Blackburn NA39 First flight 60th Anniversary

On the 30th of April 1958 the Blackburn NA39, the prototype of what became the Buccaneer, made its first flight. The 60th anniversary of this event was to be marked at Bruntingthorpe by The Buccaneer Aviation Group  with a special gathering of enthusiasts and ex-RAF  air and ground crew on Saturday 28th April 2018.

Months of preparation and planning came together on that day to make for an interesting and most enjoyable occasion for all that attended perfectly executed by the TBAG team. What they could not plan or arrange was the weather and in true English style it was a rather wet day that only dried up as the event came to an end.

Apart from the TBAG Buccaneers, the Cold War Museum Buccaneer also took part in the day's proceedings and all hard work by the technical teams for both groups paid off with all three aircraft, XW544, XX894 and XX900, serviceable.

TBAG had organised a raffle with as prize a ride in the backseat of one of its Buccaneers and the draw of the raffle was done on Tuesday evening during the monthly meeting of the Rugby Aviation Group by the speaker Graham Pitchfork.

Buccaneer air and ground crew members mingling with enthusiasts.

The Buccaneer Aviation Group's aircraft, XW544 and XW544 at the head of the flight line

Sitting in the back of XX900 is Keith Breadmore, a surprise for him organised by the aircraft's caretaker Denis Parker...if only he had been able to find the button to raise the seat we might have seen more of him.

Dave Walton had laid on a bendy bus to take those that that wanted to witness the fast taxi runs to the runway

Dennis Brooks moves XX900 off the flight line and onwards to the runway for a fast run.

Lee Parker signals to the pilot that the way ahead is clear.

With both Speys turning over nicely progress through the rain is steady

Not all Buccaneers on the flight line are capable of running...Pinky stays behind as she has no engines

Next off, Olli Suckling in XW544 with the lucky draw winner in the rear seat.

XW544 unfolding wings leaving the pan.....

...followed by XX894, with Oli Wheeldon at the controls, doing the same

Run completed XX900 returns to the pan

Guided in by Lee Parker

who, after giving Dennis Brooks the STOP sign.....

....secures the aircraft with chocks

Dennis Brooks prepares for a brief run through various demonstrations of the aircraft

Just visible, the air brakes deployed

Rotating bomb bay door and all trailing edge surfaces deployed.

Rotating the bomb bay

Wings folding before shut down after an eventful run

My apologies for the poor picture quality, which was due to a rather wet lens as it rained throughout the time the Buccaneers launched and returned to the pan.

So after a soggy day the well attended celebration of the Buccaneer first flight anniversary. Next year sees 25 years of the Buccaneer leaving RAF service and perhaps another event in hopefully better weather may be possible.

Theo Claassen
12 May 2018