page_title: Martin RB-57D Canberra
section_title: Production
hierarchical_section_title: Martin RB-57D Canberra / Development / Production
caption_attribution_description: A U.S. Air Force Tactical Air Command's B-57A bomber (black plane in this formation) glides into position on the wing of the Strategic Air Command's sister ship, the wider-winged RB-57D (s/n 53-3977). The RB-57D was built strictly as a high altitude reconnaissance platform.
context_page_description: The Martin RB-57D Canberra was a specialized high-altitude strategic reconnaissance aircraft developed from the Martin B-57 Canberra tactical bomber, a licence-built version of the English Electric Canberra. It was used by the United States Air Force during the 1950s prior to operational use of the Lockheed U-2.
context_section_description: Only 20 RB-57Ds were built, but there were four basic variants that each had mission specific changes incorporated into the design.
  6 – RB-57D Model 294 (53-3977 to 53-3982) – (Group A) Basic configuration built as single-seat aircraft. The primary mission of these aircraft was high-altitude photo reconnaissance. There were four reconnaissance cameras (two K38 and two KC1) mounted in the forward lower fuselage.
  7 – RB-57D Model 744 (53-3970 to 53-3976) – (Group B) Basic configuration with in-flight refuelling.
  1 – RB-57D-1 (53-3963) – (Type C) Single-seat basic version, but its mission was electronic (radar) reconnaissance. This type didn't have any cameras but had an extensive suite of radar equipment installed throughout the fuselage. The aircraft had a nose radome housing an AN/APN-107 radar antenna. A number of search radars and an AN/APQ-56 Side Looking Airborne Radar (SLAR) were mounted within the fuselage. The SLAR was primarily used for radar mapping and its antennas were mounted on the lower fuselage just below the aft wing. These antennas gave the D-1 a unique appearance.
  6 – RB-57D-2 Model 796 (53-3964 to 53-3969) – (Group D) Dual-seat version, pilot and electronic warfare officer/observer—and was designed for the electronic ferret mission. The aircraft had the same AN/APN-107 nose radar, but also had an AN/APA-69A radar with an antenna mounted in a distinctive belly radome.
  The first RB-57D flew on 5 November 1955.
caption: Martin RB-57D 53-3977 shown in-flight with a Tactical Air Command B-57A bomber (black plane in this formation)
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