Buccaneer XZ431

[WH779]

Hi All,

I'm Part of a group working on the Cockpit Section of Buccaneer XZ431...

We are currently working on getting as much as the cockpit as live as possible again to display to the public at various shows.

The owner Andrew Carnill has asked me to ask on here if anyone has XZ431 in their logbooks...

He's also very keen to make contact with the crew of the last flight back in 1994... F/O Mark Sharp & Flt/Lt Ewan Fraser.

[Romeo Oscar Golf]

Couple of times in Nov'77 and also Dec '77....Left 208Sqn in Jan '78.
No use to you I realise but picked up XZ430 from H on S Moor on 4th May '77 and realised just how much better the beast went before loading it with weight and drag!!

[LOMCEVAK]

First flew it 28 Nov '83, last flew it 6 Nov '84 (on 208 Sqn at Lossiemouth). It does not appear in my logbook with 208 at Honington from when I joined in Feb '80 until the move to Lossie in July '83 so it must have been acquired as part of the move up north. The penultimate Bucc to be built. Happy days!

[BBadanov]

Wasn't it among the final batch of three built - I thought specifically for West Freugh?

[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

[45-25-25]

XZ 431

I flew XZ 431 on several occasions. First sortie on 208 Sqn was on 9th July 1984. On my second sortie (23rd August) I had an ECU failure. On Nov 13th that year I flew it on an Airfield Attack of RAF Binbrook. On 12 Feb 1985 I flew it on a JMC Exercise (Joint Maritime Course). On 12th March I dropped Live 1000lb Bombs from it on Garvie Island. In September that year I flew it twice on Exercise Ocean Safari.

I next flew it in 1991 on 4th December to Tain Range and had an RCDI (Rate of Climb and Descent Indicator) failure. My final 2 trips were on 18 and 19 Aug 1992 when I flew it to Soesterburg and back - can't think why! (Probably a Sqn Exchange). Happy Days!

[Fg Off Bloggs]

Despite 4 tours on the jet and 2500 hrs on type I only ever flew 431 once! Logbook reveals: 27 Oct 1978, XZ431, Exercise Red Flag 79-1, Laydown 1 x 1000lb bomb, no 2 in a 4-ship. At the time I was the staff nav QWI running the QWI Cse on 237 OCU! The aircraft was, however, a 208 Sqn jet as they were the main players in that Red Flag and we, the 4 crews on the QWI Cse, were 'freeloading' on their tailcoats!

Bloggs

[t7a]

Hello Bloggs! I too was a freeloader and on that particular Red Flag sortie flew XZ430!!!

[BBadanov]

Of that batch of the last three, I checked my logbook.


XZ430 - only once, 237 OCU Honington JAN 81.

XZ431 - only once, 237 OCU Lossiemouth NOV 84 (QWI Course sortie, a/c on loan from 208)

XZ432 - 237 OCU Lossiemouth JUL 85 to FEB 87.

[Darvan]

Likewise. I have dozens of entries for XZ432 when a QWI with 237 OCU but only one entry for XZ431 - on 21 December1988 with Wingnut when he was a stude.

[lightningmate]

The 3 'Weapons Trials' Buccs were XW 986, 987 & 988. Their prime use was development of JP 233, although they also supported plenty of other weapons related activities.

lm

[BBadanov]

lm,


Many thx for that, you are correct, and if I had done my homework I would have picked the correct 3 as the weapons trials aircraft.


In fact - and not many people realise this - checking my trusty hip pocket edition of 'British Mil A/c Serials', it states 4 aircraft ordered: XW986-XW989 for RAE, but XW989 was cancelled.

[lightningmate]

Bbadanov,

I certainly did not realise there was originally a fourth ordered. Possibly that jet may have been intended for other things at Bedford or RSRE. More likely, as was common with RAE programmes, someone who knew better than the programme experts scrubbed it to grab the funding for their pet project!

The Tornado programme mentioned was serviced by 2 x Buccardos. We had one at Farnborough after its time at Warton was complete, the Tornado nose certainly improved the aircraft handling most noticeably, it was a joy to fly

lm

[Ogre]

I must have worked on it at some point at Lossie according to the list, but I'm sure there was more of it.......

[Fg Off Bloggs]

XW 986, 987 & 988

All now at Thunder City and on the RSA Civ Register.

Bloggs

[WH779]

Thank you to All that have replied to this post so Far... And a Massive Thanks to the ones that have sent copies from their logbooks, This all helps us to build on 431's History Cheers.

Please keep them coming 😄

[deltahotel]

Nine trips in 431. Feb - Nov 84 while on 208 on my brief, unsuccessful but very enjoyable Buccaneer career. Variety of profiles inc AAR and JMC. Last flight was 2 Nov, weaponry at Rosehearty which ended in a birdstrike.

ps. I was passed by a Bucc cockpit under tow on the Newark bypass a couple of months ago. Big double take - was that you?

[WH779]

Hi,

If it was Sunday 7th September then Yes... 431 had been to East Kirkby for the 3 Lancaster's event.

[Plastic Bonsai]

LM

I'm intrigued - what handling differences did you discern in the Buccardo?

[Snapshot]

XW987 ZU-BCR

F/O Bloggs,
987 is doing well, I took these last year (apologies - large file size)

Mods, I've taken my web site details off my images so not to incur the wrath of the Gods but leaving my name if that's ok?
Seeing photos on the net claimed by others who have amazingly taken identical images to me is somewhat frustrating !!
If leaving my name is against any 'new' rules, then I shall gladly remove the images, ta
























This one, although out of focus amuses me (I was using a 40 year old manual focus lens! )!
I like the way the air flow distorts the roof of the club house and greens!
Mr Pringle likes the photo more for the chap who is laying up his ball (bottom right) more than of him at the pointy end
How many of you noticed the iconic shape has something missing? No AAR probe!


Again apologies for large file size
AB