Magnetic charger cord for iPhone

[MacInWin]

Buccaneers - Best Airfix model aircraft, after the Avro (Dambuster) Lancaster obviously!. Loved the revolving bomb bay door. Our local air museum has one - a thing of beauty! Nothing to do with this thread but I just thought I'd throw that in

It was a fun aircraft. Quirky at times, and the electronics kit was old, even for the day. I think most of it was 50s/60s vintage. But the airframe was a thing of beauty!

 

[pm-r]

It was a fun aircraft. Quirky at times, and the electronics kit was old, even for the day. I think most of it was 50s/60s vintage. But the airframe was a thing of beauty!

Just a wee bit of nostalgia for you here...
YouTube

Not exactly your family recreation flyer airplane!!!



- Patrick
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[MacInWin]

I've seen that before, Patrick. Pretty honest to the airplane, but it's even more fun landing on an aircraft carrier. I got exactly 100 of those in that aircraft, all on HMS Ark Royal. And about a third of those are at night. Ah, the fun never ended!

 

[pm-r]

I can't imagine such landings, especially at night!!! That's just too much.


- Patrick
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[MacInWin]

You get used to it, Patrick. It's just a day at the office.

Here is another video of the Bucc with a bit more information about it as a warplane.

YouTube

There is one "active" aircraft at Bruntingthorpe, in England, but I believe it isn't cleared for flight, just high-speed taxi as a demonstration for tourists. There are others in various museums in UK, including the Fleet Air Arm Museum in Yeovilton and the Duxford RAF Museum. In addition, there is one at the Yorkshire museum for air. That one is owned by the Buccaneer Aircrew Association, of which I am a member. The numbers of us are dwindling, but we still get together to hoist a pint every year.

 

[pm-r]

There are others in various museums in UK, including the Fleet Air Arm Museum in Yeovilton and the Duxford RAF Museum. In addition, there is one at the Yorkshire museum for air. That one is owned by the Buccaneer Aircrew Association, of which I am a member. The numbers of us are dwindling, but we still get together to hoist a pint every year.

I can never understand the reasons for the retirement of such aircraft, especially when you hear such comments as in that video:

Probably One of the finest military jets Britain has ever produced

If they were so **** good why in **** did they even retire them and spend so much wasted billions on R&D and politics attempting to get replacements that can maybe do half of what the previous models could do, and often could do them better than any replacement????
The same thing seem to happen in all countries.

But I think I'll pass and avoid all the conflicting comments to do with politics and money and the various power struggles and the various governments and Military departments. And then there's the total cost per plane which is almost astronomical these days.

By the way, congratulations on your involvement and sorties with such a beautiful and versatile bird.



- Patrick
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[MacInWin]

It's really pretty simple and not very controversial, Patrick. The bottom line is airplanes wear out. Each flight hour puts stress on the structure, the wings, the systems. Just like an old car, an old airplane gets to the point where the maintenance becomes unreasonable. And if you decide to buy new, why not buy a new model with new materials and capabilities instead of a decades-old design? The engines in the Mk 2 Buccaneer are Rolls-Royce Spey engines, a low-bypass engine originally designed for smaller airliners that RR customized for the Buccaneer. But RR doesn't manufacture that engine any more because it was too noisy for airliners and generated too much smoke in service at higher power. To replace it would require reworking almost all of the inside of the jet. That gets prohibitively expensive.

Works the same as for automobiles. After a while it's just time to get a newer vehicle and retire the old one(s).

That's not politics, it's mechanics. The politics comes in when you get to picking what to buy to replace it.

 

[pm-r]

It's really pretty simple and not very controversial, Patrick. The bottom line is airplanes wear out. Each flight hour puts stress on the structure, the wings, the systems. Just like an old car, an old airplane gets to the point where the maintenance becomes unreasonable.

Thanks Jake and that makes more sense.

In other words, the commentators should modify or restrict their comments or add some additional comments such as "At the time..." etc ... Probably One of the finest military jets Britain [had] ever produced.


- Patrick
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[MacInWin]

Nah, I think they were correct. It was the finest jet they have ever produced. (At least according to those who have flown the newer ones.) All I know is that it was designed to fly at sea level to be under the radar as long as possible, to be very fast down there to give the target very little time to react once they could see you and to deliver a weapon with accuracy. So, at 100' or less at 540kts it was a very comfortable ride, very stable and predictable. And as you got lower than 100', the ride smoothed out even more as ground-effect kicked in. It was hard to get it to stay below 25' at speed because the ground-effect kept pushing you up, but I do remember one dawn ride down Scotland's Great Glen (Loch Ness and Loch William) at 15' that was spectacular! Nobody but us and the fishermen.

 

[pm-r]

but I do remember one dawn ride down Scotland's Great Glen (Loch Ness and Loch William) at 15' that was spectacular! Nobody but us and the fishermen.

Now THAT would have to be THE RIDE of a lifetime!!!

And maybe even a necessary change of undewear for some.



- Patrick
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