In l968-70 Hermes was operating with 12 Sea Vixen, 8 S2 Buccanears and 4 helicopters. Would it have been better in the 82 Falklands war with say 8 Buccanears and 12 Sea Jaguar or 16 M Type Skyhawks with 4 sidewinders underwing. Sea conditions around the Falklands precluded the Argentine carriers from launching its Skyhawks, but Hermes was slightly larger and could have launched its Buccs and Jags from several 100nm nth of the Falklands.
Ah the big banana jet. Gotta love it. Look on youtube for the take off where the pilot makes use of the weight switch on the undercarriage, which harks back to the carrier days. The Bucc leaves the runway and the undercarriage retracts immediately, leaving the jet flying at about 5 feet!
The Bucc at low level was faster more stable and had longer range than the Tornado; with investment in avionics etc it would have been the best low level bomber ever. Where have we heard that before/since? Ah yes the Harrier.
@shredjoe1 Don't see how it is, was or ever could be, better than the Tornado. The Tornado is the only aircraft in the world that can fly less than 100 ft off the ground at Mach 1.2, in zero visibility, in all weather conditions while flying itself by auto-pilot and hit a target. In the hands of a good pilot who has mastered the on-board systems it can't be equaled by anything.
@DeutscheRitter1 The Bucc easily flew at that height (and way lower) and was stable due to its smaller wing area and BLC system. Tornado was faster but only in a clean condition. Why fly fast and low with no payload. In the Tornado development the avionics suite was tested in a Bucc and the test pilots reckoned there was no need to go any further - develop the mighty Bucc. With the money saved we could have built CVA-01, the Argies wouldn't have dared invade the Falklands saving 1000 lives.
@DeutscheRitter1 In actual fact in training exercises in the USA the Bucc flew BELOW ground level, along river beds and channels popping up to knock off US radars and targets much to their amazement, and then dropping below ground level to escape undetected. No i am NOT joking. Flown by the RAF at that time.
@carroj9 My point was that the tornado autopilot systems can fly less than 100 ft in zero visibility. I'm not talking about the pilots ability at all, that has nothing to do with what I said. By the way, I think I sent you an email saying the same, apologies. The Buccaneer can't do that, the Tornado is the only aircraft that can. It can fly an attack mission by itself.
They used to scare the yanks on exercises. Fishing grass out of the intakes after low level flight. The USAF aggressor sqds wanted them after the RAF retired em. Nothing else went so low.
Not one of my favourite planes though definitely very capable - I guess it's just a bit of an ugly duckling. No mention of its part in the TSR-2 story, as a potential competitor to that aircraft rather than the F-111.
Nice footage, but I was disappointed with the commentary - "The Blackburn Buccaneer has such instruments as an artificial horizon... and a compass. Here is the altimeter..." *wink*
I saw them every day flying over my school in scotland in the eighties.
231171 1 month ago
What a magnificent plane. Better and more stable than any other at low level including Tornado's.
fyorbane 5 months ago
In l968-70 Hermes was operating with 12 Sea Vixen, 8 S2 Buccanears and 4 helicopters. Would it have been better in the 82 Falklands war with say 8 Buccanears and 12 Sea Jaguar or 16 M Type Skyhawks with 4 sidewinders underwing. Sea conditions around the Falklands precluded the Argentine carriers from launching its Skyhawks, but Hermes was slightly larger and could have launched its Buccs and Jags from several 100nm nth of the Falklands.
RobertM408 6 months ago
Airframe hours were not 'run out'. The test rig aircraft just kept going. Nothing could bend it.
AVMamfortas 6 months ago
Ah the big banana jet. Gotta love it. Look on youtube for the take off where the pilot makes use of the weight switch on the undercarriage, which harks back to the carrier days. The Bucc leaves the runway and the undercarriage retracts immediately, leaving the jet flying at about 5 feet!
digireedoo 7 months ago
I wish we still had the Buc in service
ToonandBBfan 8 months ago
in this time the british navy had a REAL aircraft carrier, i think they can't wait to have the queen helisabeth class ! (with rafale onboard ;) )
bingofioul 9 months ago
@bingofioul The others are REAL enough..
MrStig691 5 months ago
@MrStig691 yes but not enought real to get some kind of hawkeye onboad...
bingofioul 5 months ago
Give it four 20mm guns and I want one.
FighterGuDude3214 9 months ago
The Bucc at low level was faster more stable and had longer range than the Tornado; with investment in avionics etc it would have been the best low level bomber ever. Where have we heard that before/since? Ah yes the Harrier.
shredjoe1 1 year ago
@shredjoe1 Don't see how it is, was or ever could be, better than the Tornado. The Tornado is the only aircraft in the world that can fly less than 100 ft off the ground at Mach 1.2, in zero visibility, in all weather conditions while flying itself by auto-pilot and hit a target. In the hands of a good pilot who has mastered the on-board systems it can't be equaled by anything.
DeutscheRitter1 11 months ago
@DeutscheRitter1 The Bucc easily flew at that height (and way lower) and was stable due to its smaller wing area and BLC system. Tornado was faster but only in a clean condition. Why fly fast and low with no payload. In the Tornado development the avionics suite was tested in a Bucc and the test pilots reckoned there was no need to go any further - develop the mighty Bucc. With the money saved we could have built CVA-01, the Argies wouldn't have dared invade the Falklands saving 1000 lives.
shredjoe1 10 months ago
@DeutscheRitter1 In actual fact in training exercises in the USA the Bucc flew BELOW ground level, along river beds and channels popping up to knock off US radars and targets much to their amazement, and then dropping below ground level to escape undetected. No i am NOT joking. Flown by the RAF at that time.
carroj9 8 months ago
@carroj9 My point was that the tornado autopilot systems can fly less than 100 ft in zero visibility. I'm not talking about the pilots ability at all, that has nothing to do with what I said. By the way, I think I sent you an email saying the same, apologies. The Buccaneer can't do that, the Tornado is the only aircraft that can. It can fly an attack mission by itself.
DeutscheRitter1 8 months ago
@carroj9
i remember something like this
mock up battles between usaf and raf
rf won without a single loss
LOUISVART 3 months ago
They used to scare the yanks on exercises. Fishing grass out of the intakes after low level flight. The USAF aggressor sqds wanted them after the RAF retired em. Nothing else went so low.
SvenTviking 1 year ago
i will bet the Bucc has a few folks puzzled. CANT CATCH ME ! ! !
tasman763 1 year ago
They were very capable. US pliots found them difficult to deal with in exercises.
Alembic25 1 year ago
my grat grat grandfarther robert blackburn invented it
jgb122333 2 years ago
Not one of my favourite planes though definitely very capable - I guess it's just a bit of an ugly duckling. No mention of its part in the TSR-2 story, as a potential competitor to that aircraft rather than the F-111.
GRAHAMAUS 2 years ago
@GRAHAMAUS
Compare to its cousin A-6 Intruder the Buccaneer is a beauty.
dalelfven 2 months ago
Nice footage, but I was disappointed with the commentary - "The Blackburn Buccaneer has such instruments as an artificial horizon... and a compass. Here is the altimeter..." *wink*
charlieidx 2 years ago
This has been flagged as spam show
energetic fun smart and loves this video
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4210601 3 years ago