Tourist,
“Operation Plum Duff" and similarly “Operation Blue Light” were covert missions, based on operating the machines well above their normal Maximum Weight limitations from mission inception. The decision to operate these machines at increased maximum weight was a command mission decision not a unilateral decision by the aircraft commanders. Both of these missions resulted in all aircraft being destroyed during the prosecution of the mission. It is my belief that the destruction of the machines was as part of the mission plan.