XX894 - S.Mk.2B Production

Aircraft History

XX894 - Buccaneer S.Mk.2B

208 Sqn, RAF Lossiemouth March 1994 This aircraft was painted to represent '020/R' of 809 NAS HMS Ark Royal, Royal Navy 1978
as a tribute to the Buccaneer's former naval life, for a final photo-call prior to the
Buccaneer's retirement from operational flying on 31st March 1994

Note: Smaller wingtips fitted to extend airframe flying hours by reducing wing-loading

XX894 - Buccaneer S.Mk.2B

'75^th Anniversary' scheme - 12 Sqn. RAF Lossiemouth, February 1990

Serial - XX894C/n - B3-03-74
First Flown	-----
Date Delivered	04/12/1975	To Royal Air Force
	05/12/1975	Issued to 16 Sqn., RAFG Laarbruch, West Germany
	-----	Transferred to 15 Sqn., RAFG Laarbruch, West Germany
	Feb. 1976	15 Sqn., RAFG Laarbruch, West Germany - coded 'M'
	Feb. 1980	One of the seven aircraft from the 'Laarbruch Wing' that participated in the ill-fated 'Red Flag 1980' exercise at Nellis AFB, Nevada, USA when 'XV345' lost its starboard wing and crashed
	1980	Full grounding of 'Buccaneer' fleet to assess fatigue problems to airframes - 'XX894' spent most of the early part of 1980 stranded at Nellis AFB, until eventually allowed to fly home
	1981	Issued to A&AEE, Boscombe Down - 'Trials Aircraft'
	-----	To No.19 MU, St. Athan
	02/09/1981	Issued to 12 Sqn., RAF Lossiemouth - coded '894'
	Apr. 1983	Operation Western Fox - NAS Key West, Florida Keys, USA 12 Sqn. 'Live Firing' exercise of 'TV' & 'AR' Martel missiles against redundant naval vessels. Participating Aircraft: XN976, XN983, XV165, XV168, XV333, XW530, XW542, XW547, XX894, XX900
	Jul. 1983	Transferred to 208 Sqn., RAF Lossiemouth - coded '894'
	Apr. 1984	208 Sqn., RAF Lossiemouth - coded 'HS'
	Late 1984	Transferred to 237 OCU, RAF Lossiemouth
	Mar. 1987	Returned to 208 Sqn., RAF Lossiemouth - coded '894'
Date Received	28/10/1988	To BAe Woodford - ASR1012 (Set No.034) Avionics Upgrade Programme (AUP) - 29wks cycle
Date Delivered	17/05/1989	'AUP' completed - returned to 'Operational Status'
	May 1989	Re-Issued to 208 Sqn., RAF Lossiemouth - coded '894'
	Oct. 1989	Transferred to 12 Sqn., RAF Lossiemouth - coded '894'
	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
	-----	Overall 'Medium Sea Grey' colour scheme applied to 'XX894' - 36in. low-viz. 'Pink/Pale Blue' roundels applied
	Feb. 1990	Chosen to receive special '75^th Anniversary scheme - 'Green' flash edged in 'Black' along fuselage and up tail.
Date (exact) Between	(unknown) Feb. 1990 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 'O'
	07/02/1991	Direct Transit to Muharraq Air Base, Bahrain - with In-Flight Re-Fuelling 2^nd six aircraft: XX863/ S XX885/ L XX894/ O XX895/ G XV352/ U XX901/ N No 'Nose Art' added during the campaign, but named - 'Aberlour' By the end of campaign, seven 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
	Feb. 1992	Repainted in 'Medium Sea Grey/Camouflage Grey' colour scheme 12in. low-viz. 'Pink/Pale Blue' roundels applied (12 Sqn., insignia not applied)
	Jun. 1993	Full 12 Sqn., markings had been re-applied by this date
	Oct. 1993	Transferred to 208 Sqn., RAF Lossiemouth
	Feb. 1994	Aircraft painted to represent '020/R' of 809 NAS HMS Ark Royal, Royal Navy 1978, 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	Flown to No.19 MU St. Athan for storage and disposal
	1995	To Bruntingthorpe airfield, Leicestershire
	1996	Owned by the Buccaneer Preservation Society
	12/11/1996	Moved to No.5 MU Kemble for restoration and preservation
	2002	Owned by the Buccaneer Supporters Club Moved to Farnborough - 'open-air' storage
	Sep. 2002	SBAC Show, Farnborough - appeared in an Historic Aircraft 'Static Display'
	Sep. 2003	Private purchase - Guy Hulme
	28/09/2003	Transferred by road to Bruntingthorpe airfield, Leicestershire for restoration towards 'Fast-Taxiing' capability
	Oct. 2003	'XX894' named the "Spirit of Roy Boot"
	-----	Restoration to Run - The Buccaneer Trust, Bruntingthorpe (date currency at 23/02/2006)

Gulf War History of XX894 - "O" Aberlour
Date:		Additional Information:
07/02/1991	Transit from RAF Lossiemouth to Muharraq Air Base, Bahrain	Direct flight - (8 hrs 45 mins)
Date:	Target:	Additional Information:
14/02/1991	*Ubaydah Bin Al Jarrah Airfield — HAS site**	*Hardened Aircraft Shelter
15/02/1991	Kut Al Hayy East Airfield	DNCO (Duty Not Carried Out) - no 'Air-to-Air' refuelling
15/02/1991	As Salman East Airfield
16/02/1991	Amara New Airfield	DNCO - 'Pave Spike' pod u/s
18/02/1991	Tallil Airfield — Runway & HAS sites	DNCO - weather
19/02/1991	Shaibah Airfield	DNCO - weather
20/02/1991	Qal'at Salih Airfield	DNCO - weather
22/02/1991	Kut Al Hayy East Airfield — Runway and HAS sites
23/02/1991	Qalat Sikar Airfield — Runway
24/02/1991	Jalibah South East Airfield
25/02/1991	Al Taqaddum Airfield	DNCO - weather
25/02/1991	Al Taqaddum Airfield	DNCO - weather
26/02/1991	Shayka Mazhar Airfield	DNCO - weather
27/02/1991	Shayka Mazhar Airfield	Destroyed: Iraqi Antanov An-12 'Cub' (serial - KAF322)
27/02/1991	Al Taqaddum Airfield — Ammunition stores
Date:		Additional Information:
17/03/1991	Transit from Muharraq Air Base, Bahrain to RAF Lossiemouth	Direct flight - (8 hrs 45 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) Hawker Siddeley/Blackburn Buccaneer (Paul Jackson & Peter Foster) RAF Buccaneer (Peter R. Foster) (see Reference Library page for full details) Survivor's current position - The Blackburn Buccaneer Society
Additional Info. -			R. Kelley: Airframe C/n NJ. Roberson (Historian, Buccaneer Aircrew Association) for information on: ASR1012 'Avionics Upgrade Programme' + 'Modified'-Smaller 'Wingtip' Airframes Bill Spidle: Participating Aircraft - Operation Western Fox, 1983 'CHECK SIX' decal sheet - No.72005