Book description
A Bucket of Sunshine - a term used for the use of a nuclear bomb -
is a firsthand insight into life in the mid-1960s on a RAF Canberra
nuclear-armed squadron in West Germany on the frontline in the Cold
War. Mike Brookes describes not only the technical aspect of the
aircraft and its nuclear and conventional roles and weapons, but also
majors on the low-level flying that went with the job of being ready
to go to war at less than three minutes notice. Brooke tells his story
warts and all, with many amusing overtones, in what was an extremely
serious business when the world was standing on the brink of nuclear
conflict. The English-Electric Canberra was a first-generation
jet-powered light bomber manufactured in large numbers in the 1950s.
The Canberra could fly at a higher altitude than any other bomber
through the 1950s and set a world altitude record of 70,310 feet. Due
to its ability to evade early interceptors and providing a significant
performance advancement over piston-engine bombers, the Canberra was a
popular export product and served with many nations. Although jet
powered, the Canberra design philosophy was very much in the Mosquito
mould, providing room for a substantial bomb load, fitting two of the
most powerful engines available, and wrapping it in the most compant
and aerodynamic package possible. Rather than devote space and weight
to defensive armament, the Canberra was designed to fly fast and high
enough to avoid air-to-air combat entirely.
Wing Commander Mike Brooke AFC RAF joined the RAF in 1962 after a
normal state education to 'O' Level standard. After serving on the
low-level strike/attack squadron described in this book, Brooke became a
flying instructor. In 1975, he attended the Empire Test Pilot School and
then went to the Royal Aircraft Establishment at Farnborough to serve as
an experimental test pilot. Further test flying tours followed, but in
1984, after 22 years in flying appointments, was sent to the RAF
Advanced Staff College. After a year, Brooke spent a brief time in HQ
RAF Strike Command before being promoted to Wing Commander and taking
command of flying at RAF Farnborough. Continuing the tradition of only
doing flying tours, in 1989, he returned for the third time to Boscombe
Down as Wing Commander Flying. After a further short tour, he left the
RAF in 1994. Brooke then became a test-flying consultant and worked for
several companies, finally retiring in 2004. Brooke has flown around
7,300 hours on 140 types of aircraft of all classes except seaplanes. In
1984, he was awarded the Air Force Cross by HM Queen Elizabeth and is a
Fellow of the Society of Experimental Test Pilots.
