Blackburn Buccaneer - Survivor XT280
S.2B XT280 - Dumfries & Galloway Aviation Museum, Dumfries, Dumfries & Galloway, Scotland
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Buccaneer S.2B XT280 at Dumfries & Galloway, 26th August 2021; Damien Burke
-20050420172954-tn200.jpg "Buccaneer S.2B XT280 at Dumfries & Galloway, 20th April 2005; Francis Wallace")
First flown on 18th October 1965, XT280 entered service with 809 Squadron, Fleet Air Arm, the next month. She flew from HMS Hermes and HMS Ark Royal. In September 1978, despite the impending retirement of HMS Ark Royal, she was flown to Bitteswell for conversion to S.2B standard, returning to 809 Squadron the next month. With the Ark's retirement she was placed in storage until transfer to the RAF. She entered service with 16 Squadron at RAFG Laarbruch in August 1981 and later served with 12 and 208 Squadrons at RAF Lossiemouth.
She was withdrawn in 1993 and scrapped in March 1994, with the cockpit section preserved. Displayed for some time at the Dundonald Aviation Centre, unfortunately that closed and around 2003 she moved to the museum at Dumfries & Galloway. She arrived in two colour schemes - on her port side she wore (faded) wraparound camouflage, and her starboard side wore an odd shade of blue representing her naval history. Initially repainted in the same manner and displayed outdoors, she has since been fully repainted in her original 809 Squadron colours, with missing panels fabricated from sheet metal. She's also now undercover, though not fully protected from the elements as she's in a open-sided building. She's displayed alongside a Sea Eagle missile, as used in her anti-shipping role in later RAF service. Her cockpit still needs some work - in particular some replacement seats!
She was withdrawn in 1993 and scrapped in March 1994, with the cockpit section preserved. Displayed for some time at the Dundonald Aviation Centre, unfortunately that closed and around 2003 she moved to the museum at Dumfries & Galloway. She arrived in two colour schemes - on her port side she wore (faded) wraparound camouflage, and her starboard side wore an odd shade of blue representing her naval history. Initially repainted in the same manner and displayed outdoors, she has since been fully repainted in her original 809 Squadron colours, with missing panels fabricated from sheet metal. She's also now undercover, though not fully protected from the elements as she's in a open-sided building. She's displayed alongside a Sea Eagle missile, as used in her anti-shipping role in later RAF service. Her cockpit still needs some work - in particular some replacement seats!
Information on this page current as of 31/08/2021, last updated by Damien |
Find other photos of XT280 on the following sites:
Air-Britain - Airliners.net - Airplane-Pictures.net - flickr.com - WorldAirPics.com - JetPhotos.net - PlanePictures.net