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Martin/General Dynamics RB-57F Canberra
High-altitude strategic reconnaissance aircraft developed from Martin RB-57D Canberra / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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The Martin/General Dynamics RB-57F Canberra is a specialized strategic reconnaissance aircraft developed in the 1960s for the United States Air Force by General Dynamics from the Martin B-57 Canberra tactical bomber, which itself was a license-built version of the English Electric Canberra. It was operationally assigned to the Air Weather Service for weather reconnaissance involving high-altitude atmospheric sampling and radiation detection in support of nuclear test monitoring, but four of the 21 modified aircraft performed solely as strategic reconnaissance platforms in Japan and Germany.
RB-57F Canberra | |
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Martin/General Dynamics RB-57F October 1978 (NASA 928) | |
Role | Reconnaissance |
Manufacturer | Martin; Re-manufactured by General Dynamics |
First flight | 23 June 1963 |
Introduction | 1963 |
Retired | 1974 (USAF) |
Status | 3 still used by NASA as of 2024[1] |
Primary users | United States Air Force Pakistan Air Force NASA |
Number built | 21 |
Developed from | Martin B-57 Canberra |
Three of the modified aircraft were destroyed with the loss of their crews while performing operationally. The remainder were re-designated WB-57F in 1968.[citation needed] Four of the survivors were subsequently used by NASA for high-altitude atmospheric research. The others were retired from 1972 to 1974 and placed in storage.[citation needed]
As of 2024[update], three WB-57Fs are the only B-57 aircraft model still flying, in service with NASA.[1]