Buccaneer Pics

Seen at Bournemouth

This buccaneer used to be parked at the Bournemouth aviation museum.
It now lives at De havillands on the northside of the airport. i was lucky to get a ride in her on one of her taxi/engine tests. it was fantastic to feel the power of the engines for a brief time on the runway.

Any updates yet??

Not yet Phil, we are still on the case though.

XN981

Any updates yet??

Phil, XN981 is confirmed as being at Errol, one of our chaps has been in contact with the owner, and will be taking some photos in the near future.

re;

fantastic pics! Keep em coming in!

Thunder City Buc.

These shots were taken by my brother Frank du Plessis at last year’s AAD Airshow in Cape Town.
He was lucky enough to get a ride in a USAF C130 that acted as a photo ship for the event.
As you most probabily know, Mike Beachy Head operates Buccaneers, Lightnings and Hunters out of Thunder City, AND all of these were in action at the airshow!

Hello, do you have any photographs of Buccaneers taken at RAF Driffield or being towed there from Brough (this circa 1968 while HOSM was having its runway resurfaced)?

Best Wishes

Phil Rhodes

I will have a look Phil, I am pretty sure we have some.

Ollie: I think the pics of ‘631’ in the MARTSU move are of XN929 en-route to Honington approx 1970 for use as a ground instructional airframe. By approx 1972 its cockpit was cut off and taken to 237 OCU Ground School for use as a cockpit trainer. The later ‘631’ being craned onto the Bark Royal was another aircraft (forget the serial just now).

Your Dit – one of our aircraft is missing – is correct. I was at Honington at the time (approx ’72) and when 809 disembarked they had one less aircraft than what they started with. I think the one which went over the side was XT269 but don’t quote me.

Must say that this thread has thrown up some spectaular photos the like of which I have not seen before. Has anyone got any pics of XV333 (or was it 332?) when it had the 1,000-pounder dropped into its cockpit?

It must have been XV332 whats the story behind this?? did the A/C survive?? As for XV333 it’s in the Fleet air arm museum carrier exhibit in 801 squadron markings. I would have thought they would have removed the bomb door tank before displaying her in her early naval colours I think it looks so wrong! I was one of the plane captains on this A/C in 1976 when she was coded 030 on 809 squadron on board Ark Royal:) happy days.

Great shots everyone, We have over 8000 images in our archive, I will sift through some and post them up when I have more time.

Hello, do you have any photographs of Buccaneers taken at RAF Driffield or being towed there from Brough (this circa 1968 while HOSM was having its runway resurfaced)?

Best Wishes

Phil Rhodes

She bobbed around a bit before sinking – not surprising considering she had been stripped of engines and all other heavy objects.

Including the pilot i hope..;)

A couple from Elvington.

XN981

This will be great to see as she has been away from the naked eye for many years;)

Phil, XN981 is confirmed as being at Errol, one of our chaps has been in contact with the owner, and will be taking some photos in the near future.

Re Ollie’s posts, herewith XN954 going for a swim, watched by most of the ship’s company of Ark Royal during the filming of an RN Safety Film in May 1974 and used as an example of how incorrect chain lashing to the deck could result in aircraft rolling over the side. I did watch the film as an apprentice, and have here on tape somewhere too. She bobbed around a bit before sinking – not surprising considering she had been stripped of engines and all other heavy objects.

Oh no – nostalgia kicking in! XN981 god knows how many times I turned it around, BF/AF’d it, refuelled it, ground run it. Mind you, never quite got the hang of fitting the lox pack! I’m to broad in’t shoulder and had to climb up into the radio bay and haul it up with a bit of canvas lashing tape. :diablo:

XN981 is now meant to be in the Errol area (Tayside) of Scotland minus her wings.

Phil, XN981 is confirmed as being at Errol, one of our chaps has been in contact with the owner, and will be taking some photos in the near future.

XN981??

XN981 is now meant to be in the Errol area (Tayside) of Scotland minus her wings. Does anyone have pictures of her at Errol or even on the Lossie dump back in 1994/1995?

[QUOTE=Jetflap;1381470]XN981 of 208 Sqn at Greenham Common in 1981:

XN981 of 208 Sqn at Greenham Common in 1981:

A pair of 237 OCU S2Bs at Honington in 1982:

A bit dark, but this is XW529 at Hatfield in 1984. I think it was being used in Sea Eagle trials:

XW533 of 237 OCU at Upper Heyford in 1984:

And finally XX897 at Hatifield in (I think) 1989:

Only have these two scanned at the moment….

RAF Buccaneer solo display at BofB day RAF Leuchars, 1990.

RAE Buccaneer departing RIAT 1991

The bucc in the video that got pushed off the back is XN954.

Ollie: I think the pics of ‘631’ in the MARTSU move are of XN929 en-route to Honington approx 1970 for use as a ground instructional airframe. By approx 1972 its cockpit was cut off and taken to 237 OCU Ground School for use as a cockpit trainer. The later ‘631’ being craned onto the Bark Royal was another aircraft (forget the serial just now).

Your Dit – one of our aircraft is missing – is correct. I was at Honington at the time (approx ’72) and when 809 disembarked they had one less aircraft than what they started with. I think the one which went over the side was XT269 but don’t quote me.

Must say that this thread has thrown up some spectaular photos the like of which I have not seen before. Has anyone got any pics of XV333 (or was it 332?) when it had the 1,000-pounder dropped into its cockpit?

I believe XT269 went over the side on the day i was born 15/2/72.

‘631’

Thanks for filling in the blanks Agcat re- the Martsu move 631, I had thought it was a case of that a/c being re-sprayed to represent a later Mk2. It will teach me to annotate my photo’s in the future, still it helped this thread along!