaps. In addition, the size of the tail was also greatly increased. The height of the vertical stabilizer was increased to 19 ft and, combined with an increase in the width, doubled the area of the stabilizer, which was necessary for yaw control at very high altitudes (up to 80,000 ft).
Another obvious change was the replacement of the Wright J65 turbojets with Pratt & Whitney
Pratt & Whitney
Pratt & Whitney is a U.S.-based aerospace manufacturer with global service operations. It is a subsidiary of United Technologies Corporation . Pratt & Whitney's aircraft engines are widely used in both civil aviation and military aviation. Its headquarters are in East Hartford, Connecticut, USA...
TF33 turbofan engines. The TF33s gave the aircraft more than double the thrust of the B model. The RB-57F was also capable of being fitted with two Pratt & Whitney J60 turbojets, which were mounted in pods and could be attached to the wings outboard of the TF33s. These auxiliary engines were only for use at altitude, in fact, they were not equipped with starters and had to be air started while the aircraft was in flight. At altitudes above 40,000 ft, the J60s generated about 3,300 lbs of thrust each and increased the maximum altitude of the RB-57F by 2,000 to 3,000 ft.
The wings had four hard points where various camera and air sampling pods could be mounted when the J60 engine pods were removed. The electronics were also updated on the F model. The nose of the aircraft was lengthened to house sophisticated navigational equipment along with sensitive detection equipment for gathering electronic/signal intelligence. The aircraft carried high-altitude cameras and was used for taking oblique shots at 45 degrees up to 60 nm range from the aircraft and provided a 30 inch resolution. The cockpit layout was the same as that for the standard B-57 crew of two. The cockpit was provided with a modified Lear MC-1 autopilot.
The extensive modifications resulted in new serial numbers for fiscal year 1963 being assigned to the modified aircraft. 52-1589 was rebuilt as RB-57F 63-13286, 52-3864 became 63-13287.
Testing and production
In late 1963, the first two RB-57Fs were sent for trials with the USAFE 7407th Support Squadron at Rhine-Main AB, West Germany where they proved their effectiveness by making flights along the German border at over 60,000 ft taking long-range photographs over the border into East Germany and also flew reconnaissance missions over the Baltic SeaBaltic Sea
The Baltic Sea is a brackish mediterranean sea located in Northern Europe, from 53°N to 66°N latitude and from 20°E to 26°E longitude. It is bounded by the Scandinavian Peninsula, the mainland of Europe, and the Danish islands. It drains into the Kattegat by way of the Øresund, the Great Belt and...
. They returned to the United States in February 1964. The results of the testing were successful and the USAF awarded a contract to General Dynamics for the construction of 19 more RB-57Fs from existing B-57 airframes.
The first 12 RB-57Fs were converted from grounded 1952 and 1953 serial B-57B aircraft that were still on active duty grounded with wing spar problems. (63-13288 - 63-13299); three (63-13300 - 63 13302) were converted from RB-57A aircraft by using spare B-57B nose sections; The final four (63-13500 - 63-13503) were converted from RB-57Ds that were taken out of storage. Production was completed in March 1967.
Weather Reconnaissance
The official use of the RB-57F was weather reconnaissance, and all RB-57Fs were assigned to the meteorological role with the 9th Weather Reconnaissance Wing9th Weather Reconnaissance Wing
The 9th Weather Reconnaissance Wing is an inactive United States Air Force organization. Its last assignment was with the Air Weather Service, being stationed at McClellan Air Force Base, California. It was inactivated on 31 August 1975.- History :...
, Air Weather Service, Military Air Transport Service
Military Air Transport Service
The Military Air Transport Service is an inactive Department of Defense Unified Command. Activated on 1 June 1948, MATS was a consolidation of the United States Navy Naval Air Transport Service and the United States Air Force Air Transport Command into a single, joint, unified command...
, at McClellan Air Force Base
McClellan Air Force Base
McClellan Air Force Base is a former United States Air Force base located in the North Highlands area of Sacramento County, northeast of Sacramento, California...
, California. They were assigned to the following squadrons:
- 55th Weather Reconnaissance Squadron55th Weather Reconnaissance SquadronThe 55th Weather Reconnaissance Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the 50th Operations Group, being stationed at Schriever Air Force Base, Colorado. It was inactivated on 16 July 2002.-History:...
, McClellan AFB, California - 56th Weather Reconnaissance Squadron, Yokota AB, Japan
- 58th Weather Reconnaissance Squadron58th Weather Reconnaissance SquadronThe 58th Reconnaissance Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force Reserve squadron. Its last was assigned to the 4900th Test Group, stationed at Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico...
, Kirtland AFB, New Mexico.
Air Weather Service RB-57Fs duties involved high-altitude atmospheric sampling and radiation detection work in support of nuclear test monitoring, mostly on behalf of the Atomic Energy Commission
Atomic Energy Commission
Many countries have or have had an Atomic Energy Commission. These include:* Australian Atomic Energy Commission * Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission * Commissariat à l'Énergie Atomique...
. Some RB-57Fs were fitted with probes to scoop up airborne particles in a program of ongoing monitoring of nuclear tests. Most of this activity was centered on nuclear tests carried out in Communist China
Communist China
Communist China refers to:*Chinese Soviet Republic*People's Republic of China...
, but some were also used in US air space to monitor air in the aftermath of underground nuclear tests. At least one RB-57F was used for research into airborne laser equipment by the Air Force Logistics Command
Air Force Logistics Command
Air Force Logistics Command was a United States Air Force command. Its headquarters was located at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio...
research laboratory at Kirtland AFB. In 1968, the Air Weather Service's RB-57Fs were redesignated WB-57F.
Strategic Reconnaissance
Military Air Transport ServiceMilitary Air Transport Service
The Military Air Transport Service is an inactive Department of Defense Unified Command. Activated on 1 June 1948, MATS was a consolidation of the United States Navy Naval Air Transport Service and the United States Air Force Air Transport Command into a single, joint, unified command...
(and its successor organization Military Airlift Command
Military Airlift Command
The Military Airlift Command is an inactive United States Air Force Major Command of the USAF which was headquartered at Scott Air Force Base, Illinois. It was constituted on 1 January 1966 and active until the end of the Cold War, when the Air Force table of organization was revised...
) was frequently used by the USAF for clandestine, special operations missions prior to the establishment of Air Force Special Operations Command
Air Force Special Operations Command
Air Force Special Operations Command is the Special Operations component of the United States Air Force and the US Air Force component command to the United States Special Operations Command , a unified command located at MacDill Air Force Base, Florida...
in the 1980s. The RB-57F, with its very high-altitude ceiling was frequently used as a strategic reconnaissance aircraft when necessary. Four of the aircraft were operated as reconnaissance aircraft, two with the 56th SRS at Yokota, and two with the 59th SRS at Kirtland AFB. The aircraft at Kirtland AFB were deployed to Europe where they were operated by the 7407th Support Squadron at Rhein-Main AB, West Germany.
On 14 December 1965, one of the RB-57Fs (63-13287) operating from Rhein-Main AB was lost during a mission over the Black Sea
Black Sea
The Black Sea is bounded by Europe, Anatolia and the Caucasus and is ultimately connected to the Atlantic Ocean via the Mediterranean and the Aegean seas and various straits. The Bosphorus strait connects it to the Sea of Marmara, and the strait of the Dardanelles connects that sea to the Aegean...
. What actually happened is still uncertain. There were reports that the aircraft had been shot down by a Soviet S-75 Dvina
S-75 Dvina
The S-75 Dvina is a Soviet-designed, high-altitude, command guided, surface-to-air missile system...
Surface-to-air missile
Surface-to-air missile
A surface-to-air missile or ground-to-air missile is a missile designed to be launched from the ground to destroy aircraft or other missiles...
, but at the time, the official statement by the USAF was that the aircraft crew had probably perished from an oxygen system failure, since it took over an hour for the aircraft to spiral down from altitude and fall into the Black Sea. Although seven or eight days were spent searching for the wreckage, only small bits and pieces of it were ever found. However, there were also reports that the two crewmembers were captured alive by the Soviets, with their ultimate fate being uncertain.
In 1965 one RB-57F from the 56th SRS on loan to Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
, during the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965
Indo-Pakistani War of 1965
The Indo-Pakistani War of 1965 was a culmination of skirmishes that took place between April 1965 and September 1965 between Pakistan and India. This conflict became known as the Second Kashmir War fought by India and Pakistan over the disputed region of Kashmir, the first having been fought in 1947...
, was operated by 24 Squadron
No. 24 Squadron (Pakistan Air Force)
No. 24 Squadron, named the Blinders, is an electronic warfare unit of the Pakistan Air Force.-History:The squadron was established at PAF Base Peshawar in December 1962 and equipped with the RB-57F, an electronic surveillance variant of the B-57 Canberra bomber, to fulfil the role of providing...
of the Pakistan Air Force
Pakistan Air Force
The Pakistan Air Force is the leading air arm of the Pakistan Armed Forces and is primarily tasked with the aerial defence of Pakistan with a secondary role of providing air support to the Pakistan Army and the Pakistan Navy. The PAF also has a tertiary role of providing strategic air transport...
. The original reason for the 56th SRS deployment to Pakistan was to monitor Communist Chinese nuclear tests, which had begun in October 1964. The aircraft were flown by USAF crews during these operations. One of the RB-57Fs was returned to Yokota AB before the outbreak of hostilities with India, but the other remained.
With US agreement, the RB-57F operated by No 24 Squadron used the aircraft to carry out daily sorties over Indian Air Force
Indian Air Force
The Indian Air Force is the air arm of the Indian armed forces. Its primary responsibility is to secure Indian airspace and to conduct aerial warfare during a conflict...
airfields at altitudes of up to 65,000 ft, carrying out strategic reconnaissance. The RB-57F was also locally modified by the PAF to carry a 4,000 lb bombload, but it was never actually operated in a bombing role. On some occasions, the RB-57F operated alongside a pair of PAF B-57Bs that were jamming Indian military radio transmission and were monitoring the location of the Indian Army's mobile radar installations.
All three aircraft were involved in directing attacks on the Indian radar station at Amritsar
Amritsar
Amritsar is a city in the northern part of India and is the administrative headquarters of Amritsar district in the state of Punjab, India. The 2001 Indian census reported the population of the city to be over 1,500,000, with that of the entire district numbering 3,695,077...
, and during these operations, one of the PAF B-57Bs was shot down in error by Pakistani Anti-Aircraft Artillery. Eventually, on 15 September 1965, the aircraft was straddled by two SA-2 SAMs as it commenced its descent towards Peshawar
Peshawar
Peshawar is the capital of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and the administrative center and central economic hub for the Federally Administered Tribal Areas of Pakistan....
. Despite suffering major structural damage and sustaining over 170 holes, the pilot managed to nurse the aircraft back to Peshawar where he made a successful forced landing. The aircraft was eventually repaired and returned to the USAF.
USAF retirement
Stress cracks began appearing in the wing spars and ribs of the RB-57Fs after a few years of service. Some were sent to General Dynamics for repairs. Due to the excessive cost of repairing all the aircraft, five were placed in storage at Davis-Monthan AFB in 1972 and another three in 1973. The remaining aircraft were retired in 1974. The 58th WRS, the last squadron in the Air Force to use the WB-57F, was deactivated on 1 July 1974, after placing its aircraft into storage at Davis-Monthan AFB.Three aircraft were lost in operational service. Two in accidents, the other possibly a Cold War
Cold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
casualty.
NASA use
Landsat program
The Landsat program is the longest running enterprise for acquisition of satellite imagery of Earth. On July 26, 1972 the Earth Resources Technology Satellite was launched. This was eventually renamed to Landsat. The most recent, Landsat 7, was launched on April 15, 1999. The instruments on the...
Program. Three WB-57F aircraft were transferred from the USAF in the late 1960s and early 1970s. The three aircraft were designated NASA 925 (ex 63-13501), NASA 926 (ex 63-13503) and NASA 928 (ex 63-13298).
For NASA operations the aircraft often carry a 6,000 lb data-gathering sensor pallet in the 3 ft x 6 ft former bomb-bay underneath the center fuselage and as fuel burns off the aircraft are capable of reaching 70,000 ft, consequently, when operating at extreme altitude both the pilot and System Equipment Operator (SEO) wear full pressure suits.
Currently only two of the original three WB-57F aircraft remain in service, NASA 926 and NASA 928. The aircraft operate out of Ellington Field
Ellington Field
Ellington International Airport is a joint civil-military airport located in the U.S. state of Texas within the city of Houston— southeast of Downtown. Established by the Army Air Service on 21 May 1917, Ellington Field was one of the initial World War I Army Air Service installations when...
, Houston, Texas
Houston, Texas
Houston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ...
and have been kept busy conducting a variety of civil tasks worldwide, particularly using the Airborne Remote Earth Sensing (ARES) instrument, a combined hyperspectral imager/radiometer with a two dimensional focal plane array, in addition to a variety of cameras. During the Space Shuttle
Space Shuttle
The Space Shuttle was a manned orbital rocket and spacecraft system operated by NASA on 135 missions from 1981 to 2011. The system combined rocket launch, orbital spacecraft, and re-entry spaceplane with modular add-ons...
era, the aircraft were equipped with a special high-definition camera and other sensors in a specially adapted gimbal-mounted ball turret mounted in the nose, known as the WB-57F Ascent Video Experiment (WAVE) to track and video Space Shuttle launches and recoveries from high altitude.
On 10 October 2005, one of the NASA WB-57F aircraft N928NA, flew from Ellington Field via CFB Goose Bay
CFB Goose Bay
Canadian Forces Base Goose Bay , is a Canadian Forces Base located in the town of Happy Valley-Goose Bay, Newfoundland and Labrador....
, Newfoundland and Labrador
Newfoundland and Labrador
Newfoundland and Labrador is the easternmost province of Canada. Situated in the country's Atlantic region, it incorporates the island of Newfoundland and mainland Labrador with a combined area of . As of April 2011, the province's estimated population is 508,400...
to RAF Mildenhall
RAF Mildenhall
RAF Mildenhall is a Royal Air Force station located at Mildenhall in Suffolk, England. Despite its status as an RAF station, it primarily supports United States Air Force operations and is currently the home of the 100th Air Refueling Wing...
in Suffolk
Suffolk
Suffolk is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in East Anglia, England. It has borders with Norfolk to the north, Cambridgeshire to the west and Essex to the south. The North Sea lies to the east...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
arriving during the evening of 11 October 2005. The WB-57F then flew four missions out of Mildenhall at up to 48,500ft in UK airspace collecting ‘cosmic dust’. The Cosmic Dust Collector (CDC) mission uses two small metallic rectangular boxes carried under each wing that are designed to open at altitude and collect ‘interplanetary dust particles’, or in other words the remains of small meteorites or rocks from space that accumulate in the upper atmosphere, on an adhesive strip. At the end of the assigned track the boxes then automatically close at high altitude and after landing the adhesive strip was removed and returned to the US for analysis. The missions also allowed the WB-57F crews to validate new radios and avionics and ensure these could interface correctly with European ATC agencies.
There was also an unconfirmed report that the aircraft also supported a UK MOD assessment of future sensors for UAV applications in a European environment, by carrying the sensors in its sensor pallet under the fuselage.
In August 2006, NASA 928 arrived at RAF Mildenhall
RAF Mildenhall
RAF Mildenhall is a Royal Air Force station located at Mildenhall in Suffolk, England. Despite its status as an RAF station, it primarily supports United States Air Force operations and is currently the home of the 100th Air Refueling Wing...
totally devoid of all the usual identification marks, particularly serial numbers or NASA logos. The only insignias were a small US flag on the tail fin and some even smaller flags beneath the cockpit on the port side. The lack of insignia possibly indicated that the aircraft was operating on behalf of another US government agency. After some local sorties, possibly to test the onboard equipment, the aircraft departed to Kandahar Airport, Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
via NSA Souda Bay, Crete
Crete
Crete is the largest and most populous of the Greek islands, the fifth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, and one of the thirteen administrative regions of Greece. It forms a significant part of the economy and cultural heritage of Greece while retaining its own local cultural traits...
. The aircraft then flew a number of sorties out of Kandahar, presumably carrying a classified sensor package and then returned to Ellington Field via Souda Bay and Mildenhall.
Several of the RB-57Fs sent to storage at Davis-Monthan remain, presumably used as parts aircraft supporting the two NASA aircraft. #63-13293 is at Robins AFB, Georgia at the Museum of Aviation
Museum of Aviation
The Museum of Aviation is the second-largest aerospace museum of the United States Air Force. The museum is located just outside Warner Robins, Georgia, and near Robins Air Force Base. It has a total of five different buildings containing 93 different aircraft on . The SR-71A Blackbird on display...
on static display. NASA 925 (63-13501) was returned to Davis-Monthan in September 1982 and is now on static display at the adjacent Pima County Air Museum.
Operators
- United States Air ForceUnited States Air ForceThe United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
- NASANASAThe National Aeronautics and Space Administration is the agency of the United States government that is responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research...
- NCAR/High Altitude Mapping Missions, Inc,
- National Oceanic and Atmospheric AdministrationNational Oceanic and Atmospheric AdministrationThe National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration , pronounced , like "noah", is a scientific agency within the United States Department of Commerce focused on the conditions of the oceans and the atmosphere...
of the United States Commerce Department
Specifications
Aircraft list
- Re-manufactured from Martin RB-57A:
- 52-1427 rebuilt as RB-57F 63-13300 To AMARC as BM0083 23 December 1973
- 52-1432 rebuilt as RB-57F 63-13301 To AMARC as BM0084 23 December 1973; still at AMARC 15 January 2008
- 52-1433 rebuilt as RB-57F 63-13302 To AMARC as BM0109 5 June 1974; still at AMARC 15 January 2008
- Re-manufactured from Martin RB-57B:
- 52-1527 converted to RB-57B. rebuilt as RB-57F 63-13289 To AMARC as BM0103 30 May 1974
- 52-1536 rebuilt as RB-57F 63-13298 Later loaned to NASA as 928. later re-registered as N928NA; still with NASA
- 52-1539 converted to MSB-57B with TM-76A Mace nose, redesignated JB-57B-MA, reconverted to B-57B, rebuilt as RB-57F 63-13288. To AMARC as BM0105
- 52-1559 converted to RB-57B. Rebuilt as RB-57F 63-13286.
- 52-1562 converted to JB-57B with TM-76 Mace nose. Rebuilt as RB-57F 63-13290. To AMARC as BM0078 1 June 1973; still at AMARC 15 January 2008
- 52-1573 rebuilt as RB-57F 63-13299.To AMARC as BM0067 28 April 1972
- 52-1574 rebuilt as RB-57F 63-13291 To AMARC as BM0106 30 May 1974; sStill at AMARC 15 January 2008
- 52-1583 rebuilt as RB-57F 63-13293 To AMARC as BM0065 24 April 1972; now at Robins AFB, GA.
- 52-1589 rebuilt as RB-57F 63-13286 To AMARC as BM0006 28 April 1972
- 52-1594 rebuilt as RB-57F 63-13292. Destroyed at Kirtland AFB.
- 53-3864 rebuilt as RB-57F 63-13287. Lost 14 December 1965 in Black Sea.
- 53-3897 rebuilt as RB-57F 63-13296. To AMARC as BM0107 30 May 1974
- 53-3900 rebuilt as RB-57F 63-13297. Crashed November 1966 near Albuquerque, NM.
- 53-3918 rebuilt as RB-57F 63-13295. To AMARC as BM0074 26 July 1972; still at AMARC 15 January 2008
- 53-3935 rebuilt as RB-57F 63-13294 To AMARC as BM0108 30 May 1974
- Re-manufactured from Martin RB-57D:
- 53-3970 was equipped for midair refueling. Rebuilt as RB-57F 63-13502 To MASDC as BM0073 21 July 1972; scrapped at MASDC 1976.
- 53-3972 was equipped for midair refuelling. Rebuilt as RB-57F 63-13500 To MASDC as BM0110 6 June 1974.
- 53-3974 was equipped for midair refuelling. Rebuilt as RB-57F 63-13503 To NASA as 926. Later reregistered as N357AR and then N926NA. To AMARC 1996; still with NASA
- 53-3975 was equipped for midair refuelling. Rebuilt as RB-57F 63-13501 Later loaned to NASA as 925, registered as N925NA. To MASDC 15 September 1982 as BM0141. Now on display at Pima Air and Space Museum, AZ.
See also
- List of United States Air Force Reconnaissance Aircraft
- Martin RB-57D CanberraMartin RB-57D CanberraThe Martin RB-57D Canberra was a specialized high-altitude strategic reconnaissance aircraft developed from the B-57 Canberra tactical bomber. It was used by the United States Air Force during the 1950s prior to operational use of the Lockheed U-2....