Unconfigured Ad Widget

Collapse

Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

WB-57 NASA plane

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

  • WB-57 NASA plane

    Never heard of this thing. Apparently 3 of them exist:

    The NASA Johnson Space Center (JSC) in Houston, Texas is the home of the NASA WB-57 High Altitude Research Program. Three fully operational WB-57 aircraft are based near JSC at Ellington Field. The aircraft have been flying research missions since the early 1970's, and continue to be an asset to the scientific community with professional, reliable, customer-oriented service designed to meet all scientific objectives.

    The WB-57 is a mid-wing, long-range aircraft capable of operation for extended periods of time from sea level to altitudes in excess of 60,000 feet. Two crew members are positioned at separate tandem stations in the forward section of the fuselage. The pilot station contains all the essential equipment for flying the aircraft while the sensor equipment operator (SEO) station contains both navigational equipment and controls for the operation of the payloads that are located throughout the aircraft. The WB-57 can fly for approximately 6.5 hours, has a range of approximately 2500 miles, and can carry up to 8,800 lbs of payload.


    One on the ground at Adak, Alaska, presumably for fuel.









  • #2
    They are the last flying B-57s in the world, although there are a couple of privately-owned English Electric Canberras (on which the B-57 was based) that return to the air occasionally, funds permitting.

    The WBs were based on long-wing RB-57 strategic recon variants (sort of a poor man's U-2), and were used for atmospheric sampling after nuclear tests, before they were passed to NOAA and eventually to NASA. I think TFer Niseguy actually used to work on the WBs.
    "Only a fool fights in a burning house."-Kang

    "If you listen to fools....The Maaahhhhb Ruuuules....."-Ronnie James Dio

    Comment


    • #3
      Sea Fury beat me to it but as he stated these are derived from the late 1940s British Canberra (which I'm sure you have heard of). Here's more info:

      The Canberra bomber was designed way back in the 1940s. So why is Nasa still using three of them today? Stephen Dowling investigates.

      Comment


      • #4
        I've not only heard of the B-57, I've seen several in museums. But I didn't realize that there were any still flying.

        Comment


        • #5
          I had a 3 year project to pull one out of long term storage in Az. my plane was parked in 1972 and we flew again in 2012. Set the record for the longest a plane in storeage to fly again.
          "Life's journey is not to arrive at the grave safely in a well preserved
          body, but rather to skid in sideways, totally worn out, shouting
          "...holy $^!+...what a ride!"
          >

          Comment


          • #6
            And these have the Pratt&WhitneyTF33 Like the B52 KC135 and C141.

            Comment


            • #7
              Originally posted by AGRiculture View Post
              I've not only heard of the B-57, I've seen several in museums. But I didn't realize that there were any still flying.
              The only one I've ever seen in person was on display at Lackland AFB in Texas.




              Comment


              • #8
                I've seen at least four. At the main USAF museum in Dayton, the SAC museum in Omaha, Pima Air Museum in Tucson, and a small museum next to Eglin AFB in Florida.

                Comment


                • #9
                  Originally posted by AGRiculture View Post
                  I've not only heard of the B-57, I've seen several in museums. But I didn't realize that there were any still flying.
                  2,500 mile range ... man, that's not very far. No wonder they landed in Adak, out of fuel.


                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Sounds like it's on it's way back to Ellington from climate research missions in South Korea. Story: https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zon...in-south-korea
                    "Only a fool fights in a burning house."-Kang

                    "If you listen to fools....The Maaahhhhb Ruuuules....."-Ronnie James Dio

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      NASA 927 before restorationwb 57 boneyard.jpgwb 57 boneyard.jpg
                      "Life's journey is not to arrive at the grave safely in a well preserved
                      body, but rather to skid in sideways, totally worn out, shouting
                      "...holy $^!+...what a ride!"
                      >

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Interesting that NASA didn't keep the little auxiliary J60 engines. Any insight on that?
                        "Only a fool fights in a burning house."-Kang

                        "If you listen to fools....The Maaahhhhb Ruuuules....."-Ronnie James Dio

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          The TF33s have twice the thrust.

                          The Canberra had only a 45,000ft ceiling.

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Originally posted by RS2 View Post
                            The TF33s have twice the thrust.
                            Yes, but as you can see in Niseguy's pictures of the airplane pickled at D-M, the RB conversions originally came with auxiliary J60 engines (same engines as a T-39/Sabreliner or T-2 Buckeye) on detachable underwing mounts for extra high-altitude thrust. They were used to augment the TF33s to help the airplane climb in thinner air.
                            "Only a fool fights in a burning house."-Kang

                            "If you listen to fools....The Maaahhhhb Ruuuules....."-Ronnie James Dio

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Those things had only like 2500lbs thrust.TF33s that replaced the 7500lb turbojet engines have 16,000lbs thrust.

                              Comment

                              Unconfigured Ad Widget

                              Collapse
                              Working...
                              X