Martin B-57 Canberra

The Martin B-57 Canberra was a twin-jet tactical bomber and reconnaissance aircraft built under license from Britain's English Electric Canberra, the first American operational warplane based on a foreign design. The Martin-built version first flew in 1953 and entered U.S. Air Force service in 1954, with American modifications including a redesigned canopy, rotary bomb door, and provision for wingtip stores. Powered by two Wright J65 turbojets, the B-57 served as a night intruder and tactical bomber and saw extensive combat in the Vietnam War.

Specialized high-altitude reconnaissance variants, the RB-57D and the dramatically enlarged-wing RB-57F, flew strategic reconnaissance and atmospheric sampling missions at extreme altitudes during the Cold War. Versatile and long-lived, some Canberra airframes continued in research and survey roles, with NASA still operating WB-57 high-altitude aircraft decades later.