RAF Honington’s long-term gate guard Blackburn Buccaneer S.2 XK526, was relocated to the RAF Binbrook Heritage Centre in Lincolnshire over the weekend of May 10-11.The aircraft has joined an English Electric Lightning F.6, XR724, at the former fighter station in North Lincolnshire.

XK526 was one of a small number of Buccaneers were built as S.1s before being converted to S.2 standard, with just two of those – XK526 and XN974, now preserved at Yorkshire Air Museum, Elvington – taking to the air following modifications. The decision to upgrade XK526 from S.1 to S.2 means the aircraft – the first aircraft to be modified as such – is somewhat of a hybrid, with many S.1 components such as wings and brakes still present.

The aircraft first flew as an S.1 on August 29, 1960 equipped with a pair of Rolls-Royce Gyron Junior engines, and took to the air again as the Buccaneer S.2 prototype with more powerful Rolls-Royce Speys on May 17, 1963. It was later used on a variety of development work, including catapult launch trials with the Royal Aircraft Establishment (RAE) at Bedford in August 1964 before later being tasked with radar evaluation trials.

XK526 was retired to RAF Honington, being relocated by road to the Suffolk station in 1980 where it initially spent time as a ground instructional airframe with the maintenance serial 8648M. It was moved to the base’s entrance three years later and remained there until September 2024, benefitting from being repainted with a high gloss finish during this time.

The Buccaneer – which had stood guard at Honington, Suffolk, for 41 years – is to be succeeded by one of the four Panavia Tornados currently used in the station’s Complex Air Ground Environment (CAGE) facility. It is understood that ZG752 has been selected for gate guard duties. It is most notable for its retro grey/green camouflage colour scheme to mark the type’s retirement from RAF service in 2019, which it retains.

Groundwork to accommodate the Tornado at the entrance to RAF Honington, which includes a concrete plinth on which it will sit, is believed to be ongoing.