dilemma, how did the navigator bail out of b-57 canberra?

[tom d. friedman]

a good friend of mine now 80 is a retired usaf major & pilot / vietnam vet, of the B-57-A canberra among other aircraft such as the c-130, & grumman albatross. he flew other models of the b-57 as well w/ tandem seating. it's a no brainer how the navigator bailed on the tandem arrangement, he simply ejected. however, in regard to the B-57-A model the navigator was crammed south of the early dome or bubble style canopy in claustrophobic conditions w/ no window. according to my friend he has no clue as to how the poor navigator was supposed to bail out with no ejection seat & hitting the slip stream without getting his limbs ripped off. keep in mind my friend had over 2000 hours in the canberra & never gave it any thought as to how his navigator would bail while getting his keester out intact from the "A" model. keep in mind the nav is bailing out of a high altitude high speed jet. this guy could tell some wild stories. while in japan he was put on alert when president kennedy was shot & was sitting in his cockpit with a nuke under him in the bomb bay. the world was in such a state of confusion & panic & he sat at the ready for many hours waiting to go to the ussr. on another mission he lost his canopy on the 57 & endured a roughly 1 1/2 hour emergency flight home. he'd like to hear any feedback as to the navigator's plight on bail out, he has his flight manual (oops.... a little warm to the touch!!) & will consult that as well.

[sandiego89]

a good friend of mine now 80 is a retired usaf major & pilot / vietnam vet, of the B-57-A canberra among other aircraft such as the c-130, & grumman albatross. he flew other models of the b-57 as well w/ tandem seating. it's a no brainer how the navigator bailed on the tandem arrangement, he simply ejected. however, in regard to the B-57-A model the navigator was crammed south of the early dome or bubble style canopy in claustrophobic conditions w/ no window. according to my friend he has no clue as to how the poor navigator was supposed to bail out with no ejection seat & hitting the slip stream without getting his limbs ripped off. keep in mind my friend had over 2000 hours in the canberra & never gave it any thought as to how his navigator would bail while getting his keester out intact from the "A" model. keep in mind the nav is bailing out of a high altitude high speed jet. this guy could tell some wild stories. while in japan he was put on alert when president kennedy was shot & was sitting in his cockpit with a nuke under him in the bomb bay. the world was in such a state of confusion & panic & he sat at the ready for many hours waiting to go to the ussr. on another mission he lost his canopy on the 57 & endured a roughly 1 1/2 hour emergency flight home. he'd like to hear any feedback as to the navigator's plight on bail out, he has his flight manual (oops.... a little warm to the touch!!) & will consult that as well.

I believe the early B57a was similar to the UK B.2 version, and the navigator sat behind the pilot in a dark and cramped compartment behind the pilot, but had an ejection seat with a jettisonable hatch in the roof. B.2 is most bomber versions had two rear crew members (both with ejection seats), but the B57a just had one rear crew. UK Canberra's had many versions with many crew layouts. In some UK versions the nav was moved to the nose and for emergencies the nose was jettisoned and the nav "stepped out" with a parachute.

Here is a picture of the very crammed rear cockpit of a UK three seater, but shows the two ejection seats behind the pilot. The pilot seat is out of view to the right. http://www.ejectionsite.com/ejctpic/canaft.jpg

[tom d. friedman]

my friend stated there was no ejection seat for the navigator from what he can recall. it could be a memory lapse. i myself find it difficult to believe that the designers would leave a crewman in such a dangerous egress position. as to the nose being jettisoned & the poor sucker having to step out, i find that worse than the latter alternative!!

[PinecastleAAF]

Is it possible he is confusing it with the B-47? I don't think the b/n had a ejection seat only the two guys up top.

[sandiego89]

Is it possible he is confusing it with the B-47? I don't think the b/n had a ejection seat only the two guys up top.

I believe both crew mebmers on the B-57a had ejection seats, but happy to be corrected. This site below indicates the B-57a had ejection seats for the pilot and navigator.

http://www.ejectionsite.com/b57seat.htm

This page below shows an interior photo of a B57a with an ejection seat for the pilot and the rear crewmember. Scroll down a bit and you will see both seats.

http://www.cybermodeler.com/aircraft/b- ... walk.shtml

The B-47 had ejection seats for all three crew members. The pilot and co-pilot ejecting upwards, and the bombadier/nav ejecting downward.

I was wrong on the "stepping out" portion of the UK recon version, PR.9 preciceley- the nose was hinged and could be opened for ground egress, but the nav did have an upward firing ejection seat.

[Cking]

When I was just out of my apprenticeship I worked on the English Electric Canberra. One of the aircraft I worked on was a "T bird" It had FOUR ejection seats in it!!!!! The instructors seat pivoted about the top of the seat and you had to move it forward for the two guys in the back to get in and then it pivoted back for the student to get in, then the instructor could shoe horn him self in. What a mess!
The Canberra was one of the four aircraft that I have worked on, that I disliked working on. The other three were the BAC 1-11, The Lockheed Tristar and the BAe ATP. I never want to work on the four of them again!!

Rgds Cking

[Glyn2]

Via: http://ipmscanberrasig.webs.com/apps/photos/album?albumid=11568012

[tom d. friedman]

that answers my question!! i'll pass it on to my buddy. thanks!!