Blackburn Buccaneer S2 – 800 NAS, Royal Navy, HMS Eagle, 1971 (IMPERFECT; SEE NOTE)

Corgi Aviation 1/72 scale AA34111: Blackburn Buccaneer S2 XV361 of 800 NAS, Royal Navy, HMS Eagle, 1971. Limited Edition of 1,000 models, with in flight refuelling pod.

Length 10.5 inches Wingspan 7.25 inches

PLEASE NOTE: This is an imperfect model with a replacement hand painted horizontal stabilator.

The Buccaneer was a British built and designed two seat attack aircraft, originally built to a Navy specification that was then transferred to the RAF upon the retirement of the Royal Navy?s large fleet carriers. This particular Buccaneer served on HMS Eagle, which, along with her sister ship the Ark Royal, remain the largest carriers ever used by the Royal Navy. XV361 first flew on the 2nd April 1968 and joined 800NAS on the 28th November later that year. Serving with 800NAS until 1972, this machine was the final Royal Navy aircraft to be passed to the RAF, arriving with 12 squadron in July 1983. It was later involved in Operation Pulsator, the flying of combat air patrols in support of the UN operation in Lebanon. In 1994 the aircraft was retired, first flown into RAF Aldergrove then onto its new home of the Ulster Aviation Society. Its final flight lasted all of 90 seconds between the two sites, which is the shortest ever flight by a Buccaneer.

Designed as a specialized strike aircraft capable of carrying nuclear weapons, the Blackburn Buccaneer was first flown on April 30, 1958. This mid-wing, twin-engine monoplane had a number of advanced features, including an area-ruled fuselage and a variable incidence tailplane. The Buccaneer served with the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force between 1962 and 1994, seeing action in the first Gulf War when 12 Buccaneers flew 218 missions to drop bombs and to provide a laser designation capability for other British aircraft. Buccaneers also served with the Fleet Air Arm between 1962 and 1978, where some were modified to carry anti-ship missiles.