XX899 - S.Mk.2B Production

Aircraft History

XX899 - Buccaneer S.Mk.2B

'JC' - 237 OCU, RAF Lossiemouth, 1986
Carrying 'Pave Spike' laser designator, plus 'AIM-9G' Sidewinder missile

'Laser Lips Laura/Linkwood' - 'P' - 208 Sqn. Muharraq, Bahrain, Gulf War, 1991

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

Serial - XX899C/n - B3-04-75
First Flown	-----
Date Delivered	29/09/1976	To Royal Air Force
	29/09/1976	Issued to 12 Sqn., RAF Honington
	Feb. 1980	Buccaneer fleet grounded for six months following crash of XV345 at Nellis AFB, Nevada, USA during Exercise 'Red Flag 80'
	Aug. 1980	Transferred to 208 Sqn., RAF Honington
	Sep. 1980	Transferred to 15 Sqn., RAFG Laarbruch, West Germany - coded 'A'
	Mar 1982	To No.19 MU RAF St. Athan for overhaul
	27/04/1982	Re-issued to 15 Sqn., RAFG Laarbruch, West Germany - coded 'A'
	Jul. 1983	Transferred to 16 Sqn., RAFG Laarbruch, West Germany (still coded 'A')
	Mar. 1984	Transferred to 237 OCU, RAF Honington - coded 'J'
	Oct. 1984	237 OCU relocated to RAF Lossiemouth - coded 'JC'
	By 1987	237 OCU, RAF Lossiemouth - coded '899'
Date Received	19/04/1988	To BAe Woodford - ASR1012 (Set No.024) Avionics Upgrade Programme (AUP) - 27wks cycle
Date Delivered	25/10/1988	'AUP' completed - returned to 'Operational Status'
	26/10/1988	To 'Station Flight', RAF Lossiemouth
	27/10/1988	Re-Issued to 237 OCU, RAF Lossiemouth - coded '899'
	Oct. 1990	Transferred to 12 Sqn., RAF Lossiemouth - coded '899' By this time, 12 Sqn., RAF Lossiemouth had 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 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 'P'
	26/01/1991	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 'Nose Art' added during the campaign: 'Laser Lips Laura/Linkwood' (to port side of nose). By the end of campaign, Nineteen 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
	Jun. 1992	Desert 'ARTF' (Alkali Removable Temporary Finish) removed - coded '899'
	01/10/1993	12 Sqn., RAF Lossiemouth disbanded
	-----	Transferred to 208 Sqn., RAF Lossiemouth coded '899' (Retained 12 Sqn. markings)
	Mar. 1994	Aircraft still with the markings of 12 Sqn., at final photo-call prior to the Buccaneer's retirement from operational flying on 31st March 1994
	Oct. 1994	Scrapped - Lossiemouth (nose section privately owned)
	-----	Robin Phipps, Midlands Air Museum, Coventry Current position - on display (date currency at 15/09/2003)

Gulf War History of XX899 - "P" Laser Lips Laura/Linkwood
Date:		Additional Information:
26/01/1991	Transit from RAF Lossiemouth to Muharraq Air Base, Bahrain	Direct flight - (8 hrs 30 mins)
Date:	Target:	Additional Information:
02/02/1991	As Samawah — Highway bridge
04/02/1991	Al Madinah — Bridge
05/02/1991	As Samawah — Road/River bridge
06/02/1991	An Nasiriyah — Canal Bridge
07/02/1991	Al Fallujah — Highway bridge
08/02/1991	As Samawah — Highway bridge
09/02/1991	An Nasiriyah — Pontoon As Samawah — POL (Petrol, Oil, Lubricant)	DNCO (Duty Not Carried Out) DNCO - weather
10/02/1991	Ar Ramadi — Highway bridge	DNCO - weather
10/02/1991	As Samawah — Pontoon bridge (west)
12/02/1991	*Al Asad Airfield — HAS sites**	*Hardened Aircraft Shelter
13/02/1991	Al Fallujah — Railway bridge
14/02/1991	Ubaydah Bin Al Jarrah Airfield — HAS sites
15/02/1991	Tallil Airfield
16/02/1991	Qal'at Salih Airfield	DNCO - Aircraft u/s
18/02/1991	Tallil Airfield	DNCO - Lightning strike Returned to Base after 'Air-to-Air' refuelling
22/02/1991	Kut Al Hayy East Airfield
23/02/1991	Qalat Sikar Airfield
23/02/1991	Qalat Sikar Airfield
24/02/1991	Jalibah South East Airfield — PBF (Pilot's Briefing Fascility)
25/02/1991	Shayka Mazhar Airfield	DNCO - weather
25/02/1991	Shayka Mazhar Airfield	DNCO - weather
26/02/1991	Al Taqaddum Airfield	DNCO - weather
27/02/1991	Shayka Mazhar Airfield	DNCO - weather
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) Hawker Siddeley/Blackburn Buccaneer (Paul Jackson & Peter Foster) Wings of Fame - volume 14 (Aerospace Publishing Ltd) (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 British Aviation Review - Vol.36 No.4