This weekend saw the arrival of the last remaining Canberra T.22 section as the cockpit of WT525 joins our collection. Having previously been displayed at the now closed Cornwall Aviation Heritage Centre, WT525 is displayed alongside seven other Canberra cockpits on site, with the cockpits representing seven different variants of this remarkable aircraft type.
Modified to carry a Blue Parrot radar from a Buccaneer in its nose, WT525 would be flown by the Royal Navy’s Fleet Requirements and Air Directional Unit (FRADU) after being converted from a PR.7 airframe. The aircraft last flew in 1985, and was subsequently scrapped in 1992, with the cockpit section being saved.
2024 marks the 75th anniversary of the first flight of the Canberra Prototype VN799 on May 13th 1949, and WT525 will form a key part of the displays at our 75th anniversary celebration event on May 11th and 12th 2024. More details about the Canberra 75th anniversary event can be found here.
The museum would like to extend our thanks to Jon Goodwin for choosing us to be the new home for this unique and historic cockpit and Dave Thomas for his assistance in transporting the cockpit from Cornwall to the museum. WT525 will be displayed in memory of Barry Wallond, the cockpits former owner who sadly passed away in 2018.
