RB-57 conversion

There were a couple variants with the big wings...but I haven't seen them in a long time. I was surprised that no one came out with resin wings for the Airfix or Classic Airframes releases.

I once knew a guy who's job it was was to fly his RB-57 through the mushroom cloud of nuclear weapons test detonations. He said it was amazing crowded in the skies above these test as everyone was hoping to collect information about the other guys weapons capability.

Another friend flew RB-57 out of Malmstrom AFB, Montana. His stories about the aircraft were interesting. In fact the last one he flew is on display at the museum there.

are these the same wings as used on the WB57?

The RB-57E was a standard B-57 with a modified nose for recce equipment.  It used the same engines and wings as the B-57E.  The RB-57F and the WB-57F were the same aircraft, just used for different missions.  They were considerably different from the standard Canberra/B-57.  They had a much larger wing and stabs plus TF-33 engines instead of the stock J-65.  They had the optional capability to add auxiliary engines under the wings just outboard of the main engines.

Mach 2 makes an injection molded, 1/72 scale model of the RB-57F.  The quality is somewhat lacking and it usually sells in $60-$70 range.  The vaccuform mod kit shows up on ebay occasionally, but it too lacks a lot for quality and accuracy.

Darwin, O.F. 

i need that kit!!!!!lol

Ask, and thou shalt receive, (after parting with $$$$). 

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=400095023743&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT

Darwin, O.F. 

i found it here too  http://www.hannants.co.uk/search/?FULL=MACH1872

just have to wait for pay day now

The two long wing B-57 variant are the RB-57D and R/WB-57F. High Planes makes a kit of the RB-57D, along with the B-57A and other Canberras. As mentioned, Mach 2 makes the R/WB-57F. These are in 1/72. There is a 1/48th R/WB-57F kit. 

The article that you mentioned is probably the ones in Airfix Magazine. In the late 70s/early 80s, they did a series of articles detailing how to convert the Airfix Canberra B.6 to the various B-57 variants. One issue had the EB-57A, B-57B and RB-57D. The latter one was done with plastic over a plywood core. They also did an article on making the RB-57F. In the 90s, when Airfix Magazine went over to the cheap paper and poor photo reproductions, they did an article on using the DB conversion parts. It wasn't very useful. 

The High Planes kits are typical of  short run low pressure injection mold kits and are rough but dimensionally pretty accurate. It compares well with the Canberra B.8 plans in the old Scale Models Magazine. Of the other early Canberra kits, the Frog/Novo/Eastern Express/Revell B.8 also compares well, but surface detailing is fair. The Italeri kit has excellent detailing, but the fuselage aft of the bomb bay angles in too sharply. The Frog is better in this area. The Matchbox PR7 is OK, but most apparent is that the nose area ahead of the wings is over scale. It wouldn't be a matter of just cutting a segment out. The Mach 2 kit is apparently underscale and doesn't match the plans in the excellent Aerophile article. I haven't gotten the Xtrakit nor the Airfix Canberra kits, so I cannot comment on them.  The early Airfix B.2 had problems around the nose area and the molds were later modified to make the RB-57E, but the nose is too sharp. 

Bob Mikesh's two books on the Canberra, the Canberra at War and its revised successor, the B-57 Canberra are the two best books on the B-57. The R/WB-57F article in Aerophile Magazine is still the best source of information on that model. The Aerofax book on the U-2 has a good short summary on the development of the RB-57D. Air Classics had a good article on the WB-57Fs of the 58th WRS at Kirtland AFB. Scale Aircraft, a sister publication to Scale Modeler had an article on making the RB-57F in 1/72. The old B-57Aircraft Profile written by David Anderton was also good. Bob Mikesh did a two part article in Wings/Air Power on the B-57 Canberra with lots of very good photos. He did another one later when the B-57 retired. 

If you want. I can send you a dvd with the Airfix and Aerophile articles. Sorry, I'm kind of slow, but will try my best.

Best wishes,

Grant

I just always thought the B-57 was an interesting plane, though there were some who don't like it as it is not an American design. I have a partially built B-57B Italeri kit that I have to get back to someday.....

I think the article I read was in an old issue of FSM and thought it would have been interesting to build one, but as I said, the conversion parts were vac form and I had never worked with them before.(still haven't!) I believe the kit may have even included the small outrigger engines.

True the B-57 was of English design, but the B-57B and the later U.S. modifications were built under license by Martin. For anyone interested there is a B-57A sitting on display at an airport northwest od Detroit MI. I cannot recall the name of the airport but it is the one where the "Thunder over Michigan" airshow is put on every year. A GHREAT airshow and ground display every year. I think that all of the B-57As were British built and were purchased rather than built in the U.S. by Martin, but I'm not sure of this. Anyone know for sure? The B-57 A model looks neat in the black gloss with red lettering. This airplane served us well, as DOES another British import, the Harrier. We also tend to forget that the Brits shared the jet engine technology with us. Whittle wasn't crazy afterall. Cheers! One added note. If you ever get to see a B-57 start up its engines you will think it is on fire. It has a starter cartrige that generates a ton of smoke. IT IS a NEAT airplane.

English Electric sent over two Canberras to the US to be used as pattern aircraft. One crashed and the other was modified with a mock up of the later B-57B cockpit, but it never flew with it. All B-57s from the B-57A model on were built in the US. The B-57A mainly differed from the British Canberra in having the rotating bomb bay, used in the XB-51. The B-57A primarily differed from the B-57B in having the goldfish bowl cockpit and the finger air brakes in the wing. The B-57B had the tandem cockpit and the fuselage air brakes. The B-57C trainer had dual controls and the tow target B-57E had powered controls and engines with slightly more power. 

If you have a chance to look more closely at the B-57A in Detroit, you will find that it is probably an ex-MichANG RB-57A. If it is an ordinary one, (the original RB-57A with a glass nose cap) there should be plated coverings behind the bomb bay for the cameras. If you can post pictures of those, that would be useful for modelers. Information on the camera openings is rather scarce. The MichANG RB-57As also had a small bump under the nose. I think that it is either an RHAW or for something like a driftmeter sight. If it is one of the special RB-57As, then it would have a solid nose and the camera was housed in the bomb bay. I don't think that you would see any evidence of a camera window or plating on the bomb bay any more.

Here are some photos from Aviation Review. Flying out of Johnson AB, Japan in 1958 or so.

B-57E with dayglo top with yellow fuselage stripe. 

One of the specials with air sampling pods.

RB-57F Recon

RB-57F later WB-57F weather sampler.

Black U-2 sampling pod on bomb bay door and two LASL tanks on the wings. 

RB-57A D-20 sampler. Notice solid nose and small sampling probe under cockpit. 

Best wishes,

Grant

Thanks for the info. The aircraft is an MI ANG airplane SN 0-21426 and it does have a clear nose and a bump under the nose and a large antenna on the back,( toward the back) of the airplane. This summer I'm going up early, that is before the air show, specifically to document this airplane as well as a F-101B Voodoo, an RF-84 and a few others they have on static display, e.g. a B-52. I ordered the Airfix kits of the B-57B and the British early Canberra. I want to build a B-57A, in black with red lettering and a red and white checker board on the tail, and any suggestions would be appreciated.

The red and white checkerboard tail B-57As were RB-57A sthat belonged to the 363rd TRW out of Shaw AFB. There were only about 8 B-57As and none served in active units, I believe. Black RB-57As served at Shaw and in Europe with the 10th and 66th TRW. Some RB-57As in 66th TRW were observed with the black paint removed and left in N/M. A few served in the Far East with the 6021st RS, later the 6091st RS. Black RB-57As in the Far East were non standard with higher powered engines and different cameras. some served with the ROCAF, where some were lost over China. The RB-57As didn't serve long in Europe and at Shaw and were replaced fairly quickly with RB-66Bs. In the Far East, they served until about 1962 or 63. RB-66Bs replaced RB-26Cs in the 67th TRW. The RB-66Bs left PACAF in 1959/1960 and soon after in USAFE and survived a little longer at Shaw. A few RB-66Bs even went to SEA after the Tonkin Gulf Incident, along with the RB-66Cs and B-66Bs. The B-66Bs were with the Brown Cradle ECM pack. They became the early EB-66Bs. Later, RB-66Bs were similarly converted and would later designated EB-66Es. 

RB-57As went to two Michigan, Arkansas, and a couple other ANG units. Some were modified in EB-57As and served in DSES units at Otis and at Briggs AFB. 

Sorry, have to go now and will update or correct the latter info.

Best wishes,

Grant

Had a bit of a panic last night: I dug out the old Testors/Italeri B-57B kit and looking it over, discovered the canopy was missing! I searched for a while and was about to give the kit up as a write off, but finally located it in with some other spare parts! Guess that can happen when start something 15 years ago and even move during that time period!

Link to Collect-Aire 1/48 R/WB-57F kit. Hope that it is useful.

http://www.cybermodeler.com/hobby/kits/coll/kit_coll_wb-57.shtml

Link to Modeling Madness review of Mach 2 RB-57F kit.

http://modelingmadness.com/scotts/korean/preview/mach2/019preview.htm

Link to Aviation Enthusiasts Corner page on the RB-57F.

http://www.aero-web.org/specs/margendy/rb-57f.htm 

A painting, a line drawing, and a very rare photo of a PAF RB-57F. An even rarer photo of apparently an all black RB-57F. 

http://www.aero-web.org/specs/margendy/rb-57f.htm

A link to a page on the Pakistan AF. Scroll down to the painting of the RB-57f being shot at by SAMs for some more info. 

http://welc0m2myworld.blogspot.com/2010/01/part-8-pictorial-history-of-pakistan.html

A thread on Airline Pilot Central Forums on the black RB-57F photo. It is not the black RB-57D as opined by some. The last post on page two might be the best answer. 

http://www.airlinepilotforums.com/military/47194-guess-aircraft-i-am-stumped.html

Here is a link to a site of B-57s in Japn. Hosted by geta-o. 

http://members.jcom.home.ne.jp/at-yoshi/B/B-57/B-57.htm

Here is a link to Aviation Spector. The RB-57A with the red and white checked tsil is further down the page.

http://www.aviationspectator.com/resources/aircraft-profiles/martin-b-57-canberra-aircraft-profile

Best wishes,

Grant

Here is a link to a High Planes Canberra kit review. It is similar to the B-57A kit. Can't find a review of the B-57A or RB-57D kits, so far. Sorry. 

http://www.aviationspectator.com/resources/aircraft-profiles/martin-b-57-canberra-aircraft-profile

Best Wishes,.

Grant

A standard B-57 had a 64' wingspan.

A RB-57D had a 106' wingspan

A RB-57F had a 122' wingspan almost double the original.

JOHN

Grant, I was curious if you knew any more information about the RB-57A's that were transfered to michigan. I recently came across some original cockpit parts from one of the aircrafts and was trying to get some more info. Would we beable to swap some info? Thanks! - Justen la.springs@hotmail.com