Blackburn's Finest
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Blackburn's Finest
Some cracking pictures of the mighty Buccaneer worth sharing ...
GAR Bruntinghtorpe : 20 More Years
Any takes for flying XW544, XW894 or XW964 when in service
As the title to this thread is a little ambiguous as to what was Blackburn's Finest ... all Beverley contributions are most welcome
Originally Posted by Global Aviation Resource
It’s hard to believe that it has been 20 years since the iconic shape of the Blackburn Buccaneer left the RAF inventory, but that’s what the celebrations were all about on Saturday 29th March at Bruntinghtorpe airfield, near Leicestershire. With unseasonably mild temperatures, blue skies and sunshine, both models belonging to the Buccaneer Aviation Group, S2Bs XW544 and XW894, both looked superb in their shiny new coats of paint, XW964’s being her first outing for 12 months following an in depth service and a full re-paint. Glenn Beasley was there for GAR.
Any takes for flying XW544, XW894 or XW964 when in service
As the title to this thread is a little ambiguous as to what was Blackburn's Finest ... all Beverley contributions are most welcome
Last edited by CoffmanStarter; 4th Apr 2014 at 07:56.
Precisely, Mr B!!
Blackburn getting the contract for that 2 seat 'runabout' prevented them producing the Bev Mk2 - pressurised, Tyne powered and more than a match for Fat Albert. Oh, what could have been!
Blackburn getting the contract for that 2 seat 'runabout' prevented them producing the Bev Mk2 - pressurised, Tyne powered and more than a match for Fat Albert. Oh, what could have been!
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Nice to see that you got the thread back onto its rightful theme CS
By the way, the dayglo patches on the extremities were to stop MAMS from driving into the beast!
By the way, the dayglo patches on the extremities were to stop MAMS from driving into the beast!
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I see it's 47 Sqn machine with the crane symbol on the fins but what is the significance of the dayglo patches I wonder?
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They're a navigation aid, as long as the Nav is situated between all 4 Dayglo patches he knows where he is.
Indeed - exactly what I was told when I had the pleasure of a leisurely voyage from Seletar to Kuching in early 1966. Later in my tour when 34 Sqn's Queens of the Sky were scrapped, I was a member of the 390 MU working party wielding the axe. A sad end to an impressive machine.
Lovely old crate.
Another Beverly dit.....
.....but could it be true?
I had a captain on the kipper fleet who had been on the Bev. He claimed his most frightening moment was at an overseas base where, for some reason, it was decided to have a cocktail party in the cargo hold. Late in the evening he was saying farewell to one of the VIPs on the ground outside he saw that another crew member** had persuaded a pretty young thing to accompany him on a walk along the top of the boom; exiting from a hatch above the wing and re-entering another hatch at the back of the passeger cabin. She was in high heels and clutching a glass as she teetered along.
Could this have been possible?
The Ancient Mariner
**PS my money is on it having been the flight engineer
And yes I did really like the Bucc pictures too - honest guv. Who? Thread drift?? Me?
I had a captain on the kipper fleet who had been on the Bev. He claimed his most frightening moment was at an overseas base where, for some reason, it was decided to have a cocktail party in the cargo hold. Late in the evening he was saying farewell to one of the VIPs on the ground outside he saw that another crew member** had persuaded a pretty young thing to accompany him on a walk along the top of the boom; exiting from a hatch above the wing and re-entering another hatch at the back of the passeger cabin. She was in high heels and clutching a glass as she teetered along.
Could this have been possible?
The Ancient Mariner
**PS my money is on it having been the flight engineer
And yes I did really like the Bucc pictures too - honest guv. Who? Thread drift?? Me?
Rossian and Goudie - if it was, it would have been late in the day. We didn't have 'ginger beers' until the Bev had been in service for some time.
The first wing hatch exit and stroll onto the tail boom was courtesy of our Co-pilot Hugh *******, a young man with an irritating amount of charm for nubile young ladies!! (where's the jealousy smiley?) He had rounded up a pair of nursing sisters while we were static parked at Plymouth Roborough Air Display. He then went off with the Skipper John K to sample West Country beverages, leaving the ladies in our care. Hot day, wing hatches removed, momentary inattention and went to the rear flight deck to see a pair of shapely ankles exiting the hatch! Rushed to hatch expecting to see disaster scene but instead, said lady was happily perched on the top of the boom - best seat in the house for the flying display! Recovery process was carefully overseen (shoes removed!!!) and pulse returned close to normal after half an hour or so.
Day was rounded off with a memorable departure - lots of dew on the grass runway so we taxied up to the hedge, then reversed to put the tail boom over the road, max thrust against brakes until it started to skid, then off and into a V2 climb. I suspect there was not much that was more spectacular on the day. Young, silly and happy as a pig in whatever pigs are happy in!
The first wing hatch exit and stroll onto the tail boom was courtesy of our Co-pilot Hugh *******, a young man with an irritating amount of charm for nubile young ladies!! (where's the jealousy smiley?) He had rounded up a pair of nursing sisters while we were static parked at Plymouth Roborough Air Display. He then went off with the Skipper John K to sample West Country beverages, leaving the ladies in our care. Hot day, wing hatches removed, momentary inattention and went to the rear flight deck to see a pair of shapely ankles exiting the hatch! Rushed to hatch expecting to see disaster scene but instead, said lady was happily perched on the top of the boom - best seat in the house for the flying display! Recovery process was carefully overseen (shoes removed!!!) and pulse returned close to normal after half an hour or so.
Day was rounded off with a memorable departure - lots of dew on the grass runway so we taxied up to the hedge, then reversed to put the tail boom over the road, max thrust against brakes until it started to skid, then off and into a V2 climb. I suspect there was not much that was more spectacular on the day. Young, silly and happy as a pig in whatever pigs are happy in!