Martin RB-57B "Canberra" (159)(USAF 52-1576)(NACA used for tests of hydrogen-powered engines under the name "Project Bee". The basic plan was to equip the airplane with a hydrogen fuel system, independent of its regular fuel system, and modify one engine to operate on hydrogen as well as its regular fuel. The airplane was to take off and climb on its regular fuel. After reaching level flight at about 54,000 ft, the fuel on one engine was to be switched from JP-4 to hydrogen. When the hydrogen experiment was complete, the fuel flow would be switched back to JP-4 and the airplane would return to base under its normal operating conditions.
Returned to stock configuration.
Transferred to NASA Dryden Flight Research Center as NASA237, N637NA - NASA637, N516NA - NASA516, Now on display at Edwards AFB as N809NA - NASA 809
Martin RB-57B Canberra cn159 USAF 52-1576 N809NA NASA 809 a by
Bill Word, on Flickr
Martin RB-57B Canberra cn159 USAF 52-1576 N809NA NASA 809 b by
Bill Word, on Flickr
Last edited by
bilwor on Sat Apr 26, 2014 12:39 pm, edited 3 times in total.