As the Korean War broke out in 1950, the United States Air Force desperately needed a medium-size bomber. As the issue became more pressing, they opted to adapt an existing foreign design, a gamble that hadn’t been performed since World War I.

The result was the Martin B-57, a Glenn L. Martin-built version of the English Electric Canberra.

After arriving in Vietnam in late 1964, the B-57 bomber flew dozens of nighttime missions, dropping its payload from its unique revolving bomb bay door and attacking the Ho Chi Minh supply trail.

Despite its relatively brief operational service, the B-57 Canberra will always hold the distinction of being the first jet bomber in United States military history to drop actual bombs during combat.

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Join Dark Skies as we explore the world of aviation with cinematic short documentaries featuring the biggest and fastest airplanes ever built, top-secret military projects, and classified missions with hidden untold true stories. Including US, German, and Soviet warplanes, along with aircraft developments that took place during World War I, World War 2, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, the Cold War, the Gulf War, and special operations mission in between.

As images and footage of actual events are not always available, Dark Skies sometimes utilizes similar historical images and footage for dramatic effect and soundtracks for emotional impact. We do our best to keep it as visually accurate as possible.

All content on Dark Skies is researched, produced, and presented in historical context for educational purposes. We are history enthusiasts and are not always experts in some areas, so please don't hesitate to reach out to us with corrections, additional information, or new ideas.