English Electric Canberra PR.3 WE139

The Canberra long-range, photo-reconnaissance aircraft was one of several versions of the Canberra bomber, and one of the success stories of the post-war British aircraft industry. Many British-built aircraft were exported and production also took place under licence in the United States of America and Australia.

The Canberra was the first jet-powered bomber to enter service with the Royal Air Force. It was unarmed and relied on high speed to escape enemy fighters. As the Cold War deepened in the early 1950s the Canberra was ordered in large numbers to replace the obsolete Avro Lincolns and to form new light bomber squadrons. Shortly after the Royal Air Force began to also consider the Canberra as replacement for its aging photo-reconnaissance Mosquito aircraft. It's speed and high flying ceiling made it ideal for this purpose. This Canberra PR.3 is particularly significant. Flight Lieutenant Roland Burton AFC, with Flight Lieutenant Don Gannon DFC as navigator, flew WE139 in the 1953 London to New Zealand Air Race. Travelling a distance of 12,720 miles, they finished first in a time of 23 hours and 51 minutes. They were airborne for the whole period but for around 90 minutes and flew at an average speed of 494.48 mph - a world record for the time.