THE FRADU CANBERRA PHOTO GALLERY

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THE T.22 & T.4 CANBERRAS OF FRADU
T.22 WH801 T.22 WH797 T.22 WT535 T.22 WH780 T.22 WT510 T.22 WT525 T.22 WH803
T.4 WJ874

"850" = Canberra T.22 WH801
 

[unknown]

[© Peter R. March]
       

The first Canberra T.22 coded with the FRADU sequence is WH801, and she was also the first of the variant to be delivered to the Navy. Built originally as a PR.7 by English Electric at Preston, she went onto serve with No. 540, 13, 31, 31 and 17 RAF Squadrons before being delivered to the Royal Navy in February 1971.
Conversion to T.22 status followed and she was redelivered back to the Navy in November 1973 and went on to serve with the FRADU. She served with the Unit for a further 12 years before she was retired to RAF St Athan in 1985.
She stayed there for over five years before eventually being put up for disposal.
Unfortunately a Museum didn't manage to purchase her, and so the  scrap-man got a very nice lot! A few months later the airframe was scrapped.


"851" = Canberra T.22 WH797
 

[© Peter R. March]

[© Martin Morley]
         

WH797 was built by English Electric at Preston as a PR.7 and saw RAF service with Nos. 542, 58 and 81 Squadrons.
Chosen as one of the PR.7's for use with the Navy it was taken on Navy charge in February 1971.
It was then converted and designated as a T.22. She was transferred to the FRADU and served with them for over ten years, Retired in February 1985 and flown to RAF St Athan for storage it remained there for six years.
Put up for disposal in 1991 she was acquired by the same scrap-man that bought WH801. 

The aircraft was scrapped in 1994, but unconfirmed reports suggest that the cockpit area was saved, whilst the rear fuselage, was put to good use on DARA St Athan's fire dump.


"852" = Canberra T.22 WT535
 

[© Peter R. March]

[unknown]
         

Part of a contract to build 40 PR.7 Canberras, WT535 was built at English Electric's factory at Preston.
She had a fairly limited RAF career, serving only with RAF 17 Squadron before being transferred to Navy charge in February 1971.
After being selected as one of seven aircraft to be converted to T.22 status she went on to serve with the FRADU at RNAS Yeovilton. She was retired in 1984 and her last flight was to RAF St Athan. She sat there for a few years before being sold off, and she was purchased by a scrap dealer at auction. As with the case with WH801, there are unconfirmed reports that the cockpit area still exists today, but the remainder was scrapped in 1994.


"853" = Canberra T.22 WH780
   

[© Peter R. March]
       

WH780 was built by English Electric at Preston and first flew in 1954. She was delivered to the RAF and she served with a number of Squadrons including Nos. 542, 58, 527 and 82 Squadron. She was then loaned to BP Depford and also spent some time with the A&AEE. Taken on Navy charge in February 1971 she was converted to a T22 and then delivered back to the Navy in 1974.
Serving with the FRADU at Yeovilton for eleven years before retirement to St Athan, she was offered for sale in 1991 after spending six years in storage. A scrap merchant acquired her and moved her to Stock. Scrapped in 1994 the cockpit area is reported to have been spared, but whether it still survives today in unknown.


"854" = Canberra T.22 WT510
   

[© Peter R. March]

[unknown]

[© Peter R. March]

[© Somerset Aviation Enthusiasts]

[© Richard Parkhurst]
       

Built by English Electric at Preston as a PR.7 this aircraft served with a few RAF Squadrons including Nos. 31 (twice) and 80 Squadrons. Transferred to the Navy in February 1971 it was WT510 that was selected to be the "guinea pig" in testing the concept of fitting the Blue Parrot Radar to a Canberra. After this she was re-designated as a T.22 and took her first flight on 28/6/73. Periods with BAC and the A&AEE followed before being delivered to the FRADU at Yeovilton and assigned the nose code "854." As with most of the T.22's she was retired in 1985 and flown to St Athan for storage.
Ironically the first T.22 to be converted was the last to be flown as she was put back into service and flew on with the FRADU into 1988. Retired once more following the delivery of more Dassault Mystere Falcons (the T.22's replacements) she sat at St Athan with the other examples. Sold off at auction a scrap-man acquired her and moved her to their facilities at Stock, Essex where it was processed in 1994. 
The cockpit is rumoured to survive. If anyone has seen it please let me know!


"855" = Canberra T.22 WT525
 

[© Martin Morley]

[unknown]
       

Part of the same PR.7 Canberra contract that produced WT535/852 and WT510/854 this aircraft was built at Preston. Service with Nos. 80 and 17 RAF Squadrons followed before transfer to the Royal Navy followed in February 1971.
She was converted to a T.22 and redelivered back for service with the FRADU at RNAS Yeovilton. She served with the Unit until March 1985 when she was flown to St Athan for retirement. Auctioned off she was acquired by (... you guessed it!) a scrap-man. Fortunately all of the airframe was not consumed and the cockpit was sold to a private owner in South Woodham Ferrers, Essex.

It has recently been sold and is being restored back to its former glory!
This nose section represents the only confirmed survivor of the T-22 family. 


"856" = Canberra T.22 WH803
 

[© Mike Hall]

[© Somerset Aviation Enthusiasts]

[unknown]

[© Richard Parkhurst]

[© Richard Parkhurst]

Built as a PR.7 by English Electric at Preston WH803 was delivered to the RAF and she served with Nos. 540 and 17 Squadrons. Then transferred to Navy charge she flew for a short period as a PR.7 before having that nose job and other modifications making it a T.22. Subsequently returned  to the Navy, it served with the FRADU for many years, until being flown to RAF St Athan in May 1984. It was struck off charge and placed in store.

It was later sold off at auction, bought  by a scrap-man, and cut up in 1994. 


"858" = Canberra T.4 WJ874
 

[© Martin Morley]

[© Nick Challoner]

[© Gary Parsons/Air-scene UK]
         

The Navy acquired 4 Canberra T.4's in a transfer deal from the RAF in 1969, and WJ874 was one of those airframes.
Built in Preston by English Electric it served with the RAF with the RAF Binbrook and Conningsby Station Flights and then with 231OCU. Transfer to the Navy in 1969 followed and the aircraft was delivered to 27MU in November of that year.
Service with the FRADU at regular intervals followed well into the 1980's.

With the continuous slimming down of the FRADU Canberra fleet it was transferred back to the RAF in 1986.
During 1999, it was re-finished into the colours of the prototype Canberra VN799, to commemorate the type's 50th birthday.
It kept these colours until retirement in 2005, when it was sold to Air Alantic Airways based at Coventry.
Arriving by air in November that year, work has begun to certificate the Canberra for civilian operation, and it may well be seen on the airshow circuit in 2006. Watch this space!

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