THE AIRFORCE - AIRCRAFT - CANBERRA B(I)12
Aircraft Stats:
1000 lb Bomb, 250 lb Bomb, 400 kg Bomb, 500 lb Bomb, 68mm SNEB Rocket, Alpha Bomb, Mk 5 20mm Hispano Cannon, Type 155 Launcher
Squadrons:
None specified
Attrition:
3 incidents recorded
Canberra B(I)12
The SAAF received the first B(I) Mk 12 aircraft in 1963. Six B(I) Mk 12 bombers (451 to 456) and the T Mk 4 trainers (457 to 459) were operated by 12 Squadron.
A second-hand B Mk2 nose was acquired from Rhodesia and T Mk 4 trainer 457 was converted to a bomber.
The bomber version had a glass nose to enable the navigator/bomb-aimer to aim the bombs through a gyroscopically stabilised gunsight, while the pilot say under an off-set tear-drop canopy.
Weapons fit included:
- 1 x 460kg (1000 lb) bomb under each wing
- 9 x 227kg (500 lb) HE bombs in the bomb bay
The reconnaissance fit on the B(I)12s of 12 Squadron was contained in the conformal gun pack 'canoe' which came with the airframes from the UK. The cameras included the Zeiss F-96, using 9" x 9" film stock (B/W and IRFC ) and typically 6", 12", 24", 36" and 48" FL lenses and, from time to time, the Omera 6".
Up to 5 - usually 3 - Zeiss cameras would be arranged in a fan, with the 6" Omera giving a wider field for PI orientation. There would be a 36" Zeiss F-96 arranged as a vertical 'pinpoint' camera, but the 48" lens was used rarely, as it proved too difficult to keep 'points of interest' within the 'banana slide' aiming device used to manage good tracking.
There was a circular rear camera hatch/bay in which the prime vertical F-96 camera was typically mounted. This was utilised, after quite a while, during low-level strike missions for BDA photography by mounting an optical mirror looking at ~45 degrees aft/down. This recorded sequentially where the Alpha weapons were about to/had just struck. That simple idea saved a lot of time, and saved sending another aircraft back later.
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