Blackburn Buccaneer S2B, XV867 / B3-16-69, Royal Air Force
This picture is © Martin Laycock and may not be used or published without permission.
Registration: XV867
Construction Number: B3-16-69
Code Number: 867
Military Unit: 208 Squadron
Model Blackburn Buccaneer S2B
Operator: Royal Air Force
Airport: RAF Fairford (FFD / EGVA), UK - England
Airshow: Fairford - IAT - 1993
Photographer: Martin Laycock
Date Taken: 24/07/1993
Date Submitted: 15/06/2010
Photographed in the static display at IAT93 this Buccaneer is from 208 Squadron based at RAF Lossiemouth. She made her first flight on the 2nd October 1968 at Holme-on-Spalding Moor before being delivered to the Fleet Air Arm on the 6th December. She was initially issued to the NASU at RNAS Lossiemouth coded 611/LM before transferring to 803 Naval Air Squadron on the 19th June 1969. 803 Squadron disbanded in December of that year and she returned to NASU. On the 7th January 1970 she was issued to 736 Squadron coded 655/LM. During her career with the Royal Navy she made several cruises embarked upon HMS Ark Royal (R09) all with 809 NAS. She dis-embarked from Ark for the final time on the 27th November 1978 and was stored with No.19 MU at RAF St. Athan. 237 Operational Conversion Unit RAF took delivery of her on the 27th October 1981 and she would remain based at Lossie for the remainder of her operational career flying with all of the resident Buccaneer squadrons in that time. Her flying days ended on the 10th September 1993 when her undercarriage collapsed on landing at RAF Leeming and she was subsequently scrapped on site. The cockpit section survives with the Highland Aviation Museum, Inverness, Scotland.
Picture ID:1237949