EE Canberra BI G

[andrewj]

When the Air Ministry issued specification B3/45 for a twin jet powered bomber to replace the Mosquito in RAF service , the then little known ,[as an aircraft manufacturer ], English Electric Co. submitted a design by A W Petter ,the EE A1 , a twin engined mid wing aircraft with the novelty, for a British bomber, of a nosewheel.
Unfortunately the RR Avon engine intended to be used was a failure and due to the high demand this imposed on the other suitable engine the AS Sapphire, for the Supermarine and Hawker fighters then in planning it looked as if the Canberra would be stilborn.
EE ,however , decided to procede with a piston engined variant ,as a means to keep the project flying, Sabre and Centaurus engines were briefly considered before Petter proposed using a Griffon engine in a power-egg modified from that of the Avro Lincoln. This meant the aircraft could fly quicky, so the minimum of airframe modifications were made to enable test flying to procede.
It was always the intention that suitable jet engines would be fitted if and when availible, so the jet nacelles were retained, these it was quickly realised were ideal positions in which to fit two rocket motors, these could be used to enable rapid or overloaded take-offs or to provide greater height/speed over targets and to avoid/outrun fighter interception.
A limited production run ensued and entered service with a couple of RAF squadrons, they served for several years but were soon replaced by jet engined variants and are little remembered these days.






I build this one, from the 1/48 Airfix kit, for the What-if group build over on Britmodeller, worth having a look at , some nice builds there.

Andrew

[Hobbes]

Well done, interesting modification.

[loupgarou]

Very interesting and clean looking plane.
Where have you found a 1/48 Lincoln or Shackleton to get the engines from?
loupgarou

[van883]

Really nice!

[bobbo]

Great backstory, great execution!

bobbo

[Glenn Gilbertson]

Great backstory, great execution!

bobbo

I'll echo that!

[The Wooksta!]

It looks more instinctively "right" as a concept than the Merlin engined Cranberry buit for Britmodeller's last Whif build.

Superb.

[andrewj]

Thanks for the positive comments, glad you like it , the engines are simple scratchbuilds from plastic tubing.

Andrew

[McColm]

Great idea,
Great build.

[PR19_Kit]

Oh yes! 

I'm almost sure I saw one of those way back when........ 

[andrewj]

Oh yes! 

I'm almost sure I saw one of those way back when........ 

Was it the PRI G with the very long wings ?

[The Wooksta!]

The way it's been done, it could also be a turboprop?

[andrewj]

The way it's been done, it could also be a turboprop?

Could easily be, if turboprops had ever been successfully developed.

[PR19_Kit]

Was it the PRI G with the very long wings ?

It could well have been, now I think about it.............. 

[NARSES2]

Nice