Buccaneer XZ431

[BBadanov]

Isn't google a wonderful aid? While you all have been curled up and tucked in to your cots in UK, I googled XZ431.


It was indeed in the last production run at Brough - XZ430, XZ431, XZ432. I thought they had been built for weapons and trials work - some linkage to Tornado perhaps - but I did find the history of '431, shown below:


Serial - XZ431C/n - B3-01-76
First Flown

-----

Date Delivered

20/07/1977

To Royal Air Force

23/07/1977

Issued to 208 Sqn., RAF Honington

Aug. 1977

Exercise 'Red Flag 77' - Nellis AFB, Nevada, USA - coded 'H'
Not one of the four aircraft to receive the 'Dark Earth and 'Light Stone' wraparound scheme, Standard RAF 'Disruptive Camouflage' scheme in 'Dark Green' and 'Dark Sea Grey', with 'Light Aircraft Grey' under surfaces retained

Apr. 1979

Deployed to Canada for Exercise 'Maple Flag III', at CFB Cold Lake - coded 'N'

Feb. 1980

Buccaneer fleet grounded for six months following crash of XV345
at Nellis AFB, Nevada, USA during Exercise 'Red Flag 80'

04/08/1980

Transferred to 12 Sqn., RAF Honington

03/11/1980

12 Sqn. relocated to RAF Lossiemouth

Jun. 1983

By now, transferred back to 208 Sqn, RAF Honington - coded '431'

Jul. 1983

208 Sqn., relocated to RAF Lossiemouth

Apr. 1984

208 Sqn., RAF Lossiemouth - coded 'PS'

By 07/1986

Mod's 1724 to 1727 completed - Sea Eagle 'Anti-Ship' missile capability
(1 of 20 airframes modified Pre-ASR1012 (Avionics Upgrade Programme)
Date Received

28/07/86

To BAe Woodford - ASR1012 (Set No.002)
Avionics Upgrade Programme (AUP) - 53wks cycle
Date Delivered

05/08/1987

'AUP' completed - returned to 'Operational Status'

06/08/1987

To 'Station Flight', RAF Lossiemouth

28/09/1987

Re-issued to 208 Sqn., RAF Lossiemouth - coded '431'

21/12/1988

Transferred to 237 OCU, RAF Lossiemouth - coded '431'

Feb. 1989

Transferred to 208 Sqn., RAF Lossiemouth - coded '431'

Jan. 1990

Transferred to 12 Sqn.,RAF Lossiemouth - coded '431'

Early 1990

12 Sqn., RAF Lossiemouth ended use of 'TV' Martel 'Anti-Ship' missile and replaced it with Sea Eagle 'Anti-Ship' missile - in line with 208 Sqn., RAF Lossiemouth
Date (exact)
Between

(unknown)
Aug.1989
Oct.1992

Mod.1736 'Modified' - Smaller Wingtips
— Fitted to extend airframe flying hours by reducing wing-loading. Result of fatigue testing of XN982 at HS Brough, to determine cause of the crash of XV345 while participating in 'Red Flag 80' on 07/02/1980 - (Fatigue testing commenced Jun. 1982 - solution implimented to specific airframes from Aug.1989-onwards)

Jun. 1993

Transferred to 208 Sqn., RAF Lossiemouth - coded '431'

31/03/1994

Withdrawn from service with 'Buccaneer' retirement from RAF service

05/04/1994

To RAF Manston - 'Fire/Crash Rescue' trainer