
The Blackburn 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 NA.39 prototype (XK486) was first flown at RAE Bedford on 30th April 1958, piloted by Derek Whitehead.
Blackburn & General Aircraft were later absorbed into Hawker Siddeley Aviation Ltd (HSAL) during 1960 but the company continued to trade under its original identity until on 1st July 1963, a divisional structure was created and Blackburn became the Hawker Blackburn Division - from that date onward all Blackburn products were styled as 'Hawker Siddeley' types rather than under the name of their original parent firm.
The 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 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 Buccaneer had an immensely strong structure. Whilst production aircraft were assembled at Brough, they were then towed 18 miles on their own wheels to Holme-on-Spalding Moor for flight test.
On 26th January the first production Buccaneer S Mk1 (XN922) took off on 23rd January 1962 although the aircraft was later involved in a fatal crash on take-off at Boscombe Down on 5th July that same year.
Production comprised: 20 x NA.39 development aircraft, 40 x DH Gyron Junior-powered Buccaneer S. Mk 1, 84 x RR Spey-powered S. Mk 2.

The 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 S Mk 2 were transferred to the RAF with the fleet being augmented by another 49 'new-build' 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, served with distinction in the First Gulf War in 1991.
The last Buccaneers were withdrawn from RAF service in 1994.
Variants
Blackburn NA.39 | Prototype and pre-production development aircraft. |
Buccaneer S.1 | Production model powered by De Havilland Gyron Junior 101 turbojet engines. |
Buccaneer S.2 | Development of the S.1, powered by the Rolls-Royce Spey turbofan engines |
Buccaneer S.2A | Reworked and slightly modified Royal Navy S.2 aircraft for RAF use. |
Buccaneer S.2B | Variant of S.2 for RAF squadrons with increased capability for anti-radar or anti-shipping missiles. |
Buccaneer S.2C | Upgraded to S.2A standards with upgraded avionics. |
Buccaneer S.2D | Upgraded to S.2B standard, operational with Martel anti-radar systems and bomb door tank removed. |
Buccaneer S.50 | Variant for South Africa with manually folding wings and could be equipped with two single-stage rockets to assist take-off from hot-and-high airfields. |
Specification
Powerplant | 2 × Rolls-Royce RB168-1A Spey Engines |
Wingspan | 44 ft 0 ins (13.41 mts) |
Weight | Takeoff: 30,000 lbs (14,000 kg) Loaded: 62,000 lb (28,000 kg) |
Capacity | 2 crew (Pilot and Observer) |
Length | 63 ft 5 in (19.33 m) |
Max speed | 667 mph (580 kn) at 20,000 ft (6,000 m) |
Range | 2,300 miles (2,000 nm, 3,700 km) |
Survivors
Buccaneer S.1
(XK532)
|
Highland Aviation Museum, Inverness Airport, Scotland www.aviationmuseum.eu |
Buccaneer S.1
(XN923)
|
Gatwick Aviation Museum, Surrey, UK www.gatwick-aviation-museum.co.uk |
Buccaneer S.1
(XN957)
|
Fleet Air Arm Museum, Yeovilton, Somerset, UK www.fleetairarm.com |
Buccaneer S.1
(XN964)
|
Newark Air Museum, Nottinghamshire www.newarkairmuseum.org |
Buccaneer S.2
(XK526)
|
RAF Honington, Suffolk, UK www.raf.mod.uk/rafhonington |
Buccaneer S.2B
(XN974)
|
Yorkshire Air Museum, Elvington, North Yorkshire www.yorkshireairmuseum.org |
Buccaneer S.2B
(XN974)
|
Yorkshire Air Museum, Elvington, North Yorkshire, UK www.yorkshireairmuseum.org |
Buccaneer S.2B
(XT288)
|
National Museum of Flight, Scotland www.nms.ac.uk/flight |
Buccaneer S.2B
(XV333)
|
Fleet Air Arm Museum, Yeovilton, Somerset, UK www.fleetairarm.com |
Buccaneer S.2B
(XV350)
|
Aeropark, East Midlands Airport, Donnington, Derbyshire, UK www.eastmidlandsaeropark.org |
Buccaneer S.2B
(XV361)
|
Ulster Aviation Society, Lisburn, Northern Ireland www.ulsteraviationsociety.org |
Buccaneer S.2B
(XV865)
|
IWM Duxford www.iwm.org.uk/visits/iwm-duxford |
Buccaneer S.2B
(XV865)
|
IWM Duxford www.iwm.org.uk/visits/iwm-duxford |
Buccaneer S.2B
(XW544)
|
Bruntingthorpe Aerodrome, Leicestershire, UK www.bruntingthorpeaviation.com |
Buccaneer S.2B
(XW547)
|
Royal Air Force Museum, London www.rafmuseum.org.uk/london |
Buccaneer S.2B
(XX889)
|
Bruntingthorpe Aerodrome, Leicestershire, UK www.bruntingthorpeaviation.com |
Buccaneer S.2B
(XX894)
|
Bruntingthorpe Aerodrome, Leicestershire, UK www.bruntingthorpeaviation.com |
Buccaneer S.2B
(XX897)
|
Irish National Air Museum, Atlantic AirVenture Park, Shannon Airport, Ireland www.atlanticairventure.com |
Buccaneer S.2B
(XX900)
|
Bruntingthorpe Aerodrome, Leicestershire, UK www.bruntingthorpeaviation.com |
Buccaneer S.2B
(XX901)
|
Yorkshire Air Museum, Elvington, North Yorkshire, UK www.yorkshireairmuseum.org |
Buccaneer S.2B
(XW530)
|
Buccaneer Service Station, Elgin, Moray, Scotland |
Buccaneer S.50
|
AFB Waterkloof, Pretoria www.af.mil.za |
Buccaneer S.50
(414)
|
SAAF Museum, AFB Swartkop, Pretoria www.saafmuseum.org.za |
Buccaneer S.50
(416)
|
SAAF Museum, AFB Swartkop, Pretoria www.saafmuseum.org.za |
Buccaneer S.50
(421)
|
SAAF Museum, AFB Swartkop, Pretoria www.saafmuseum.org.za |
Buccaneer S.50
(422)
|
National Museum of Military History, Saxonwold, Johannesburg, SA www.ditsong.org.za |