Buccaneer Low level
Mutt,
The directory is just an ftp site, used for different areas & forums. If you want to look at them all, go ahead; plenty more back on the hard drive
The directory is just an ftp site, used for different areas & forums. If you want to look at them all, go ahead; plenty more back on the hard drive
Join Date: Dec 2003
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Join Date: Oct 2001
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Great stories!! I loved the Bucc, and lived near Aberdeen for 7 years when I was a bit younger, our school was right under the approach to ABZ and many years were spent watching Bucc's overshoot instead of the blackboard (hence am only an a/c eng!!)
3 great memories from an infatuated schoolboy:
Lossiemouth airshow (1986?), hearing jets and turning round to see 2 Buccs coming round the tower a-la "Topgun" only lower noisier and way cooler!! Also the dummy airfield attack.
An airshow at Leuchars, again in the 80's, a Bucc coming across the airfield from the east, so low that most folk probably didn't see it stand out from the grass, (got a photo somewhere and when I had it developed I thought I'd missed the aircraft!) awesome display's everytime by the Bucc, especially in damp air.
Favourite memory was of being in a small fishing boat off Portpatrick in SW Scotland doing a spot of sea fishing when I pointed out to mates a small puff of smoke on the horizon, this VERY QUICKLY became a VERY LOW (it drew up a wake behind it!) and VERY FAST Bucc, she broke into a full 360 turn off the bow of our wee boat, rolled wings level and disappeared as fast as she appeared. I've alway's wanted to believe that we were the "victim's" of a beat-up, but what a way to see your last flying Bucc!! Still sends a cold shiver down my spine every time I think about it, what a machine.
3 great memories from an infatuated schoolboy:
Lossiemouth airshow (1986?), hearing jets and turning round to see 2 Buccs coming round the tower a-la "Topgun" only lower noisier and way cooler!! Also the dummy airfield attack.
An airshow at Leuchars, again in the 80's, a Bucc coming across the airfield from the east, so low that most folk probably didn't see it stand out from the grass, (got a photo somewhere and when I had it developed I thought I'd missed the aircraft!) awesome display's everytime by the Bucc, especially in damp air.
Favourite memory was of being in a small fishing boat off Portpatrick in SW Scotland doing a spot of sea fishing when I pointed out to mates a small puff of smoke on the horizon, this VERY QUICKLY became a VERY LOW (it drew up a wake behind it!) and VERY FAST Bucc, she broke into a full 360 turn off the bow of our wee boat, rolled wings level and disappeared as fast as she appeared. I've alway's wanted to believe that we were the "victim's" of a beat-up, but what a way to see your last flying Bucc!! Still sends a cold shiver down my spine every time I think about it, what a machine.
Join Date: Aug 2001
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Hi,
Was fortunate enough to be at Tain when the Bananajets were retiring. Saw some awesome displays of aircraft handling.
Memories and some awesome pics can be found at www.avcollect.com,I was unlucky enough to meet the photographer and look after him on his visit!! Only jokin Andy.
Anyway,enjoy the pics. She was a great bird only shadowed by the F111!
Regards
Ranger
Was fortunate enough to be at Tain when the Bananajets were retiring. Saw some awesome displays of aircraft handling.
Memories and some awesome pics can be found at www.avcollect.com,I was unlucky enough to meet the photographer and look after him on his visit!! Only jokin Andy.
Anyway,enjoy the pics. She was a great bird only shadowed by the F111!
Regards
Ranger
Ich bin ein Prooner.
Join Date: Feb 2003
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I remember years ago stood on top of the "cliffs" (about 30 - 40 ft. high!) at West Runton in Norfolk, when a Bucc. came along, following the coastline.
The coastline at our standpoint was a gradual curve, and as the Bucc. approached from our right, it slowly banked to the left to follow the shore, until it passed us, vertically banked, no more than about 100 ft. from the cliff edge.
We could easily see the driver and looker, as we were looking straight down into the office.
I don't know how fast it was travelling, but the noise and the blast reached us a split second after it passed.
It was utterly amazing. The noise, the rush of air, and it was gone!
What an experience. It was truly awesome.
The coastline at our standpoint was a gradual curve, and as the Bucc. approached from our right, it slowly banked to the left to follow the shore, until it passed us, vertically banked, no more than about 100 ft. from the cliff edge.
We could easily see the driver and looker, as we were looking straight down into the office.
I don't know how fast it was travelling, but the noise and the blast reached us a split second after it passed.
It was utterly amazing. The noise, the rush of air, and it was gone!
What an experience. It was truly awesome.
I remember in the early / mid 80's when I lived in Malmesbury, walking back home from the Abbey (away from the town centre) when I saw a Bucc BELOW me, travelling roughly northwest.
Got only a brief glimpse, but enough to be mightily impressed.
Got only a brief glimpse, but enough to be mightily impressed.
Join Date: Feb 2003
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Bucc Low Level
I remember as an air cadet seeing a film of the Bucc's out in USA, not sure if they were on Red Flag though. But the "elite" (lol) yank pilots were trying to out do our guys. The Buccs then went low, so low in fact they were flying down a gully. The yanks didn't follow !! The camera operator could only track the Buccaneer's by the high tailplane, just being visible as she flew down the gully.
Belive there was another story with 2 Buccs, escorting a Vulcan on Ex Giant Voice, however they weren't visible on radar. Yet again our brothers from USA thought they had upper hand. Until 2 Buccs popped out from under the Vulcan, nice surprise !!!
Belive there was another story with 2 Buccs, escorting a Vulcan on Ex Giant Voice, however they weren't visible on radar. Yet again our brothers from USA thought they had upper hand. Until 2 Buccs popped out from under the Vulcan, nice surprise !!!
I don't own this space under my name. I should have leased it while I still could
Nimrodnoswwheel
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Morning Gents. I dredged this one up from hungover memory banks this morning. They weren't too clear so Google'd a couple of helpful sites for the facts. However, am I right in saying this is the only time British forces have used Napalm in anger? AND, did we really only get 75% of hits on target?!
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I have it on good authority that the RAF did NOT drop any napalm on the Torey Canyon nor did the RAF have any Napalm at that time. What they used was 'liquified petroleum jelly.'
During Korea I believe that Napalm was a fairly typical response to massed chicom attacks. It was usually dropped from Sky Raiders but may alson have been dropped by Sea Fury and other RN types.
Only 75%? 75% was pretty damn good in the 60s. We are still a long way from that even now with dumb bombs.
wrote
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Morning Gents. I dredged this one up from hungover memory banks this morning. They weren't too clear so Google'd a couple of helpful sites for the facts. However, am I right in saying this is the only time British forces have used Napalm in anger? AND, did we really only get 75% of hits on target?!
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I have it on good authority that the RAF did NOT drop any napalm on the Torey Canyon nor did the RAF have any Napalm at that time. What they used was 'liquified petroleum jelly.'
During Korea I believe that Napalm was a fairly typical response to massed chicom attacks. It was usually dropped from Sky Raiders but may alson have been dropped by Sea Fury and other RN types.
Only 75%? 75% was pretty damn good in the 60s. We are still a long way from that even now with dumb bombs.
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Pontius N:-
are you splitting hairs?! Napalm has now become a generic term for LPJ but it must have had some form of composition to prevent it burning itself out until it had attached to the oil and set fire to it. The original WWII compound was a mixture of of naphthene and palmitate (hence na-palm), also known as napthenic and palmitic acids, with gasoline which produced a brownish sticky syrup that burned more slowly than raw gasoline, and hence was much more effective at igniting one's target. It was, however, highly inflammable so a refinement was "napalm-B", super-napalm, or NP2. It uses no napalm at all. Instead, polystyrene and benzene are used as a solvent to solidify the gasoline. Thus, my contention is that the forces in 1967 must have used some form of a napalm type compound, though I'll defer to your authority if it's a good one.
As to the bombing accuracy, my reading led me to my comment at the end of the post. If the diver's are worried about UXBs then is it possible more hit but didn't activate?
PN, Ooops!! Having just posted the above I went in to the increasingly fascinating Vulcan thread. I note your comments to John Farley ref bombing accuracy in Cyprus and bow to your knowledge & experience.
are you splitting hairs?! Napalm has now become a generic term for LPJ but it must have had some form of composition to prevent it burning itself out until it had attached to the oil and set fire to it. The original WWII compound was a mixture of of naphthene and palmitate (hence na-palm), also known as napthenic and palmitic acids, with gasoline which produced a brownish sticky syrup that burned more slowly than raw gasoline, and hence was much more effective at igniting one's target. It was, however, highly inflammable so a refinement was "napalm-B", super-napalm, or NP2. It uses no napalm at all. Instead, polystyrene and benzene are used as a solvent to solidify the gasoline. Thus, my contention is that the forces in 1967 must have used some form of a napalm type compound, though I'll defer to your authority if it's a good one.
As to the bombing accuracy, my reading led me to my comment at the end of the post. If the diver's are worried about UXBs then is it possible more hit but didn't activate?
PN, Ooops!! Having just posted the above I went in to the increasingly fascinating Vulcan thread. I note your comments to John Farley ref bombing accuracy in Cyprus and bow to your knowledge & experience.
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Logistics Loader,
I think I've seen a very similar film clip. The one I saw was taken by one of the technicians on the Red Flag range who was filming his colleagues setting up some electronic kit. The wash (gully) that the Buccaneers flew down was only about a hundred yards away from where they were working and, as you say, all you could see was the top of the fin and the tailplane poking above the desert. Superb - the Yanks were totally banjaxed and one could be heard muttering about the crazy Limeys and their underground air force!
I think I've seen a very similar film clip. The one I saw was taken by one of the technicians on the Red Flag range who was filming his colleagues setting up some electronic kit. The wash (gully) that the Buccaneers flew down was only about a hundred yards away from where they were working and, as you say, all you could see was the top of the fin and the tailplane poking above the desert. Superb - the Yanks were totally banjaxed and one could be heard muttering about the crazy Limeys and their underground air force!
Join Date: Dec 2003
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i was always lead to believe it was the fleet air arm who bombed torrey canyon. with 1000 lb'ers. The supposedly targeted individual bulkheads on ship. Source of this was video buccaneer the last british bomber. Another cracking bucc video. Pity some of the red flag footage and the trip through Beruit couldn't be put out on DVD/video.
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NURSE
Hunters from 229 OCU (63,79 &234 Sqns) loosed-off a large quantity of 100-gall drop tanks filled with avtur on 28/29/30 March '67 - operating out of Chiv and St Mawgan. Hunters from West Raynham (1 & 54 Sqns - or maybe just 1) followed up with 230-gall (I think) tanks filled with napalm/LPJ (doesn't really matter which - similar nasty effect) ------- great sport. Sadly too many of those who partook are no longer with us.
At great risk of inviting, as Beags said recently, a host of boring war stories, anyone interested in posting a Hunter thread? Or has it already been and done? Most of us who flew it some forty or fifty years gone are, like JF, now looking a little ragged!!
Hunters from 229 OCU (63,79 &234 Sqns) loosed-off a large quantity of 100-gall drop tanks filled with avtur on 28/29/30 March '67 - operating out of Chiv and St Mawgan. Hunters from West Raynham (1 & 54 Sqns - or maybe just 1) followed up with 230-gall (I think) tanks filled with napalm/LPJ (doesn't really matter which - similar nasty effect) ------- great sport. Sadly too many of those who partook are no longer with us.
At great risk of inviting, as Beags said recently, a host of boring war stories, anyone interested in posting a Hunter thread? Or has it already been and done? Most of us who flew it some forty or fifty years gone are, like JF, now looking a little ragged!!
I don't own this space under my name. I should have leased it while I still could
NimrodNoseWheel,
I wasn't splitting hairs, my remark was tongue in cheek. Napalm was unacceptable, LPJ was acceptable. Likewise the RAF stopped shoving 'volunteers' into gas chambers and instead used Respirator Testing Facilities. Oddly enough the German Air Force used gas chambers last time I looked.
Aren't euphemisms great fun?
I wasn't splitting hairs, my remark was tongue in cheek. Napalm was unacceptable, LPJ was acceptable. Likewise the RAF stopped shoving 'volunteers' into gas chambers and instead used Respirator Testing Facilities. Oddly enough the German Air Force used gas chambers last time I looked.
Aren't euphemisms great fun?
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Touche Pontius, though I distinctly remember the gas chamber at Henlow in the late 70s being called just that. The memories of the glint in the eye of the Regt instructor as he lit the CS pellet are still with me today.
Good New Year to one and all, signing off now for a few days. NNW.
Good New Year to one and all, signing off now for a few days. NNW.
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Panic
Was on a school trip to Honington in 86 - you know the form, showing a load of snotty schoolkids who all want to be biggles round the base.
Come lunchtime the coach was parked up by the tower and we watched the Tornado coming and goings.
Suddenly big panic, Buc comes in and grinds to a halt about 50 yards from the coach, pursued by fire engines, smoke pouring from the undercarriage.
Certainly got everyone's attention!
Come lunchtime the coach was parked up by the tower and we watched the Tornado coming and goings.
Suddenly big panic, Buc comes in and grinds to a halt about 50 yards from the coach, pursued by fire engines, smoke pouring from the undercarriage.
Certainly got everyone's attention!
Avoid imitations
Join Date: Nov 2000
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Nimrodnosewheel,
I agree, it was the "gas chamber" in the late 1970s, made from 12 by 12s, inside one of the hangars. Our Regiment instructor wasn't too bright and on one occasion he couldn't get the pellet to stay lit. Someone "helpfully" suggested he blew on it. He did, got down on his hands and knees to do so but stupidly took a deep breath for a second go. I think he was dragged out by his heels........
I agree, it was the "gas chamber" in the late 1970s, made from 12 by 12s, inside one of the hangars. Our Regiment instructor wasn't too bright and on one occasion he couldn't get the pellet to stay lit. Someone "helpfully" suggested he blew on it. He did, got down on his hands and knees to do so but stupidly took a deep breath for a second go. I think he was dragged out by his heels........
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Hi,Sorry guys the link should be www.avcollect.co.uk
It really is a splendid sight and a tribute to the Buccaneer.
Regards
Ranger703
It really is a splendid sight and a tribute to the Buccaneer.
Regards
Ranger703