Martin B28½ Canberra - Finished pics Pg 7.

[zenrat]

Martin B.28½ Canberra

Martin B.281-2 Canberra - 15 by Fred Maillardet, on Flickr

No one is quite sure why Martin built the first B.28½ Canberra although there are plenty of theories;  was it a cost saving pre-production test build for the B.57?  did it result from an error converting the English Electric drawings from Imperial measurements to American feet and inches?  was it to save money on infrastructure?  or was it part of a plan to trick enemy defences into thinking that attacking aircraft were further away until it was too late?
Whatever the reason (and nobody at Martin is talking) the first Half-Can¹ was rolled out of Martin's Baltimore plant and took to the air on 19th July 1953.
Visually the basic airframe was a half scale version of an English Electric Canberra PR.9.  The only variations being the undercarriage, the cockpit, and the engine nacelles.  The use of General Electric J85 Turbojets necessitated increasing the diameter of the nacelles above that of a true half scale replica, the cockpit and canopy had to be redesigned to enable the single crewman (or woman - thank you Reg) to fit, and the undercarriage were lengthened.  This of course leads to more questions such as why did Martin build a half scale English Electric Canberra and not a half scale B.57?

Martin B.281-2 Canberra - 13 by Fred Maillardet, on Flickr

Twenty Three B.28½s were produced and immediately mothballed in the back of a hanger when the USAF decided that maybe they didn't need them after all².
Approximately ten years later a representative of Martin Marietta, over drinks and strippers in a Soho nightclub, mentioned the existence of the Half-Can to a Very Senior RAF Officer who was intrigued, amused, and determined to get a go in one of them.
Initially the USAF denied their existance³ but after a bit of prompting someone was found who remembered them and even (after he was sobered up) knew which hanger they were in.  Eager on one side to be rid of what they suspected had been ordered as a prank, and on the other to get free aircraft if possible, the two Air Forces came up with the idea of a permanent loan arrangement to conduct radar trials⁴ and all 23 aircraft were quietly shipped across the Atlantic before anyone noticed them leaving.

Martin B.281-2 Canberra - 18 by Fred Maillardet, on Flickr

Upon delivery RAF technical staff were pleased to discover afterburning J85-GE-13 engines in five of the Half-Cans.  These aircraft were put to one side and reserved for use as personal aircraft by Very Senior RAF Officers while the remaining 18 were sent to RAF Boscombe Down for evaluation and experimental use.
Test pilots reported that the B.28½ was a delight to fly – stable, yet manoeuvrable and responsive with a good turn of speed and a reasonable payload given its size.  It would make an ideal strike aircraft and was also suggested as a possible candidate for use by the Red Arrows.

Martin B.281-2 Canberra - 6 by Fred Maillardet, on Flickr

In RAF hands the Half-Cans were half heartedly used in a few radar trials that were designed less to provide results than to justify and provide cover for the continued maintenance of the five "Hot" Half-Cans which were proving extremely popular with those select Very Senior RAF Officers who were let into the secret.  As obtaining parts from Martin would have meant involving auditors and answering potentially embarrassing questions about budgetary black ops the 18 E&E (Evaluation and Experimental) aircraft were used as a source of parts.  This state of affairs continued until the afterburning engines ran out of hours at which point 8 of the E&E aircraft remained airworthy.  Because the sole raison d'être of the E&E Half-Cans had been to keep the Very Senior RAF Officers toys in the air all support for them, unofficial or otherwise, was immediately withdrawn and all aircraft, airframes, parts, spares, tools, jigs, manuals, or anything else relating to them was put into the back of a hanger so they could be forgotten about and quietly scrapped.

Martin B.281-2 Canberra - 14 by Fred Maillardet, on Flickr

Which didn't happen because of cinema.
The 1983 Falklands War and the associated resurgence of national pride in the British armed forces resulted in a number of modern war films such as Ice Cold in Stanley, The Sound of Yomping, Sink the Belgrano, Carry On Argie Bargy, and Night of the Pucara.
The RAF cooperated with Handmade Films for the flying scenes of The Canberras are Coming the 1986 movie starring Hugh Grant, Lysette Anthony, and Miriam Margolese.  Half-Cans were fitted with false ventral gunpacks and repainted with halfsize markings to represent the Canberra B.(I)8s flown by the interdictor squadron featured in the movie.  Members of the Red Arrows piloted the aircraft performing the stunt flying required including the famous "flying under the exocets" scene.  Following the completion of filming the B.28½s were returned to the back of their hanger to await the filming of the sequel The Canberras are Coming Back.  They are still waiting.

1 A twice full size 2:1 scale four engine heavy bomber version was also proposed – the Two-Can.
2 Or they forgot why they ordered them, or the person who ordered them had moved on.
3 Embarrassed? or maybe they had forgotten they had them.
4 Comparison of radar returns of identical shape but differently sized aircraft.

Martin B.281-2 Canberra - 11 by Fred Maillardet, on Flickr

The Model.
A Model 1/144 English Electric Canberra Mk 8 scaleoramaed into1/72.
Larger nacelles built from Lockheed Viking drop tanks.
White metal pilot by Elheim Figures.
Canopy is old mould Airfix Beaufighter rear canopy.
Undercarriage legs and wheels from my parts box.
Transfers from the A Model kit.

Martin B.281-2 Canberra - 19 by Fred Maillardet, on Flickr

[Old Wombat]

That's awesome, Fred!      

Looks like a very close relative of the Meteor.  

[kerick]

Nice build and great story! I should build the Two-Can!

[zenrat]

Thanks folks.

[PR19_Kit]

Oh my life, I haven't stopped laughing since I started reading the backstory!                                 

That's a total HOOT Fred, and a shoo-in for an award somewhere, even if it doesn't walk this GB! 

[NARSES2]

I do like that Fred, quite a lot actually     

Mind you I now can't get the possible casting of "Carry On Argie Bargy" out of my head 

[su27rules]

  

[Rheged]

It's a nice piece of modelling, but that backstory is MAGNIFICENT!

[PR19_Kit]

What Rheged said. ^^^^^^^   

[sandiego89]

Great concept and a very entertaining backstory! Nicely done

[The Rat]

That. Is. SUPERB!

[zenrat]

Thanks Folks.

I do like that Fred, quite a lot actually     

Mind you I now can't get the possible casting of "Carry On Argie Bargy" out of my head 

I'm open to suggestions.

Hattie Jacques as the Atlantic Conveyor?

[PR19_Kit]

Hattie Jacques as the Atlantic Conveyor?

Heavens no, the 'Atlantic Conveyor' was quite a handsome ship.......................

[NARSES2]

Thanks Folks.

I do like that Fred, quite a lot actually     

Mind you I now can't get the possible casting of "Carry On Argie Bargy" out of my head 

I'm open to suggestions.

Hattie Jacques as the Atlantic Conveyor?

It's more what Babs Windsor would have been cast as  Co-incidentally Film 4 showed Carry on Constable the other day which I'd recorded. One of the earlier ones and still an enjoyable way to pass 90 minutes or so 

[zenrat]

Thanks Folks.

I do like that Fred, quite a lot actually     

Mind you I now can't get the possible casting of "Carry On Argie Bargy" out of my head 

I'm open to suggestions.

Hattie Jacques as the Atlantic Conveyor?

It's more what Babs Windsor would have been cast as  Co-incidentally Film 4 showed Carry on Constable the other day which I'd recorded. One of the earlier ones and still an enjoyable way to pass 90 minutes or so 

Thatcher?