While the history of the jet engine and the development of Britain’s first jet fighter are well known, the evolution of a jet-powered bomber is a story that is less well charted, even though its creation was undoubtedly as important as the fighter’s – if not more so. English Electric’s Canberra bomber was created without fuss and fanfare, and without any significant delays or disasters. However, the Canberra was far from mundane. At the time of the aircraft’s development, RAF’s Bomber Command relied upon obsolescent Lincolns. The Canberra was a breath of fresh air. It was fast, it could climb to hitherto unattainable altitudes, and it was astonishingly manoeuvrable.

Of course, the Canberra was also much more than a bomber. Its simple and rugged construction endowed the aircraft with a capacity to take on many roles, ranging from reconnaissance through to target towing. In another much darker guise, it also became a low-level intruder, with atomic weaponry in its belly. The Canberra also claimed a considerable number of export sales, not least in the US where the aircraft became one of only a handful of post-war foreign designs to be adopted by the United States Air Force. This new book edition of Aeroplane Icons: Canberra celebrates an aircraft with a long and colourful history.