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Blackburn Buccaneer

Here's a link to the Tailhook Daily Briefing "Flight Deck Friday" for a great naval strike aircraft from the other side of the pond. I know they x-decked with the USN quite a bit over 30 years ago.

http://tailhookdaily.typepad.com/tailhook_daily_briefing/2008/10/flightdeck-fr-1.html#more
One of the VA-128 Instructor B/N's was a Buccaneer guy -- Buccaneer = a.k.a. the "Brit A-6 Intruder" ... and he was a good shit, too.

Two of them -- the birds/crews -- came through NAS DALLAS years later when I was in the Reserves -- they stayed and "worked" w/ us for @ a week. Party boys, great guys in the air and at the bar.

I jumped into one of their cockpits -- really a bizarre cockpit, front & back, if I may say so ... reminded me a little of radio tubes and transistors technology.
 
Good post, Casey. I actually worked around the Buccaneer’s when I went to Pensacola for quals! The, Brit’s, once used a “NC-5” to tow a Buccaneer to a ceremony held at the tower. Wasn’t a bad idea… but the “NC-5” was an electrical power unit, not a tow tractor.:) Funny shit! No one said a word… we just kept our yaps shut, and watched the ceremony.

What was really cool… is that the “Brit’s” actually had a rum break right there on the ramp during the afternoon. I kid you not!

Steve
 
ugh, not a good looking bird. nobody said they have to be pretty to be damn good at what they do.
 
ugh, not a good looking bird. nobody said they have to be pretty to be damn good at what they do.

post WW2...apart from the Sea Fury, you'd be hard pressed to say any of the RN's planes looked good.

Sea-Vixen-FAW-2_jpg.jpg


JSJ_Fairey_Gannet_3.jpg


and of course....this monstrosity!

JSJ_PC_Sea_Harrier_FRS_1.jpg
 
post WW2...apart from the Sea Fury, you'd be hard pressed to say any of the RN's planes looked good.

Especially the Sea Vixen where the pilot got an ejection seat then the nav had to crawl through the hole left in his canopy and parachute! :eek:
 
Just popped in for a surf and was surprised to see a thread on the "Brick", amazing aircraft that was superior to the Tornado variant that replaced it. Apparently they caused a bit of a stir when they made their first appearance at Red Flag in 77 flying lower than a snakes private parts. Had a colleague who was the Ops man on 208 Squadron when they flew them in the low level maritime attack role, I have tried to find a pic with no luck but their squadron badge was a lingerie clad blonde sat astride a head on Buccaneer with the motto "208 Penetrate" .. great squadron now sadly just flying Hawks in the training role.

Thought you might appreciate a few vids of the old girl in action ..

Typical Bucc Aircrew showing off .. http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=aIqjKEm6n3Q&feature=related

Scaring the Navy out of Gibraltar .. http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=kjvupTYmwTg&feature=related

The Final Farewell Flypasts in 94 .. http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=cK6V4Kt_Ejw
 
Apparently they caused a bit of a stir when they made their first appearance at Red Flag in 77 flying lower than a snakes private parts.

Manning my trusty A-7 on the flightdeck of USS Nimitz, NATO exercise in the North Atlantic, October 1980....Airboss announces two British Buccaneers inbound for a stern-to-bow fly-by. I'm parked on the portside, halfway up the bow. Stop the pre-flight and scan the horizon, walking towards the port catwalk to get a good view. If I hadn't done that, I would have missed everything as I looked DOWN on a Buccaneer, so close to the ship I could see two smiling faces looking up (visors up, no O2 masks on) as it flew by! His wingman did the same on the starboard side!
 
post WW2...apart from the Sea Fury, you'd be hard pressed to say any of the RN's planes looked good.
.

Going way back the Vampire (never seen) was kinda neat but the Vulcan (had seen) was awesome looking doing low speed "tricks" overhead.
 
Vixen Observers (Lookers in R.Navy Speak) did have a bang seat, they sat under an oblong frangible hatch to the right of the pilot, you can see it in the pic of the Vixen going off the cat. Only way they could see anything was throught the small window just above and aft of the roundel.

Dunno what that Gannet is doing, apart from going over the wall.

I served at a Bucc base, the thing was pretty awesome in the air but a ground gripper. I remember one pilot on his first solo calling halfway through his take off roll :" All OK, no Scurvy yet".
Chief Flying Instructor's Humour-Bingo caption lit.:icon_mi_1
 
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