XX895 - S.Mk.2B Production

Aircraft History

XX895 - Buccaneer S.Mk.2B

12 Sqn. RAF Honington, 1976
Carrying one 'Anti-Radar' Martel & two 'TV' Martel 'Anti-Ship' Missiles with 'Data Link Pod'

XX895 - Buccaneer S.Mk.2B

208 Sqn. RAF Lossiemouth, 21^st September 1993

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

Serial - XX895C/n - B3-04-74
First Flown	-----
Date Delivered	05/12/1975	To Royal Air Force
	05/01/1976	Issued to 12 Sqn., RAF Honington
	1979	To No.19 MU St. Athan for overhaul
	Feb. 1980	Buccaneer fleet grounded for six months following crash of XV345 at Nellis AFB, Nevada, USA during Exercise 'Red Flag 80'
	Jun.1980	Re-issued and flying again with 12 Sqn., RAF Honington
	05/09/1980	Transferred to 15 Sqn., RAFG Laarbruch, West Germany - coded 'B'
	09/01/1981	Returned to No.19 MU St. Athan for attention
	06/04/1981	Re-issued to 15 Sqn., RAFG Laarbruch, West Germany - coded 'B'
	Aug. 1983	Transferred to 16 Sqn., RAFG Laarbruch, West Germany - coded 'B'
	Mar. 1984	Transferred to 237 OCU, RAF Honington - coded 'A'
	Aug. 1984	237 OCU, RAF Honington - coded 'B'
	Oct. 1984	237 OCU relocated to RAF Lossiemouth
	1985	237 OCU, RAF Lossiemouth - coded 'BC'
	15/04/1986	On loan to 12 Sqn., RAF Lossiemouth - Still coded 'BC' with 237 OCU markings
	06/05/1986	Returned to 237 OCU, RAF Lossiemouth - coded 'BC'
	Late 1986	237 OCU, RAF Lossiemouth - coded '895'
Date Received	16/09/1987	To BAe Woodford - ASR1012 (Set No.015) Avionics Upgrade Programme (AUP) - 33wks cycle
Date Delivered	05/05/1988	'AUP' completed - returned to 'Operational Status' — Sea Eagle 'Anti-Ship' missile capability
	06/05/1988	To 'Station Flight', RAF Lossiemouth
	09/05/1988	Transferred to 12 Sqn., RAF Lossiemouth - coded '895'
	Oct. 1989	Transferred to 208 Sqn., RAF Lossiemouth - coded '895'
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 'G'
	10/02/1991	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 'Nose Art' added during the campaign: 'Jaws/Lynn/Glenfiddich' By the end of campaign, no mission symbols displayed
	17/03/1991	Returned to RAF Lossiemouth form the Gulf
	Mar. 1991	Re-joined 208 Sqn., RAF Lossiemouth
	Aug. 1991	'Medium Sea Grey/Camouflage Grey' colour scheme 12in. low-viz. 'Pink/Pale Blue' roundels applied (208 Sqn., insignia not applied)
	Jun. 1993	By this time, noted with full 208 Sqn. markings
	31/03/1994	Aircraft still with the markings of 208 Sqn., at final photo-call prior to the Buccaneer's retirement from operational flying on 31st March 1994
	06/04/1994	To No.19 MU St. Athan for disposal

Gulf War History of XX895 - "G" Jaws/Lynn/Glenfiddich
Date:		Additional Information:
10/02/1991	Transit from RAF Lossiemouth to Muharraq Air Base, Bahrain	Direct flight - (9 hrs)
Date:	Target:	Additional Information:
14/02/1991	*Ubaydah Bin Al Jarrah Airfield — HAS sites**	*Hardened Aircraft Shelter DNCO (Duty Not Carried Out) - Tornado Aircraft u/s
15/02/1991	Kut Al Hayy East Airfield — Bunker	DNCO - no 'Air-to-Air' refuelling
15/02/1991	Jalibah South East Airfield — HAS sites
16/02/1991	Amara New Airfield — Runway Intersection
18/02/1991	Jalibah South East Airfield
20/02/1991	Qal'at Salih Airfield	DNCO - weather
21/02/1991	Qal'at Salih Airfield
22/02/1991	Qalat Sikar Airfield — Surfaces
24/02/1991	Tallil Airfield — Communications site
27/02/1991	Al Taqaddum Airfield — Hangar
Date:		Additional Information:
17/03/1991	Transit from Muharraq Air Base, Bahrain to RAF Lossiemouth	Direct flight - (8 hrs 30 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) Buccaneer: Modern Combat Aircraft 7 (Maurice Allward) 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