One of my favorite aircraft...

[Truckman]

Actually two of them were aloft to gather intel during the recent eclipse...Permanently based at NASA's Johnson Space center, I got to see them frequently and close up at Wings Over Houston......Ben

[Truckman]

Here's the "newest" one, resurrected from slumber in the desert sands after 42 years...The video didn't reference it, but the yellow paint seen on the aircraft is actually zinc chromate primer used to inhibit corrosion on the aluminum parts...My tool bag as a weapons mechanic always included a spray can to touch up whatever metal was exposed when I reinstalled a missile launcher in an F-4 fuselage...I may even still have a 50 year old can somewhere in my garage......Ben

[UTAH]

More on the Battlefield Airborne Communications Node (BACN) utilized on the WB-57.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle...s_Node#Purpose

"In 2005, the USAF's AFC2ISRC and ESC created BACN as an Objective Gateway technology demonstrator to provide voice and data interoperability between aircraft in a single battle area."
- Wikipedia

Why's this important to our national defense? "On 22 February 2010, the US Air Force and the Northrop Grumman BACN Team received the 2010 Network Centric Warfare Award from the Institute for Defense and Government Advancement (Wikipedia)."

Hunter

[Truckman]

I wonder if the engineers who began designing the Canberra for English Electric in November 1943 would recognize the latest variant of their work?......Ben

[Phillbo]

Nice plane. I've never seen one. So it's similar to a P3 Orion in functionality?

[Truckman]

Nice plane. I've never seen one. So it's similar to a P3 Orion in functionality?

Two different animals, Bo...The Lockheed P3 Orion is a turboprop aircraft purposely fitted for long range sea reconnaissance and anti-submarine warfare...But they both have served well...The Canberra, in its various forms has shown a lot of versatility, and shows no sign of retirement yet......Ben