I am very interested in any information or photographs of the aircraft used in 'Operation Swifter' (aka, 'Swifter Flight') which used 6 modified Canberra B.2's, most from the Canberra OCU. at Bassingbourne.
WD950, WF890, WH648, WJ576, WJ608, WJ664 with WJ573 coming from RAF. Upwood station flight
It was a joint Farnborough & Boscombe Down venture to investigate effects on airframe (and aircrew) of high speed, low level flight. Data was needed to assess the effect on the airframe fatigue life resulting from this activity. At that time the Bucaneer & TSR.2 programmes were seen as the prime beneficiaries.
As part of the 'Swifter' research programme, EE. Canberra B.6, XH568 an RAE. aircraft also paid monthly visits to El Adem at that time, and flew the more extreme missions, ie. 400kts at 200' AGL. The aircraft was always flown by Gp.Capt. Hanafin, Head of Experimental Flying at Farnborough
I am intending modelling all the aircraft which took part and am currently in the process of ascertaining the basic colour schemes used by the aircraft (it seems pretty much every standard paint scheme was seen on the allocated airframes !)
Posts: 58
By: TSRjoe - 10th September 2014 at 10:38
I am very interested in any information or photographs of the aircraft used in 'Operation Swifter' (aka, 'Swifter Flight') which used 6 modified Canberra B.2's, most from the Canberra OCU. at Bassingbourne.
WD950, WF890, WH648, WJ576, WJ608, WJ664 with WJ573 coming from RAF. Upwood station flight
It was a joint Farnborough & Boscombe Down venture to investigate effects on airframe (and aircrew) of high speed, low level flight. Data was needed to assess the effect on the airframe fatigue life resulting from this activity. At that time the Bucaneer & TSR.2 programmes were seen as the prime beneficiaries.
As part of the 'Swifter' research programme, EE. Canberra B.6, XH568 an RAE. aircraft also paid monthly visits to El Adem at that time, and flew the more extreme missions, ie. 400kts at 200' AGL. The aircraft was always flown by Gp.Capt. Hanafin, Head of Experimental Flying at Farnborough
https://www.facebook.com/dinojoecosse/media_set?set=a.10200534788633702.1073741836.1277845094&type=3
I am intending modelling all the aircraft which took part and am currently in the process of ascertaining the basic colour schemes used by the aircraft (it seems pretty much every standard paint scheme was seen on the allocated airframes !)
many thanks, Joe Warner Cherrie