Blackburn

Buccaneer

 

The Blackburn Aircraft Company NA.39 was a rugged carrier-borne, high-speed low-level strike aircraft and in its production form, it became famous as the 'Buccaneer'.

 

The Blackburn NA.39 prototype (XK486) was first flown at RAE Bedford on 30th April 1958, piloted by Derek Whitehead. 

 

Blackburn & General Aircraft were absorbed into Hawker Siddeley Aviation Ltd (HSA) during 1960 but the company continued to trade under its original identity until on 1st July 1963. Under HSA, a 'Divisional structure' was created and Blackburn became the Hawker-Blackburn Division. Thereafter, all products were styled as 'Hawker Siddeley' types, rather than under the name of their original parent firm.

The Hawker Siddeley Buccaneer made use of boundary layer control on wings and tailplane to allow operation from the relatively small British aircraft carriers. The area-ruled fuselage (a design technique used to reduce an aircraft's drag) featured a rotating bomb bay and two jet engines, integrated in the wing roots. The two crew were seated in-tandem, under a single sliding canopy, with a search radar mounted in the nose. Air brakes were incorporated into a bullet fairing at the rear of the fuselage, opening laterally to provide its braking action.

Designed from the outset for low-level operation over land and sea, the HS Buccaneer had an immensely strong structure. Whilst production aircraft were assembled at Brough, Yorkshire, they were then towed 18-miles on their own wheels to Holme-on-Spalding Moor for flight test.

 

On 26th January, the first production HS Buccaneer S Mk1 (XN922) took off on 23rd January 1962. Sadly, this aircraft was later involved in a fatal crash on take-off at Boscombe Down, on 5th July that same year.

 

Production comprised of 20 x HS Buccaneer NA.39 development aircraft, 40 x DH Gyron Junior-powered HS Buccaneer S. Mk 1 and 84 x RR Spey-powered HS Buccaneer S. Mk 2.

 

 

The HS Buccaneer S Mk 50 was developed as a land-based strike aircraft for the South African AF, to whom 16 aircraft were sold. They featured the Bristol Siddeley BS.605 rocket assisted engines, specifically designed for 'hot and high' airfield operations, although the rockets were rarely used and latterly removed. The variant also saw the removal of the powered wing folding found on the Royal Navy marks.

 

After withdrawal from Royal Naval service (upon the retirement of their carriers), 62 x HS Buccaneer S Mk 2 were transferred to the RAF, with the fleet being augmented by another 49 'new-build' HS Buccaneer S Mk 2B's. These new aircraft featured an increased all-up weight, larger weapons bay, increased fuel capacity and 16,000 lb weapon load.

 

In RAF service, the type, equipped with laser designation equipment for 'Paveway' laser-guided bombs, and served with distinction in the First Gulf War in 1991.

 

The last Buccaneers were withdrawn from RAF service in 1994.