1/48 Blackburn Buccaneer of 800 NAS or No. 15 Squadron RAF Carrier Aircraft GB...

[Lucky13]

User name: Lucky13
Name: Jan
Catagory: Intermediate
Scale: 1/48
Manufacturer: Airfix
Model type: Blackburn Buccaneer
Aftermarket: Nada...well, possibly some aftermarket decals...

I knoooow....

Has the pathological, the supreme, the uncrowned King of 'not finish' of GB's fallen of his rocker and down the stairs, by adding another bird to this one, and he hasn't even started the first one, or are even in the country??

As I have both the RN and RAF of the Airfix 1/48 Buccaneers, I haven't really decided or can decide which to do. Either a 800 Squadron of HMS Eagle, in the '60's, or No. 15 Squadron of RAF Laarbruch in the early '70's...

I need help, seriously!

Pics later, I hope, bedtime now, it's 02.00!

 

[Catch22]

I was thinking of this one Jan but you've beaten me to it! I'm a little afraid of it myself.

 

[Airframes]

Have to be HMS Eagle if it's going to be a carrier aircraft - the RAF birds weren't fully carrier equipped, or crews carrier qualified.
And now, a warning to all members - be prepared for loud cursing and gnashing of teeth emanating from an apartment in Glasgow, as our Swettish friend fights with this kit!

 

[Vic Balshaw]

You are either a brave man or a fool, I suspect……………………………well………………………maybe you just like a challenge. I also have the feeling that the worlds eyes will be upon you with this one Jan, so good luck.

Oddly enough it was the aircraft the RAF never wanted and was a very political and controversial enforcement on them.

 

[KoJo]

Hopefully you get to it, gotta love the Fleet Air Arm aircraft!

 

[brucejscott]

I thought about buying this kit Jan... and then I woke up in a cold sweat and thanked God and the Great Pumpkin that it was only a dream. Good luck chief, you're going to need it.

 

[Lucky13]

As they they say, the only aircraft that could replace the Buccaneer, was a Buccaneer and the same goes for the Canberra!
Well, as I thought that the Buccaneer was first and fore most developed as a carrier based aircraft, I thought that I'd throw in the No. 15 Squadron in, as I couldn't decide which one to try to do...

 

[A4K]

Excuse me Jan, but you have to compete with me for the crown of most unfinished GB entries!

Great choice here, whichever you decide.

 

[Lucky13]

Number 1

Serial: XT273
C/N: B3-16-64
Date Delivered: 14/07/65 To Royal Navy
Oct 1965: Issued to 801 NAS, RNAS Lossiemouth-coded '242/V'
----------: Transferred to 800 NAS, RNAS Lossiemouth - coded '113/E'
22/05/70: Transferred to 809 NAS, RNAS Lossiemouth - coded '025/R'
June 1970: Embarked HMS Ark Royal-coded '025/R'
04/11/73: Returned to BAe Brough for upgrade to S.Mk.2A standard
1975: To RAF
June 1975: Issued to 337 OCU, RAF Honington
September 1975: Transferred to 208 Squadron, RAF Honington
04/06/76: Damaged on landing, RAF Luqa, Malta
17/08/77: Returned to operational status-issued 237 OCU, RAF Honington
21/11/79: To No. 19 MU St Athan store
19/05/88: Issued No. 12 Sqadron, RAF Lossiemouth - coded '273'
29/06/88: Transferred to No. 208 Squadron, RAF Lossiemouth - coded '273'
06/07/88: Transferred No. 12 Sqadron, RAF Lossiemouth - coded '273'
Oct 1992: Scrapped-Elgin, Moray, Scotland


Number 2

Serial: XV341
C/N: B3-19-66
Date Delivered: 01/05/67 To Royal Navy
-------: Issued to 800 NAS, RNAS Lossiemouth
-------: Embarked HMS Eagle-coded '113/E'
23/01/72: Tour of duty ends for HMS Eagle - 800 relocated to RNAS Lossiemouth
February 1972: 800 NAS, RNAS Lossiemouth disbanded
1972: To RNAY Sydenham, Belfast - upgraded to S.Mk.2A standard
06/07/73: To RAF
-------: Issued No. 12 Squadron, RAF Honington
09/09/74: Tranferredm to 237 OCU, RAF Honington
May 1978: To BAe Bitteswell for upgrade to S.Mk.2B standard
03/08/78: Issued to No. 208 Squadron, RAF Honington
February 1980: Buccaneer grounded for six months, following the crash of XV345 at Nellis AFB, Nevada, during 'Red Flag 80'.
02/10/81: Transferred to No. 15 Squadron, RAFG Laarbruch - coded 'D'
July 1983: No. 15 Sqaudron end operations with Buccaneer and transfer to Tornado - transferred to No. 16 Squadron, RAFG Laarbruch
14/11/82: To MoD(PE)
November 1983: To Holme-on-Spalding Moor
August 1984: To RAF Scampton for 'Test Flying'
02/04/85: Issued to No. 12 Squadron, Lossiemouth - coded 'RF'
14/06/85: Crashed on landing - RAF Lossiemouth

Found a couple of other interesting subjects for this one here...Blackburn Buccaneer - The Last British Bomber (Individual Aircraft Histories Colour Schemes)

Sergio, if it was designed for carrier use, then it's in, even if it was never used in that role in the end.
Vic, one of the judges, confirmed this for me and Cory in relation to RNZAF aircraft like the Buffalo, Corsair and Avenger, which were designed as carrier birds but only operated fom land bases in RNZAF service.

So....go for it!

If memory serves, Terry (airframes) told me if the aircraft was capable of being launched from a ship (even catapult), it was in. Think B-25 and OS2U-3 for opposite ends of the spectrum.

Charles

Excuse me Jan, but you have to compete with me for the crown of most unfinished GB entries!

Great choice here, whichever you decide.

Is that so....?

 

[Wayne Little]

Go for it Jan...

 

[rochie]

good stuff old boy, carry on

 

[meatloaf109]

"What did the Pirate sell his corn for?"
(Wait for it).......


"A Buck an Ear!!!"
(Tee-hee, snort, giggle!!)

Pictures please.

 

[Lucky13]

Buccaneer Replacement

'PANAVIA' Multi Role Combat Aircraft (MRCA) - Tornado GR.1​

It's insteresting to note and always a topic of debate that:

The Panavia 'Multi Role Combat Aircraft' (MRCA) Tornado, the chose replacent aircraft for the Buccaneer, could only ever carry two Sea Eagles compared to the Buccaneer's four.

The Tornado was never designed to operated in the 'Structurally Damaging' extreme low-level environment of the Buccaneer (nominally 100 FT) - The Fleet Air Arm were regular flyers at only 20 ft above the sea at maximum speed 560 kts (645 mph), whereas a Tornado GR.1's crew can only withstand 2 hrs and 55 mins of buffeting at the hight of 500 ft!

The Tornado needs afterburners to get moving and though it may be supersonic, it must operate at subsonice for it's attack and weapons delivery.

The Tornado's range is a fraction of the Buccaneer's.

In 237 OCU's standard 'war' fit for overland 'laser designation', the Buccaneers S.Mk.2B could outclimb the Tornado
AIM-9G Sidwinder Missile on port outer (station 3)
AN/AVQ-23E 'Pave Spike' Pod on port inner (station 1)
'Slipper Tank' on Starboard inner (station 2)
AN/ALQ-101 ECM Pod on starboard outer (station 4)
4x1000 lb 'Retard' HE bombs in the Bomb Bay Door for 'Self-Defence' (station 5 to 8)
AN/ALE-40 'Chaff/Flare Dispensers if the aircraft was Modified (or Air Brake Chaff on 'Non Modified' aircraft)

To achieve its maximum range, the Optimum Cruising Speed of the Tornado is slower than the Buccaneer

And Finally:
In 1983 a marketing exercise took place where a Tornado did a non-stop sortie to Cyprus and back. It was accopmanied by a Victor
and a Buccaneer tanker. When the Victor dropped into Italy to refuel, the Buccaneer was left to give fuel to the Tornado to get it down the
Mediterranean to Akrotiri, Cyprus and back to Italy.
The Buccaneer had to slow down for the Tornado! If the Tornado had cruised at the normal speed of the Buccaneer it would have run out of fuel! At Akrotiri, spare Buccaneers tankers were on standby, just in case of problems. When the Tornado overflew over Akrotiri, all its stations carried fuel tanks. The Buccaneer still had spare wing stations. The RAF personel had been instructed not to tell anyone of the purpose of the Detachment. (However, the day after the flight there was a photo and an article in the Daily Telegraph about how far Tornado had flown in a single sortie - luckily for the Government the true logistical facts were never admitted at the time.)

 

[jjp_nl]

Man...this GB keeps getting better and better when it comes to interesting subjects! A nice big 'ole buc. Quite beautiful because of it's ugliness. Eyecatching design without a doubt. Nice possibilities for heavy weathering too...I think I may have seen some pretty beat up examples of this one alright.

BTW....if you're the uncrowned king of unfinished GB builds...I think I may come in a close second ...let's try and work on that for a change

 

[Crimea_River]

Will Jan actually finish this kit before Terry? Stay tuned.

 

[Lucky13]

Watch me crash on the finishing line!

 

[Airframes]

You know, I really must stick the wings on mine, and add the few finishing touches! I think this is possibly the only kit, in 50 years of modelling, where I've put it aside due to lack of patience/interest!
Jelmer, Bucs were normally pretty clean and tidy (as far as operational conditions allowed), so not much room for heavy weathering. However, those used in the Gulf War were over-painted with temporary 'Desert Pink', which wore off easily, revealing the standard camouflage colours beneath, and giving a somewhat scruffy appearance by the end of their tours. This was, however, only a very short period during their long, active service life.
And Jan, remember this old boy?

 

[Lucky13]

Just tossed some Holy Water on the screen and showed it the Crucifix!


View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AuYwOEF5xag


View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F--GyN_jcyk


View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9GmedVgbW-A

Edit:

Found another two!


View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LFzRtOuj5GQ


View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=moBd9-srBsA

 

[Airframes]

Good stuff old boy. I remember those times, when we had to 'be alert' - Britain needs lerts!

 

[ccheese]

Need some work on those seams, old boy.....

Charles