Video of the Royal navy attack aircraft operating on HMS Victorious. 1966.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PpFEBPLAQIA
By the way the correct name is Blackburn, BAC or BAE Buccaneer ?
The most common reference is Blackburn or Hawker Siddeley Buccaneer ‘the original designers/manufacturers’
Later part of BAC and latterly BAE due to various amalgamations/buyouts/takeovers.
So technically all could be correct depending on when the reference was for
Blackburn Buccaneer first flight 1958
1960 - British Aircraft Corporation formed from merger of Bristol, English Electric, Hunting and Vickers. Armstrong Whitworth, Avro and Hawker, already in Hawker Siddeley, were joined by Blackburn, De Havilland and Folland.
April 1977 - British Aerospace (BAe) formed as a nationalised corporation by the merger of British Aircraft Corporation, Hawker Siddeley Aviation, Hawker Siddeley Dynamics and Scottish Aviation.
Last Flight 1994
Hawker was also involved in its design ? didnt knew, thank you.
Last Flight 1994
It sure was, and for once in my life, I was actually there to see it.
I even served on 12 Sqn for a while, now of course a Tornado GR4 Sqn, the Foxes.
I remember watching the Bucs flying around Lossiemouth in 1993 and thinking it was a shame that they were nearing their end.
I dont doubt that it was a retirement that was far too early. They were the epitome of low level, redefined it actually as low level for them was sub 100 feet.
There are some still flying though
What was the use of that huge tail fairing ?
It’s an air brake. It splits down the middle and pivots out.
I have this lasting memory of national TV news footage of some U.S.A.F. base in Nevada - or some such place - the idea was for enemy planes to come in low and strike targets, while the SAM operators operated from bunkers using computer screens displaying CCTV coverage of the target area to guide in the simulated SAMs. These two Bucaneers came in real low (probably RAF at this time - late Eighties?) and were weaving and turning over the target area. The chaps on the consuls couldn’t hold a fix on them -the skills of the pilots’ were incredible.
The AAA chaps began whooping and calling for their chums to “…come and take a look at these guys!..”
Soon the room was full of cheering and applauding USAF personnel.
Fabulous display of low-level flying skills with a fantastic plane.
Some good low-level shotws in this clip http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Btdi8qNutw&feature=related
It’s an air brake. It splits down the middle and pivots out
Oh thank you, remembers me the one used in some Dornier bombers.
The split air brake reasoning
Due to the weight of the aircraft and the small flight decks of Navy carriers the predicted landing speed caused some problems but Blackburn had heard of a system called ‘Boundary Layer Control’ (BLC), where hot air is bled from the engines and blown over the wing flaps, wing leading edges and tail plane to increase air flow and produce more lift.
The technology was very new but was to Blackburn’s credit that they went ahead with the idea. The problem with BLC is that the engine rev’s have to be kept high which means a fast approach speed, but by turning the rear fuselage area into a split air brake and drooping the ailerons, a reduction in landing speed of 17 kts was predicted.
Just 17 knots ?, one might it was higher consider the size of the tail device.
The 17kts is not purely the reduction in speed from opening the brake - it is the change in the minimum safe landing speed with and without the brake. It may well be that the brake enabled them to come in with higher engine power settings as the minimum landing speed was then set by something else.
Oh, I see now, tanx.
I recently read this book and would recommend it to anyone who would like to see just how Buccs operated from the RN carriers.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Phoenix-Squadron-Rowland-White/dp/0593054512