Martin/General Dynamics RB-57F Canberra
| RB-57F Canberra | |
|---|---|
| Martin/General Dynamics RB-57F October 1978 (NASA 928) | |
| General information | |
| Type | Reconnaissance |
| Manufacturer | Martin; Re-manufactured by General Dynamics |
| Status | 3 still used by NASA as of 2026 |
| Primary users | United States Air Force |
| Number built | 21 |
| History | |
| Introduction date | 1963 |
| First flight | 23 June 1963 |
| Retired | 1974 (USAF) |
| Developed from | Martin B-57 Canberra |
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.
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. 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.
As of 2024, three WB-57Fs are the only B-57 aircraft model still flying, in service with NASA.