Development: When W. E. W. "Teddy" Petter joined English Electric at Preston as chief engineer he already had a scheme for a jet bomber. To meet specification B.3/45 he eventually planned a straightforward unswept aircraft with a broad wing for good behaviour at great heights, with two of the new axial jet engines centred on each wing giving a total of 15,000lb thrust. Like the Mosquito, the A.1 bomber was to be fast enough to escape interception, whilst carrying a 6.000lb bomb load over a radius of 750 nautical miles. It was to have a crew of two and a radar bomb sight for blind attacks in all conditions.
The prototype amazed everyone with its low-level manoeuvrability, and the A.1, named Canberra, was a superb flying machine from the start. But the radar bombing system lagged years in development, and a new specification, B.5/47, had to be raised to cover simpler visual bomber with a transparent nose and crew of three. This entered production without much more trouble and became the first axial-jet aircraft in the RAF. First Canberra B.2s were painted black on sides and under-surfaces, but this changed in 1952 to grey-blue, and the white serial number was painted extra-large to serve as a "buzz number" visible to fighter pilots from a safe distance. In February 1951 a B.2 set a transatlantic record flying out to Baltimore to serve as pattern aircraft for the Martin B-57 programme (see were made by EECo and by Handley Page (75), Avro (75) and Short (60) entry).
The Korean war caused a sudden jump in orders, and Canberra B.25 The PR.3 was a reconnaissance version with longer fuselage for more fuel Avon 109 engines and integral wing tanks, and was to be a visual target The T.4 had side-by-side dual controls. The Mk 5 prototype introduced marker. It led to the B.6. the heavier and more powerful replacement for the B.2. The corresponding reconnaissance version was the PR.7, from which was derived the much more powerful, long-span PR.9 developed and built by Short. Most versatile Canberra was the B (1).8, with offset pilot canopy and nay/bomb position in the nose. With four 20mm cannon (and ammunition for 55 seconds continuous firing) the Mk 8 also carried a wide range of under-wing missiles, bombs, tanks and special pods, and, like earlier versions, proved an export winner, particularly the B(1).12. Until they were ready the B (1).6 served in Germany in the multi-role tasks and also dashed to Kuwait in 1961. Later mark numbers include special trainers electronic-warfare versions, target tugs. pilotless targets and, as one-of conversions, platforms for testing almost every British postwar engine missile and airborne device. Total Canberra production was 925 in Britain Australia made 49 B.20s for the RAAF.
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