THE CANBERRA HAD THE HORSEPOWER TO FLY ABOVE MACH-2 SPEEDS

"...the proof of our success was that the airplanes we built operated under tight secrecy for eight to ten years before the government even acknowledged their existence." 
-BEN RICH (Rich & Janos 7)

The Canberra had the horsepower to fly above MACH-2+ speeds. America maintained a fleet of Canberra bombers in the 1950's that could bomb the Soviet Union with impunity. The Canberra's nuclear variant, assuming the same thrust to megawatt ratio of the direct cycle program, had 14 times the power needed to propel a 25 ton plane to Mach 2.27/1500 mph. This is the power to fly 21,000 mph. This is orbital velocity. 

The modified Canberra had the power to do Mach-6 at 70,000 feet.  

After the close of World War II the Americans had a mad rush to locate the inventor of the spaceplane Eugene Sanger. The Office of Naval Intelligence translated his paper on the subject. The modified Canberra was a Sanger Spaceplane. 

Martin RB-57D Canberra First flight    3 November 1955 General characteristics ·         Crew: 1 or 2 ·         Length: 66 ft depending on variant (20.1 m) ·         Wingspan: 106 ft. 0 in. (32.3 m) ·         Height: 15 ft. 7 in. (4.7 m) ·         Max. takeoff weight: Approx. 59,000 lbs. (26,760 kg) ·         Powerplant: 2 × Pratt & Whitney J57-P-9 turbojets, 10,000 lbs (44.5 kN) each Performance ·         Maximum speed: 520 knots (600 mph) at 45,000 ft (966 km/h at 13700 m) ·         Cruise speed: 420 knots (480 mph) at 65,000 ft (780 km/h at 20,000 m) ·         Combat radius: Approx. 2,000 miles (3,200 km) ·         Service ceiling: Approx. 70,000 ft. (21,300 m)

Weight 29.5 tons 89 Kilonewtons The power is 39,786.5600 watts. It is equivalent to: 53.3546 mechanical horsepowers. 54.0946 metric horsepowers. 53.3332 electrical horsepowers. 4.0559 boiler horsepowers. “45,000 horsepower is required to drive a 25 ton plane 1500 miles an hour (MACH 2.27) at 70,000 feet. … The power requirement would jump to 200,000 horsepower at sea level because of greater air resistance.” U.S. May Push Efforts to Make Atomic Engine Los Angeles Times (1923-Current File); Sep 28, 1949; ProQuest Historical Newspapers: Los Angeles Times pg. 12

Martin/General Dynamics RB-57F Canberra First flight    23 June 1963 General characteristics Crew: 2 Length: 68 ft. 10 in. (20.98 m) Wingspan: 122 ft 5 in (37.5 m) Height: 14 ft 10 in (4.52 m) Wing area: 1884 ft² (175 m²) Useful load: 4,000 lbs (1,800 kg) Max. takeoff weight: 65,000 lbs (29,500 kg) Powerplant: 2 × Pratt & Whitney TF33-P-11A turbofans, 16,000 lbf (71 kN) each Performance Maximum speed: Mach 0.79 (546 mph / 475 knots) 878 km/h Combat radius: 4,000 miles / 3475 nautical miles (6,400 km) Service ceiling: 82,000 ft (25,000 m)

Weight 32.5 tons  142 Kilonewtons The power is 63,479.6800 watts. It is equivalent to: 85.1276 mechanical horsepowers. 86.3083 metric horsepowers. 85.0934 electrical horsepowers. 6.4712 boiler horsepowers. “45,000 horsepower is required to drive a 25 ton plane 1500 miles an hour (MACH 1.97) at 70,000 feet. … The power requirement would jump to 200,000 horsepower at sea level because of greater air resistance.” U.S. May Push Efforts to Make Atomic Engine Los Angeles Times (1923-Current File); Sep 28, 1949; ProQuest Historical Newspapers: Los Angeles Times pg. 12

Two years after this article is published, the WADC begins research at Wright Paterson AFB to modify the Canberra to fly at high altitudes over 70,000 feet. The article itself was published a month after the first Soviet nuclear test. The USAF was clearly researching ways to sneak attack the USSR using high altitude bombers that could not be intercepted by the Soviets. 

BIBLIOGRAPHY/SOURCES 

Rich, B. and Janos, L. (1996). Skunk Works. Boston: Back Bay Books.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orbital_speed