In 1952, four Royal Air Force Canberras performed a goodwill tour of Latin America – becoming the first jets to fly over most of the continent, reveals Santiago Rivas
Following World War Two, the UK and many nations across the world were jostling to claim the emerging Latin American aircraft market. While Argentina, Ecuador, Venezuela and, to some extent, the Dominican Republic relied on the offer of surplus airframes from the US, the remaining countries were open markets that the UK had held a significant share of before the war – and the British government wanted it back.
