XX901 - S.Mk.2B Production

Aircraft History

XX901 - Buccaneer S.Mk.2B

' 901' - 208 Sqn. RAF Akrotiri, Cyprus 1983
'Operation Pulsator' - Protection of UN forces in Beirut, Lebanon

Serial - XX901C/n - B3-06-75
First Flown	-----
Date Delivered	04/01/1977	To Royal Air Force
	04/01/1977	Issued to 208 Sqn., RAF Honington
	Aug. 1977	Exercise 'Red Flag 77' - Nellis AFB, Nevada, USA Main fuselage temporarily over-painted with 'Dark Earth and 'Light Stone' wraparound scheme (Temporary scheme removed on return to UK)
	1979	208 Sqn., RAF Honington - coded 'K'
	Apr. 1979	Deployed to Canada for Exercise 'Maple Flag III', at CFB Cold Lake - coded 'K'
	Feb. 1980	Buccaneer fleet grounded for six months following crash of XV345 at Nellis AFB, Nevada, USA during Exercise 'Red Flag 80'
	Jul. 1983	208 Sqn. relocated to RAF Lossiemouth - '901'
	Sep. 1983	One of six aircraft deployed to RAF Akrotiri, Cyprus under Operation 'Pulsator' in support of British Army contingent of the UN peace-keeping force stationed in Lebanon - 12 Sqn.( XV359 XV361 XW530 ) & 208 Sqn.( XX885 XX901 XZ430 ) - coded '901'
	Mar. 1984	208 Sqn., RAF Lossiemouth - coded 'GS'
	Sep. 1986	Mod's 1724 to 1727 completed - Sea Eagle 'Anti-Ship' missile capability (1 of 20 airframes modified Pre-ASR1012 (Avionics Upgrade Programme)
	Mar. 1987	Re-issued to 208 Sqn., RAF Lossiemouth (still coded 'GS')
	May 1987	Transferred to 237 OCU, RAF Losiemouth - coded '901'
Date Received	13/07/1987	To BAe Woodford - ASR1012 (Set No.012) Avionics Upgrade Programme (AUP) - 32wks cycle
Date Delivered	22/02/1988	'AUP' completed - returned to 'Operational Status'
	23/02/1988	To 'Station Flight', RAF Lossiemouth
	24/02/1988	Re-issued to 237 OCU, RAF Losiemouth - coded '901'
	Mar. 1990	Transferred to 208 Sqn., RAF Lossiemouth - coded '901'
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 'N'
	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: 'The Flying Mermaid/Kathryn/Glen Elgin' By the end of campaign, nine mission symbols displayed on starboard nose below cockpit canopy
	17/03/1991	Returned to RAF Lossiemouth form the Gulf
	Mar. 1991	Re-joined 208 Sqn., RAF Lossiemouth
	Feb. 1994	Received 216 Sqn. markings 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
	05/04/1994	To No.19 MU St. Athan store for disposal
	-----	Buccaneer Aircrew Association, Yorkshire Air Museum, Elvington Current position - static exhibit (date currency at 23/02/2006)

Gulf War History of XX901 - "N" The Flying Mermaid/Kathryn/Glen Elgin
Date:		Additional Information:
10/02/1991	Transit from RAF Lossiemouth to Muharraq Air Base, Bahrain	Direct flight - (9 hrs)
Date:	Target:	Additional Information:
11/02/1991	Ataq — Highway bridge	Duty Partly Carried Out - 1st bombs hit target, 2nd bombs missed (depite orbiting for re-attack)
12/02/1991	*Wadi Al Khirr New Airfield — HAS sites**	*Hardened Aircraft Shelter
13/02/1991	Al Taqaddum Airfield — HAS sites Al Asad Airfield — HAS sites
14/02/1991	Al Taqaddum Airfield
15/02/1991	Tallil Airfield — HAS sites
18/02/1991	Tallil Airfield	DNCO (Duty Not Carried Out)
19/02/1991	Shaibah Airfield	DNCO - UHF failure, Returned to Base
21/02/1991	Kut Al Hayy East Airfield	DNCO
22/02/1991	Ar Rumaylah South West Airfield
23/02/1991	Qalat Sikar Airfield — Runway & POL (Petrol, Oil, Lubricant)
24/02/1991	Tallil Airfield
25/02/1991	Al Asad Airfield	DNCO - weather
27/02/1991	Shayka Mazhar Airfield	Destroyed: Captured Kuwaiti Air Force C-130 Hercules
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) Hawker Siddeley/Blackburn Buccaneer (Paul Jackson & Peter 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 British Aviation Review - Vol.36 No.4