XX889 - S.Mk.2B Production

Aircraft History

XX889 - Buccaneer S.Mk.2B

'T' - 16 Sqn. RAFG Laarbruch, West Germany, 1975

Serial - XX889C/n - B3-05-73
First Flown	-----
Date Delivered	31/12/1974	To MoD(PE)
	13/02/1975	Issued to 16 Sqn., RAFG Laarbruch, West Germany - coded 'T'
	20/06/1977	Transferred to 15 Sqn., RAFG Laarbruch, West Germany
	Apr.1979	Transferred to 16 Sqn., RAFG Laarbruch, West Germany - coded 'P'
	Feb. 1980	Buccaneer fleet grounded for six months following crash of XV345 at Nellis AFB, Nevada, USA during Exercise 'Red Flag 80'
	Jun. 1981	Grounded at RAFG Laarbruch, West Germany - coded 'P', 16 Sqn.
	09/03/1982	Transferred to 12 Sqn., RAF Lossiemouth - coded '889'
	31/10/1983	Transferred to 208 Sqn., RAF Lossiemouth - coded '889'
	Mar. 1984	208 Sqn., RAF Lossiemouth - coded 'WS'
	By 09/1986	Mod's 1724 to 1727 completed - Sea Eagle 'Anti-Ship' missile capability (1 of 20 airframes modified Pre-ASR1012 (Avionics Upgrade Programme)
	01/12/1986	Transferred to 237 OCU, RAF Lossiemouth (no unit markings carried)
	May 1987	Transferred to 12 Sqn., RAF Lossiemouth - coded '889'
Date Received	16/03/1989	To BAe Woodford - ASR1012 (Set No.040) Avionics Upgrade Programme (AUP) - 44wks cycle
Date Delivered	18/01/1990	'AUP' completed - returned to 'Operational Status'
	19/01/1990	Re-Issued to 12 Sqn., RAF Lossiemouth - coded '889'
Date (exact) Between	(unknown) Aug.1989 Jan. 1991	*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)
	Jan. 1991	Prepared for Operation 'Granby' - painted Desert 'ARTF' (Alkali Removable Temporary Finish) - coded 'T'
	28/01/1991	Direct Transit to Muharraq Air Base, Bahrain - with In-Flight Re-Fuelling 1^st six aircraft: XX899/ P XX892/ I XW547/ R XW533/ A XX889/ T XW530/ E No 'Nose Art' added during the campaign, but named - 'Longmorn' By the end of campaign, fourteen mission symbols displayed on starboard nose below cockpit canopy
	17/03/1991	Returned to RAF Lossiemouth form the Gulf
	Mar. 1991	Re-joined 12 Sqn., RAF Lossiemouth
	Oct. 1991	Desert 'ARTF' (Alkali Removable Temporary Finish) removed 208 Sqn., RAF Lossiemouth - coded '889'
	Jan. 1992	Transferred to 12 Sqn., RAF Lossiemouth - coded '889'
	Aug. 1992	By this time, 'Medium Sea Grey/Camouflage Grey' colour scheme applied Gulf War 'T' maintained on tail for at least a year with full 12 Sqn. insignia
	Oct. 1993	Transferred to 208 Sqn., RAF Lossiemouth - full Squadron markings
	31/03/1994	Aircraft represented 208 Sqn., as one of Six aircraft to carry the markings of all previous RAF Squadrons to operate the Buccaneer: XV352 — 237 OCU (Medium Sea Grey/Camouflage Grey - late scheme) XV359 — 12 Sqn. (Dark Green/Dark Sea Grey - wraparound scheme) XV361 — 15 Sqn. (Dark Green/Dark Sea Grey - wraparound scheme) XW527 — 16 Sqn. (Dark Green/Dark Sea Grey - wraparound scheme) XX889 — 208 Sqn. (Medium Sea Grey/Camouflage Grey - late scheme) XX901 — 216 Sqn. (Dark Green/Dark Sea Grey - wraparound scheme) plus the last Naval Air Squadron to operate the Buccaneer: XX894 — 809 NAS (Extra Dark Sea Grey - overall) for a final photo-call prior to the Buccaneer's retirement from operational flying on 31st March 1994
	07/04/1994	To No.19 MU St. Athan for disposal
	Feb. 2006	G.J.D. Services, on loan to: The Blackburn Buccaneer Society Current position - Kemble (date currency at 30/04/2007)

Gulf War History of XX889 - "T" Longmorn
Date:		Additional Information:
28/01/1991	Transit from RAF Lossiemouth to Muharraq Air Base, Bahrain	Direct flight - (9 hrs)
Date:	Target:	Additional Information:
03/02/1991		Airborne Spare
04/02/1991	Al Madinah — Bridge	DNCO (Duty Not Carried Out) - 'Pave Spike' pod u/s Returned to Base
05/02/1991	Al Kut — Bridge
06/02/1991	Albu Salih — Highway bridge
07/02/1991	Al Khidr — Highway bridge
08/02/1991	Al Rumaylah — Bridge	DNCO
10/02/1991	Al Fallujah — Road/Rail Bridge	DNCO - weather
10/02/1991	As Samawah — Pontoon bridge (east)
12/02/1991	*Al Asad Airfield — HAS sites**	*Hardened Aircraft Shelter
14/02/1991	Al Taqaddum Airfield — HAS sites
16/02/1991	Amara New Airfield — Runway
18/02/1991	Jalibah South East Airfield — HAS sites
19/02/1991	Ubaydah Bin Al Jarrah Airifeld
20/02/1991	Kut Al Hayy East Airfield	DNCO - weather
21/02/1991	Ar Rumaylah South West Airfield — Runway	DNCO - weather
22/02/1991	Ar Rumaylah South West Airfield
23/02/1991	Qal'at Salih Airfield — Runway & POL (Petrol, Oil, Lubricant)
24/02/1991	Jalibah South East Airfield — Runway
25/02/1991	Al Taqaddum Airfield	DNCO - weather
27/02/1991	Habbaniyah Airfield — Fascilities
Date:		Additional Information:
17/03/1991	Transit from Muharraq Air Base, Bahrain to RAF Lossiemouth	Direct flight - (8 hrs 50 mins)

Note: Gulf War records obtained from photocopy entries of both the crews' logbooks and actual Authorisation Sheets
- by courtesy of the 'Buccaneer Aircrew Association'


Source -			Buccaneer: The story of the last all-British strike aircraft (Tim Laming) Wings of Fame - volume 14 (Aerospace Publishing Ltd) Hawker Siddeley/Blackburn Buccaneer (Paul Jackson & Peter Foster) RAF Buccaneer (Peter R. Foster) (see Reference Library page for full details)
Additional Info. -			R. Kelley: Airframe C/n NJ. Roberson (Historian, Buccaneer Aircrew Association) for information on: ASR1012 'Avionics Upgrade Programme' + 'Modified'-Smaller 'Wingtip' Airframes British Aviation Review - Vol.36 No.4