BLACKBURN BUCCANEER - PICTURES

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BLACKBURN BUCCANEER

PICTURES - GALLERY 4

BLACKBURN BUCCANEER
PICTURES - GALLERY 4

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This page last updated on 28th February 2004

[Survivors 1] [Survivors 2] [Survivors 3] [Survivors 4] [Survivors 5] [Survivors 6]
[Gallery 1] [Gallery 2] [Gallery 3] [Gallery 4] [Cockpit] [Fuselage] [Wings] [Undercarriage]

THERE'S A NIP IN THE AIR

Ex-DRA Buccaneer XW986 was bought by Ian Pringle in 2002 and prior to departing to Warton for further testing performed a number of test flights from Kemble. This is a selection of photos from the various Kemble flights.

29th March. With some cooling system snags sorted out by robbing bits from Kemble's other Buccaneer - XX894 - all systems were go. Pilot Keith Hartley and Dave Roome acting as navigator; two lovely fast passes on arrival back at the airfield after an hour or so in the air, followed by a real carrier landing with bags of smoke.

13th April. Things don't go so well - the nose wheel steering refuses to self-centre so the undercarriage couldn't be retracted. After a bit of stooging around to burn off fuel ZU-NIP returned to Kemble in rather more sedate fashion than on the 29th of March.

20th April. Departure day. This time everything works as expected and a nice low take-off leaves everybody at Kemble staring into the distance as she disappears into the clouds. After a bit of low-level work in the Welsh valleys she arrived safely at Warton.

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