Blackburn Buccaneer
From Freepedia
| Blackburn Buccaneer S.2 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Image:HAWKER SIDDELEY BUCCANEER.png | |||
| Description | |||
| Role | Strike aircraft | ||
| Crew | 2 | ||
| First Flight | 30 April 1958 (NA.39) | ||
| Entered Service | 1962 | ||
| Manufacturer | Blackburn Aircraft Company | ||
| Dimensions | |||
| Length | 63 ft 5 in | 19.33 m | |
| Wingspan | 44 ft 0 in | 13.41 m | |
| Height | 16 ft 3 in | 4.97 m | |
| Wing area | 514.7 ft² | 47.8 m² | |
| Weights | |||
| Empty | 30,000lb | 13,620 kg | |
| Loaded | 62,000 lb | 28,148 kg | |
| Maximum takeoff | lb | kg | |
| Capacity | |||
| Powerplant | |||
| Engines | 2 x Rolls-Royce Spey Mk 101 turbofans | ||
| Thrust | 2 x 11,100 lbf | 2 x 49 kN | |
| Performance | |||
| Maximum speed | 645 mph at 200 ft | 1038 km/h at 60 m | |
| Combat range | 2300 miles (with tanks) | km | |
| Ferry range | 2300 miles | 3700 km | |
| Service ceiling | 40,000 ft | 12,200 m | |
| Rate of climb | |||
| Avionics | |||
| Avionics | |||
| Armament | |||
| Guns | |||
| Bombs | 4 x 1,000 lb (454 kg) of bombs in a rotary bomb bay | ||
| Missiles | |||
| Rockets | |||
| Other | 12,000 lb (5,400 kg) of ordnance on four underwing hardpoints | ||
The Blackburn Buccaneer was a British attack aircraft serving with the Royal Air Force and the Fleet Air Arm. It was widely regarded as one of the finest low level strike aircraft of its day. It saw war service during the 1991 Gulf War when examples were rushed to the area to provide a laser designation capability for British aircraft. It left FAA service with the decommissioning of HMS Ark Royal in 1978, with the remaining examples being transferred to the RAF. The last squadrons were disbanded in 1993.
South Africa was the only country other than Britain to operate the Buccaneer, where it was in service with the South African Air Force from 1965 to 1991.
Contents |
Design
Image:14 Phantom landing on Eagle Mediterranean Jan1970.jpg The Buccaneer was built to fulfil the Naval Staff Requirement NA 39 issued in 1953 for a carrier-borne strike aircraft with a long range capable of carrying a nuclear weapon below enemy radar and attacking ships or ports. Blackburn's design, B.103, won the tender. Due to secrecy the aircraft was called BNA (Blackburn Naval Aircraft) or BANA (Blackburn Advanced Naval Aircraft) in documents leading to the obvious nickname of "Banana Jet".
The airbrake was formed from the tail boom which split open.
The bomb bay was a novel idea at the time, instead of doors projecting out into the airflow or being retracted into the fuselage the whole unit rotated to expose the payload.
Variants
S.1
- Original production model
- Powered by two Gyron Junior turbojet engines
S.2
- From 1962
- Conversion of the S.1
- Powered by two more powerful Rolls-Royce Spey turbofan engines
- various improvements
S.2A
- Ex Royal Navy aircraft, reworked for RAF use
- Partial fit, so it can carry the Martel anti-radar missile
S.2B
- New build for RAF service, 45 (1973 - 1977)
- Full fit, so it can carry the Martel anti-radar missile
S.2C
- Rebuild of Royal Navy aircraft, to S.2A standard
S.2D
- Rebuild of Royal Navy aircraft to S.2B standard
General changes to UK aircraft
- Self defence
- ECM pods
- Chaff and flare dispensers
- sidewinder missile capability
- Sea Eagle missile capability (No. 208 Squadron RAF)
S.50
A special South Africa-only version of the naval S.2, complete with folding wings, albeit no longer powered. An important change from the British version was the addition of two single-stage rockets (see RATO)to assist take-off from hot-and-high airfields like that of AFB Waterkloof in Pretoria, where the type was mostly based.
Units using the Buccaneer
Royal Air Force
- No. 12 Squadron RAF
- No. 15 Squadron RAF
- No. 16 Squadron RAF
- No. 208 Squadron RAF
- No. 216 Squadron RAF
Fleet Air Arm
- No. 736 NAS
- No. 800 NAS
- No. 801 NAS
- No. 803 NAS
- No. 809 NAS
South African Air Force
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