Twenty-six years after it first arrived at the Yorkshire Air Museum Blackburn Buccaneer S.2B XX901 has been officially adopted by the Elvington-based attraction

Until now, the 1991 Gulf War veteran was owned by the Buccaneer Aircrew Association (BAA), having been saved from the scrapyard by esteemed FlyPast contributor Air Cdre Graham Pitchfork. It was brought to the museum on May 26, 1996. The aircraft has an illustrious RAF service record, serving with 208 Squadron firstly at Honington, Suffolk and later at Lossiemouth in Scotland.

In 1983, it took part in the only deployment by Buccaneers to the Falklands and later saw action over Beirut in support of the UN peacekeeping force in Lebanon. After the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait in 1991 it flew nine missions, including destroying an Iraqi transport aircraft that was about to take off.

The jet continues to wear a Gulf War paint scheme, including the 'Flying Mermaid' Glenlivet nose art – Buccaneers were ‘sponsored’ by various Scottish distilleries. At a ceremony on October 12, the BAA’s Gp Capt Tom Eeles handed over his ‘share certificate’ in XX901 to Rachel Semlyen MBE, the Chair of Trustees at Yorkshire Air Museum.