XZ431
 

Flew in ac once, 22 August 1977, Red Flag Orientation Sortie and EW at Nellis AFB. Seems a lifetime ago!!!

XZ 431
 

Flew it 29 times between 1/9/82 and 2/12/92 including its return to Lossie from Woodford post update.

Slight thread drift after seeing the fantastic images of Andrew Brooks, I saw the following image of XV865 after the photographer, Keith Campbell, posted it on Facebook

Buccaneer XV865 in the shadows canvas print by Keith Campbell

There are a few more of Keiths images on display, but I now have this one hanging on my wall much to my delight.

As there is now a little thread creep: the last flight of a UK Military registered Buccaneer was by XW988 from Boscombe Down in Feb or Mar 1995. It was flown by Maj Rick Husband USAF as the last flight of his exchange tour on Fixed Wing Test Squadron (not sure who was in the back seat). Rick sadly perished in the 'Columbia' accident but we must not forget his connection to the Bucc.

Plastic Bonsai,

Regret tardy reply, rather busy recently.

Difficult to be specific since my recall of detail some 32 years previous is scant. Apart from the Radome change to the GR Tornado shape, the RAE operated Buccardo, XT272, was totally clean, with all the Tornado test installations removed, so very lightweight.

Handling wise, it was smoother and more stable than a similarly clean standard aircraft and very quick off the blocks. None of the conventional Buccaneer buffet, L&D vagaries etc at slow speed and in landing configurations.

A previous PPrune Topic on procuring new aircraft, which I note you contributed to, included some discussion of the Buccardo, which included comments that the platform performance with the Tornado 'avionics/weapons boxes' fitted was 'embarrassingly good'.

lm