01/03/14 - Canberra PR9 test flight

[RickIngham]

Nice to finally see Midair's Canberra PR9, caught today on two test flights flown by David Piper and Mike Leckey.



English Electric Canberra PR9 - XH134/G-OMHD - Ex RAF by RickInghamPhotography.co.uk, on Flickr


English Electric Canberra PR9 - XH134/G-OMHD - Ex RAF by RickInghamPhotography.co.uk, on Flickr


English Electric Canberra PR9 - XH134/G-OMHD - Ex RAF by RickInghamPhotography.co.uk, on Flickr


English Electric Canberra PR9 - XH134/G-OMHD - Ex RAF by RickInghamPhotography.co.uk, on Flickr


English Electric Canberra PR9 - XH134/G-OMHD - Ex RAF by RickInghamPhotography.co.uk, on Flickr


English Electric Canberra PR9 - XH134/G-OMHD - Ex RAF by RickInghamPhotography.co.uk, on Flickr


English Electric Canberra PR9 - XH134/G-OMHD - Ex RAF by RickInghamPhotography.co.uk, on Flickr


English Electric Canberra PR9 - XH134/G-OMHD - Ex RAF by RickInghamPhotography.co.uk, on Flickr


English Electric Canberra PR9 - XH134/G-OMHD - Ex RAF by RickInghamPhotography.co.uk, on Flickr


English Electric Canberra PR9 - XH134/G-OMHD - Ex RAF by RickInghamPhotography.co.uk, on Flickr

Full set can be found here: http://rickinghamphotography.co.uk/site ... -pr9-xh134

[dale b]

Lovely set. Blue skies and lovely light. Topside shots are stunning. I hope I get to see her this year.

[8674planes]

Great pictures, I can tell she is going to be a crowd favorite this year. The silver paint scheme looks a lot better than I thought it would.

[Domvickery]

She's a stunner, if anyone has any doubts about the colour change should be forwarded to this thread!

Great pics, cant wait to get one of those topsides this year!

[bigcrow]

Lovely Rick, great light...

[DeanW]

Great collection of images but that topside against the dark sky is the pick of the bunch.

[Sundowner]

What a beauty, thanks for sharing.

[tankbuster81]

Lovely shots of a great aircraft,hopefully the bookings will role in….

[frank]

She's a stunner, if anyone has any doubts about the colour change should be forwarded to this thread!

Great pics, cant wait to get one of those topsides this year!

Great to see her flying again and if takes a sponsors colour to do this then all be it. Much prefer the RAF colours to the silver - each to their own I guess but it detracts from the canberra magic for me personally

[jonny7]

Absolutely gorgeous shots,showing just why this plane is a lot of peoples and pilots favourite.. Brilliant

[flashman8]

thanks for posting those stunning pictures, great to see her back in the air, I have happy memories of watching her fly between 1988 and 92...

but why paint her silver and not in her `proper` colours....................

[barkin mad]

but why paint her silver and not in her `proper` colours....................

Outstanding, she does look lovely

Pr9's used to be silver originally.

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[FGR2]

Nice photos, but personally, I think the silver looks unfinished.

Would be so much better with the proper squadron markings and correct painted panels.

[BDL]

Utterly Gorgeous!

[RickIngham]

Thanks for the comments. Glad they went down ok as it was the first time with the new lens and I was a bit unsure about some of them!
I'll admit i wasn't happy when I heard the hemp colour with the special tail was gone but i'm converted now I've seen her...but to be fair as long as we have a Canberra to watch in the sky, it doesn't matter how shes painted.
Roll on the display season - i can see lots of bookings being made for her!

[timuss]

What a beauty lovely shots hope i get to see her this year

[Skyflash]

Gorgeous, just gorgeous!

Must admit I was a bit iffy about the colour change to begin with - largely because I am so fond of the old 'hemp' scheme - but seeing these photos has completely won me over.

Hoping that she will be out and about over the summer.

[harkins]

Lovely photos but I can't deny that the new scheme is rather disappointing to me. It has gone from looking like a recent(ish) front line serving aircraft to a classic warbird. Does anyone know what the thinking was with the change?

[LN Strike Eagle]

Lovely photos but I can't deny that the new scheme is rather disappointing to me. It has gone from looking like a recent(ish) front line serving aircraft to a classic warbird. Does anyone know what the thinking was with the change?

It's the desired scheme of the owners/operators to have the Canberra and two Hunter T7s in an all over silver scheme. I believe the markings are just decals that can and will be removed should they attract the sponsors they're hoping to (you can just about see some of the markings under the wing have peeled off in one image on Rick's site).

Wonderful selection of photos btw Rick - frame 5 is the one for me. The PR9 is a very attractive variant of the Canberra, although I agree with others that it looked far better in the paint she was retired from service in. Did you know they'd be flying or just get lucky?

[rdchawk]

Hopefully get to see it flying this year!! - Great set of pics

[capercaillie]

Nice photos, but personally, I think the silver looks unfinished.

Would be so much better with the proper squadron markings and correct painted panels.

This, an anti dazzle patch and a few squadron badges surely not too much to ask for? Otherwise looks great.

Great photos Rick

[RickIngham]

Thanks again for the feedback!

It has gone from looking like a recent(ish) front line serving aircraft to a classic warbird. Does anyone know what the thinking was with the change?

I admit I was a tad disappointed to hear the special tail had gone but she really does look good in this scheme. I'm sure most critics will be converted when they see her in the flesh, as I was. Technically speaking she is a classic jet warbird so that appearance isnt a bad thing! I think I read a few months back that they have digitally mapped the tail markings so that maybe in the future they can be re-applied.
To be honest, regardless of the scheme - it's great to have a Canberra back in the air to see and to have some great people working up a dynamic display to show her off
LN, I didnt know about her flying until I got to Kemble - I like to visit there regularly anyway.

[Airshowhammer]

She'd look good in formation with the Meteor T7