When, in 1932, the French air ministry circulated its specification for a five-seat night bomber, there were eight proposals from five companies. Both Bloch and Farman were successful on this occasion, although the resulting production aircraft were completed in differing bomber categories. The MB.200 was finalised as a four-seat bomber, with a cantilever high-wing monoplane of all-metal construction, and non-retractable tail-wheel type landing gear. The prototype Bloch M.B.200.01 had two 567kW Gnome-Rhone 14Krsd radial engines, and was first flown in July 1933. Subsequent flight testing resulted in an initial order for 25 aircraft, placed on 1 January 1934, despite the maximum speed of the prototype 18 per cent below estimate. When the production M.B.200 began to enter service towards the end of the year, it was found to be both reliable and viceless, and though production aircraft had more powerful Gnome-Rhone engines, still slow. 208 were eventually supplied to the Armee de I’Air, built by Bloch (4), Breguet (19), Hanriot (45), Loire (19), Potez (111) and SNCASO(10). At the beginning of World War II seven front-line bomber groupes were still equipped with these obsolete aircraft, but at the time of the German offensive all had been relegated to a training role. The type had also been built under licence in Czechoslovakia by Aero and Avia, and these were seized by the Germans, serving as crew trainers and for general duties, as were those which had been captured in France. Many were passed on to German satellites.
Aero built 44 Bloch 200 heavy bombers as the MB.200, and Avia licence built 70 machines powered by two 700 Walter K-14 engines.
Engine: 2 x Gnome-Rhone 14Kirs/Kjrs radial piston engines, 649kW Take-off weight: 7280 kg / 16050 lb Loaded weight: 4463 kg / 9839 lb Wingspan: 22.45 m / 73 ft 8 in Length: 16 m / 52 ft 6 in Height: 3.9 m / 12 ft 10 in Wing area: 67 sq.m / 721.18 sq ft Max. speed: 285 km/h / 177 mph Ceiling: 8000 m / 26250 ft Range: 1000 km / 621 miles
Aero MB-200 Engines: two 800 Walter K-14 Propellers: three-blade metal Wingspan: 22.45 m Length: 16 m Empty weight: 4474 kg Maximum speed: 205 km.p.h Climb to 4000 m: 15 min Service ceiling: 6000 m Armament: five machine guns in three turrets Bombload : 1500 kg Undercarriage: fixed Crew: 4 -5
The design originated in 1936 with the MB-170.01 two-seat fighter, which flew for the first time on 15 February 1938 with two 708-kW (950-hp) Gnome-Rhone 14N-6/7 radials and an underfuselage cupola intended for defensive armament or reconnaissance equipment, but the undercarriage collapsed on landing a month later. On 30 July the three-seat MB-170-02 was air-tested. The M.B.170.02 second prototype was configured as a pure bomber without the cupola but with an extensively glazed nose and larger vertical surfaces for improved directional stability.
Several operational variants were proposed, but the only types to enter service in World War II were the M.B.174 reconnaissance and attack bomber, and the M.B.175 light bomber.
Further development led to the Bloch 174.01, which flew on 5 January 1939 and series production at three SNCASO factories was ordered the following month. The M.B.174 prototype had 768-kW (1,030-hp) 14N-20/21 engines and revised accommodation, leading to the definitive model with more power and a number of refinements.
The MB-174 was a low-wing monoplane with two 850kW Gnome-Rhone 14N-48/49 radial engines in close-fitting cowlings. It had twin fins and rudders of oval form. The nose was extensively glazed, and pilot and dorsal gunner were accommodated under a raised glazed canopy. Defensive armament comprised two fixed forward-firing wing machine-guns, twin guns on a flexible mounting at the rear of the crew canopy and three further guns ventrally mounted to fire to the rear. All machine-guns were of the 7.5mm MAC 1934 type.
56 Bloch 174 A3 reconnaissance aircraft had been completed by the time of the June 1940 capitulation.
MB.175
The MB-174 was developed into the MB-175 B3 bomber, with an enlarged bomb bay capable of carrying a maximum of 600kg of bombs, requiring a new centre section.
Only 20 had been accepted when the Germans took over deliveries, using 56 MB-175s as trainers. The French Navy took delivery of a post-war MB-175T torpedo-bomber version, 79 being built.
M.B.174.01 Prototype. Engines: 2 x Gnome-Rhone 14N-6/7 radial, 708-kW (950-hp).
M.B.174 Reconnaissance and attack bomber. Seats: 3. Span: 17.9m (58ft 8.75 in) Length: 12.25m (40ft 2.25in). Engines: 2xGnome-Rhone 14N-48/49, 820kW (1,100 hp). Armament: 7×7.5-mm (0.295-in) MAC machine-guns plus provision for up to 400kg (8812 lb) bombs internal MTOW: 7160 kg (15,784 lb). Max speed: 329 mph at 17,060 ft. Operational range: 802 miles with max bombload.
MB.175 Engines: 2 x 2 x 1000 hp Gnome-Rhone 14N-48/49 Wingspan: 58 ft 11 in Wing area: 456.6 sq.ft Length: 40 ft 9.25 in Height: 10 ft Empty weight: 19,361 lb Loaded weight: 18,959 lb Max speed: 335 mph Cruise: 317 mph Range: 2050 mi Armament: 3 x 20mm cannon Bombload: 8 x rocket and 1 x torpedo
M.B.175.A3 Light bomber. Take-off weight: 7160 kg / 15785 lb Wingspan: 17.92 m / 58 ft 10 in Length: 12.23 m / 40 ft 1 in Max. speed: 530 km/h / 329 mph Range: 2000 km / 1243 miles
In July 1936 the M.B.150.01 prototype failed even to take-off. Redesign, abandoned for a period, was subsequently re-started and a first flight was successfully completed on 29 September 1937. The prototype had been revised with a larger wing and a 701-kW (940-hp) Gnome-Phone l4No radial.
Trials confirmed that the revised prototype was a promising fighter, and span and power were again increased. Bloch had become part of a nationalised group by this time, and from this SNCASO was ordered the M.B.151 in the form of 140 aircraft including 25 pre-production machines. The airframe was redesigned for mass-production, and the first aeroplane flew on 18 August 1938 with the 14N-11 engine.
While testing and further production were taking place, the improved MB-152.01 with a 14N-25 engine, in place of the MB-151’s less powerful 14N-35, was tested. The imminence of war led to additional orders, based on optimistic MB-152 performance figures (reached with inaccurate measuring instruments).
The first MB-151 delivered was not accepted by the Armee de l’Air until March 1939, and was regarded as unsuitable for combat. Even after modifications, Armee de l’Air MB-151 were utilised only for training.
MB.152
The designers had also been working on an improved version, the M.B.152 with more power and revised armament, first flying in December 1938. The Bloch 152 C1 cantilever low-wing monoplane was one of the standard Armee de l’Air fighters during the Battle of France in May-June 1940, but was comparatively unsuccessful.
The 745.2kWGnome-Rhone 14N-25 radial engine powering most Bloch 152 was insufficiently powerful to give good performance; a number had the improved 14N-49 engine and Chauviere 371 variable-pitch propeller, which rendered them more effective. It was clear, however, that the Bloch fighters (while robustly built and stable in flight) lacked manoeuvrability. Nevertheless Bloch-equipped units were credited with 146 confirmed and 34 probable victories by the time of the June 1940 Armistice.
MB.152
The first fighter Groupe to equip with the MB-152 was GC I/1 at Etampes-Mondesir in July 1939. The type was subsequently withdrawn for modification and when war broke out no Bloch fighters were in escadrille service. Re-equipment got under way at the end of 1939 and by the time of the German Blitzkrieg on 10 May 1940, 140 MB-151 and 363 MB-152 had been taken on charge by the French. Some of the former were to see service with navy fighter escadrilles. By the time of the Armistice the number of MB-152 accepted had risen to 482, plus one MB-153 (with Pratt & Whitney Twin Wasp radial) and nine MB-155. The MB.155 first flew on 3 December 1939 and the MB.157 in March 1942
Nineteen more MB-155 were completed by the Vichy French. They differed from the MB-152 in detail and had increased fuel capacity. Externally the main change was in the adoption of a smooth engine cowling. The Vichy regime was allowed to retain six (out of nine) MB-152-equipped Groupes after June 1940, but only 215 MB-152 and MB-155 were on charge when the air arm was dissolved by the Germans in November 1942.
MB.155
Twenty MB-152 were sent to Romania and others (plus some MB-155) ended their careers as Luftwaffe trainers. Nine MB-151 of a Greek export order were delivered to that country in 1940, but there is no record of their operational use.
Production totalled 483, but most of these were inoperative in France during1940 for lack of propellers.
MB.152 Engine: 1 x Gnome-Rhone 14N21, 735kW Take-off weight: 2693 kg / 5937 lb Empty weight: 2103 kg / 4636 lb Wingspan: 10.5 m / 34 ft 5 in Length: 9.1 m / 29 ft 10 in Height: 3.0 m / 9 ft 10 in Wing area: 17.3 sq.m / 186.22 sq ft Max. speed: 482 km/h / 300 mph Cruise speed: 440 km/h / 273 mph Ceiling: 10000 m / 32800 ft Range: 580 km / 360 miles Crew: 1 Armament: 2 x 20mm machine-guns, 2 x 7.5mm machine-guns
MB.152 Engine: l x Gnome-Rhone 14N-25 or N-49, 805 or 820kW (1,080 or 1,100 hp). Span: 10.55m (34ft 7.25 in). Length: 9.1 m (29ft 10.25 in). Max T/O weight: 2680 kg (5,908 lb). Max speed: 320 mph at 13,125ft. Operational range: 373 miles. Armament: 2×20-mm Hispano¬Suiza cannon and 2x or 4×7.5-mm (0.295-in) MAC machine-guns.
MB.152 Engine: l x Gnome-Rhone 14N-25, 805 kW / 1,080 hp Span: 10.55m (34ft 7.25 in). Length: 9.1 m (29ft 10.25 in). Height: 3.98 m / 13 ft 0 in Empty weight: 2020 kg / 4453 lb Max T/O weight: 2680 kg (5,908 lb). Max speed: 520 kph / 320 mph at 13,125ft. Time to 6000 m / 16,400 ft: 6 min Service ceiling: 10,000 m / 32,800 ft Operational range: 600 km / 373 miles. Armament: 2×20-mm HispanoSuiza 404 cannon (60 rds) and 2x or 4×7.5-mm (0.295-in) MAC 1934 machine-guns (500 ds each)
Bloch 134 B4 Engines: 2 x Gnome-Rhone 14N 48/49, 1140 hp TO pwr, 1035 hp at 15,750 ft Wingspan: 70 ft 5.25 in Wing area: 661.98 sq.ft Length: 52 ft 9 in Empty weight: 14,312 lb Loaded weight: 21,662 lb Max speed: 323 mph at 16,400 ft Range at 275 mph with 567.5 Imp Gal: 1678 miles Range at 275 mph with 445 Imp Gal: 1243 miles Armament: 1 x fixed forward firing 7.5mm MAC 1934 mg (500rds), 1 x 20mm Hispano 404 cannon (120rds) dorsal turret, 1 x 7.5mm MAC 1934 mg (800rds) ventral trap Bombload – with 445 Imp.Gal fuel: 96 x 22 lb, 24 x 110 lb, 8 x 220 lb, or 6 x 440 lb bombs Bombload – with 567.5 Imp.Gal fuel: 64 x 22 lb, 16 x 110 lb, 8 x 220 lb, or 4 x 440 lb bombs
The Bloch MB.130 and its derivatives were a series of French monoplane reconnaissance bombers developed during the 1930s. The MB.130 was developed in response to the August 1933 French Aviation Ministry request for a reconnaissance and tactical bomber.
The low-wing Bloch 130 was a smaller version of the Bloch 210, but with a fixed and trousered undercarriage. The Bloch 130.01 Guynemer prototype first flew on 29 June 1934. Despite very ordinary performance, soon entered production, 40 machines being ordered in October 1935. An improved version, the MB.131 was first flown on 16 August 1936, but still needed more work to overcome its deficiencies. The radically revised second prototype which flew on 5 May 1937 eventually formed the basis for series production, with aircraft being manufactured by SNCASO, the nationalised company that had absorbed Bloch and Blériot.
As with the Potez 540, given the role that the aircraft was expected to fill, the evaluation was cursory and simply confirmed that the aircraft was completely unsuited to the intended role and should not be considered further.
A total redesign led to the Bloch 131, with a glazed nose and tall single fin and rudder, and powered by two 708kW Gnome-Rhone 14N radial engines. A retractable undercarriage was fitted. Armament comprised 7.5mm machine-guns in nose, dorsal turret and ventral positions.
The single Bloch 133, with a new twin fin and rudder tailplane, was later converted to a standard Bloch 131.
One hundred and thirty-nine production Bloch 131 were built for the Armee de l’Air in the RB4 category as four-crew machines intended for bombing and reconnaissance. The first six aircraft were delivered by June 1938, the rest by September 1939. Entering service in June 1938, the MB.131 went on to equip seven reconnaissance Groupes, six in metropolitan France and one in North Africa. Upon the outbreak of the war, the metropolitan Groupes suffered heavy losses in attempts at daylight reconnaissance of Germany’s western borders. From October 1939 they were restricted to flying night missions, though they still suffered heavy losses even then, and for training. The max bomb load in various combinations was 800kg. By May 1940, all metropolitan units had been converted to Potez 63.11 aircraft, with only the African groupe retaining them for front-line duty.
Following France’s capitulation, the Vichy regime used surviving Bloch 131s for target-towing. 21 planes were reported captured by the Luftwaffe in inoperable condition, but photographic evidence suggests at least a few flew for the Nazis.
Bloch MB.131 Engine: 2 x Gnome-Rhône 14N-10/11, 610kW(950 hp) Take-Off Weight: 6500 kg / 14330 lb Wingspan: 20.0 m / 65 ft 7 in Length: 17.9 m / 58 ft 9 in Wing Area: 52.0 sq.m / 559.72 sq ft Max. Speed: 400 km/h / 249 mph Cruise Speed: 350 km/h / 217 mph Service ceiling: 23,785 ft Range: 2000 km / 1243 miles Crew: 5 Armament: 3 × 7.5 mm (.295 in) MAC 1934 machine guns Bombload: 4 × 200 kg (440 lb) or 6 × 100 kg (220 lb) or 8 × 50 kg (110 lb) or 64 × 10 kg (22 lb) bombs
Developed in response to a government-sponsored competition in support of the new doctrine of “aerial first aid”, it was employed exclusively in the overseas colonies, specifically Morocco and Syria. The M.B.80 was followed by the M.B.81.01 coded F.301, which made its initial flight in October 1932, powered by a Salmson 9Nc engine of 101kW.
Unlike the MB.80 prototype, the MB.81 had a closed cockpit and a somewhat larger cargo space. This was the company’s first design which made it out of prototyping.
The aircraft was built without any assistance from the government, but an initial order of 20 was placed by the Ground French Forces (the French Armée de l’Air was founded in 1933), and it was one of the aircraft that relaunched Marcel Bloch in the aeronautical construction industry.
The production MB.81 was fitted with a French Salmson 9Nd of 128.68 kW (175 hp). It took part in military operations in Morocco and in Syria at the beginning of the 1930s.
A production order followed, the first of 20 M.B.81 production aircraft being delivered and entered service in 1935, and was used extensively throughout North Africa and the Middle East. A few were used in 1939-1940, before the French surrender, and in July, 1941 in the battle for Syria between the Vichy French and the British/Free French.
It rendered the greatest services, in particular for the military operations in Morocco and Syria at the beginning of the thirties. A few aircraft were used for the France campaign in 1939-1940 in Africa and the Middle East. One of them was used by the Free French Forces transport group commanded by Colonel Lionel de Marmier in Syria.
The fourth example flew with the RAF under serial AX677.
Bloch M.B.81 Engine: 1 x Salmson 9Nd radial piston engine, 130kW (172.56 hp) Wingspan: 12.59 m (41 ft 4 in) Wing Area: 17.8 sq.m / 191.60 sq ft Length: 8.4 m (27 ft 7 in) Height: 2.9 m (9 ft 6 in) Empty weight: 580 kg (1,279 lb) Max Take-Off Weight: 880 kg / 1940 lb Maximum speed: 188 km/h (117 mph; 102 kn) Cruise Speed: 161 km/h / 100 mph Range: 654 km (406 mi; 353 nmi) Ceiling: 6400 m / 21000 ft Crew: 1 Service ceiling: 6,400 m (20,997 ft) Capacity: 1 seated or stretchered
To meet the requirements of the French 1930 fighter programme, Andre Herbemont evolved the Bleriot SPAD 510. The Type 510, which was ordered as a single prototype to participate in the programme, was of all metal construction with a duralumin monocoque rear fuselage, and fabric-covered wings and tail assembly. Powered by a Hispano-Suiza 12Xbrs 12-cylinder Vee liquid-cooled engine rated at 690hp 4000m, the Bleriot SPAD 510 was flown for the first time on 6 January 1933.
After protracted evaluation, during which the centre fuselage was lengthened by 40cm to rectify a shortcoming in longitudinal stability and the vertical tail surfaces were enlarged to improve yaw characteristics, the type was ordered into production in August 1935. The first of 60 production examples were delivered early in the following year, the final two aircraft being accepted with the HS 12Xcrs engine and a 20mm Hispano-Suiza motor cannon. The standard armament comprised four wing-mounted MAC 1934 7.5mm guns. The Type 510 proved to be the last fighter biplane to be ordered for the Armee de l’Air.
S.510 Engine: 1 x 690hp Hispano-Suiza 12Xbrs Take-off weight: 1677 kg / 3697 lb Empty weight: 1250 kg / 2756 lb Wingspan: 8.84 m / 29 ft 0 in Length: 7.46 m / 25 ft 6 in Height: 3.41 m / 11 ft 2 in Wing area: 22.00 sq.m / 236.81 sq ft Max. speed: 372 km/h / 231 mph Cruise speed: 324 km/h / 201 mph Ceiling: 10500 m / 34450 ft Rate of climb: 890 m/min / 2900 ft/min Range: 875 km / 544 miles Crew: 1 Armament: 4 x 7.5mm
In August 1913 Bleriot produced another version of the XI, the Bleriot Parasol. The main difference between the two aircraft was that the shoulder-mounted wings of the XI were slightly shorter, and now mounted above the fuselage in one piece and supported by a double inverted V-like structure mounted on top. The tail section was the same as that fitted to the 50-hp Bleriot XI, and the fuselage and undercarriage as that of the 70-hp Bleriot XI. A total of the aircraft were ordered by the RFC, five built in France and the remaining ten built by Bleriot Aeronautic in England. Five of them saw service in France with Nos 3, 5 and 9 Squadrons, RFC. The remainder were assigned to training squadrons in England.
The Blanchard Brd.1 was a French reconnaissance flying boat used by the French navy in the 1920s. It was a large biplane with two engines mounted in the gap between the wings, each engine driving a pusher propeller.
First flown in 1922, twenty-four were built, primarily operated by the French Navy Aéronautique Maritime Escadrille 5R1 from 1923. They were retired in 1926.
In 1924, one Brd.1 was used to set several world altitude records for seaplanes.
Engines: 2 × Hispano-Suiza 8Fe, 205 kW (275 hp) Wingspan: 19.00 m (62 ft 4 in) Wing area: 85.0 m2 (914 ft2) Length: 13.85 m (45 ft 5 in) Height: 5.00 m (16 ft 5 in) Empty weight: 2,465 kg (5,434 lb) Gross weight: 3,930 kg (8,664 lb) Maximum speed: 170 km/h (106 mph) Service ceiling: 3,500 m (11,480 ft) Crew: three, pilot, navigator, and gunner Armament: 1 × 7.7 mm machine gun in flexible mount in bow 1 × 7.7 mm machine gun in flexible mount in rear fuselage Bombload: 290 kg (640 lb)
The Specification was known as the N.A.39 (its official number was M.148T) and Blackburn, once their tender was accepted, were given just under three years to get the first aircraft into the air, the target date for first flight being April 1958. To speed development, the Ministry of Supply ordered a large batch of twenty pre production aircraft, enough to carry out all the aerodynamic and engine development, the systems and weapons development and to equip the I.F.T.U. with the Navy.
Flight development brought about alterations as problems were encountered, and solved. A flutter problem was discovered in the high tailplane and fixed by the installation of inertia weights in the tailplane tips. Originally the aircraft had been intended to have a retractable flight refuelling probe but this was found unsatisfactory and a re¬movable probe was standardised. On 30th April 1958 Derek Whitehead took XK486, the first Blackburn N.A.39, on its maiden flight from the R.A.E. airfield at Thurleigh, Beds. Initially the Buccaneer was powered by two D.H. Gyron Juniors.
The twenty aircraft ordered and given the serial numbers XK486-XK491 and XK523 XK536 inclusive, and nine of these were to be used primarily by Blackburn’s for development of the whole weapons system, five were for Ministry of Supply trials work, and six for the Royal Navy for use by the Intensive Flying Trials Unit. The first navalised Buccaneer appeared in January 1959, an interim naval aircraft, but with arrester hook and folding wings.
In September 1958 a production contract for forty Buccaneer S.1 aircraft was signed and they were allocated the serial numbers XN922 XN935, XN948-XN973.
Buccaneer S.1
The Buccaneer features mid-set wings with compound sweepback, swept tail services, with tailplane mounted at the top of the fin. The ailerons droop to supplement flaps during landing. Air is blown over wings, ailerons, flaps and tailplane to reduce take-off and landing speeds. The tail-cone splits along the centreline to act as an airbrake. The outer wings fold upwards for stowage on board ships.
The whole production run came out of Brough between July 1962 and December 1963. The Buccaneer. S.1 entered operational service with the Royal Navy in July 1962. Able to carry an 8,000 lb (3,628 kg) load of conventional or nuclear weapons, distributed between internal stowage and underwing pylons, it was superseded by the more powerful Spey engined Buccaneer S.2 in October 1965.
Buccaneer S.2B
Although the Buccaneer S.1 had proved reasonably satisfactory, certain drawbacks came to light during its service. These centred around the Gyron Junior engine. The first was that, with the possibility of an engine failure on take off or landing (when the full BLC blow was operating), the single engine performance of the aircraft was critical; the second disadvantage was lack of range.
Hawker Siddeley re engined the aircraft with Rolls Royce Speys. Two of the DB machines were returned from Ministry of Supply trials work for modification into the prototypes for the new Spey engined version, to be known as the Buccaneer S.2. These aircraft were XK526 and XK527; the former flew first in the new configuration on 17th May 1963, being followed by the second on 1 9th August 1963.
The first batch of ten production aircraft had by then been ordered and given he serials XN974 XN1983. The first of these was completed and flown a year later on 6th June 1964, by which time the first two prototypes were completing a satisfactory programme of development flying. XN974 was the first production S.2 aircraft, making its first flight from the British Aerospace airfield at Holme-on-Spalding Moor on 5 June 1964. It went straight to the Royal Aeronautical Establishment, Bedford, for work trials and then to HMS Eagle for sea trials. In 1965 it went to the USA for hot weather testing and achieved a record on its return flight from Goose Bay to Lossiemouth by becoming the first Fleet Air Arm aircraft to fly the transatlantic route non-stop without refuelling; on 4 October 1965, completing the 1,950 miles (3,138 km) between Goose Bay, Labrador, and Lossiemouth, Scotland, in 4 hrs 16 mins.
Four of this batch went for R. & D. work, XN974, ‘975, ‘976 and ‘983. XN975 and XN974 flew the Boscombe trials, the former doing the deck landing trials in several stints aboard Ark Royal.
Eighty four production Buccaneer S.2s were built in the years that followed with the following serial allocations: XN974 to XN983; XT269 to XT288; XV152 to XV168; XV332 to XV361; and XV863 to XV869.
The first operational Buccaneer S.2 squadron was No. 801 which served aboard H.M.S. Victorious.
In August 1964 it was reported that South Africa, rebuffed by the US State Department in bid to buy Grumman Intruders because of its race policies, was buying British Buccaneers instead.
During the early 1970s the Buccaneer was acquired for the R.A.F. and was equipped to use the Martel air to surface missile. 43 new S.Mk 2Bs were built for the RAF, the last of them delivered in 1977. This development provided a spin off for the Royal Navy and in the mid 1970s the F.A.A.’s Buccaneers were re¬designated as S.2C (non Martel) and S.2D (Martel equipped). This gave the squadron a greatly enhanced anti ship capability and in September 1974 the squadron embarked for the first time in Ark Royal with a full complement of S.2Ds. The squadron began its last commission in April 1978. On 27th November 1978 No. 809 took off from Ark Royal for the last time, in the Mediterranean, flew its aircraft direct to the R.A.F. Maintenance Unit at St. Athan, and disbanded there.
It left FAA service with the decommissioning of HMS Ark Royal in 1978, with the remaining 62 examples being transferred to the RAF. The last squadrons were disbanded in 1993.
From 1972 two squadrons of Buccaneers served in RAF Germany until replaced by Tornados in 1984. Maritime strike/attack and reconnaissance then became the aircraft’s primary role, along with the secondary task of carrying laser designator equipment for precision attacks.
South Africa operated 16 of the S.50 version from 1965 to 1991.
A total of 144 aircraft were built for the Royal Navy.
Royal Air Force Buccaneers first saw combat during the 1990-91 Gulf War (Operation ‘Granby’), 22 years after entering service. Twelve Buccaneers were deployed at short notice to the Gulf during Operation ‘Granby’ to designate targets for Royal Air Force Tornados and Jaguars. Although the Buccaneer was seen in 1969 as an interim type pending the development of the Panavia Tornado, the last examples were not retired until March 1994.
S.1 Engines: 2 x de Havilland Gyron turbojet, 7100 lb. Wing span: 44 ft 0 in (13.41 m). Width wings folded: 20 ft Length: 63 ft 5 in (19.33 m). Height: 16 ft 3 in (4.95 m). Max TO wt: 45,000 lb (20,412 kg). Max level speed: 720 mph (1159 kph).
S.2 Wing span: 13.4m (44 ft). Hardpoints: 4. Seats: 2 Engines: two Rolls-Royce RB Spey Mk.101 turbofans, 11,100 lb thrust. Maximum speed at sea level: 690 mph (Mach 0.92) Tactical radius: 500-600 miles Range: 2000 miles.
S.Mk 2B Engine: two 11,100 lb, 50.4kN thrust Rolls Royce RB 168 1A Spey Mk 101 turbofan. Take-off weight: 20800 kg / 45856 lb Wingspan: 13.0 m / 42 ft 8 in Length: 19.0 m / 62 ft 4 in Height: 4.9 m / 16 ft 1 in Wing area: 46.5 sq.m / 500.52 sq ft Max. speed: 1159 km/h / 720 mph Cruise speed: 1038 km/h / 645 mph Range w/max.fuel: 3456 nm / 6200 km / 3853 miles Crew: 2 Max internal /external weapon load: 16,000 lb (7,257 kg).
All Aero 