40th Anniversary Blackburn B-103 Buccaneer First Flight 30 April 1958 Cover

Cover depicts the Buccaneer prototypess and bears 26p Eric Morecombe Stamp cancelled with 40th Anniversry of the Blackburn Buccaneer 30 Apr 98 Brough postmark.
The Naval Air Warfare Division issued requirement NA39 which was a strike bomber which should have folding wings and be capable of carrying a nuclear store internally in addition to other external weapons.
The first prototype XK486 was rolled out from the factory at Brough with dark blue upper surfaces and white undersides.Nuclear and conventional weapons could be carried. The runway at Brough was not sufficient for the 1st flight so XK486 was taken by road to Royal Aircraft Establishment (RAE) at Thurleigh.
On 30th April 1958 Lieutenant Commander Derek Whitehead the Blackburn test pilot took off on the 1st 39 minute flight. On 26August XK487 made its 1st flight and later appeared at that years SBAC show at Farnborough.
The next XK488 was the 1st in Royal Navy Colours and was handed over to the de Havilland Engine Company for development work and XK489 was the first with folding wings and arrester hook.
XK490 was kept secret until the Paris Salon in 1959. Shortly afterwards Derek Whitehead became chief test pilot and flew the XK490 at Farbourough show.  The XK490 crashed at Lynhurst October 1959 killing the Amercian pilot  and Blackburn observer when both ejected whilst inverted at low level.
Carrier trials began on HMS Victorious with XK489 and XK523 in January 1960. On  26 August 1960 the aircraft was officially named Buccaneer. The first Buccaneer unit was 801 Squadron which embarked on Ark Royal transferring to Victorious. 809 Squadron was the second and the third unit was 800 Squadron which embared on Eagle.
XK526 became the prototype for the Mk 2 and the first flight was made by Derek Whitehead. XK527 was the 1st to carry a non retractable flight refuelling probe. On 6th June 1964 XN974 was the 1st production Mk 2 which flew.
Attempts were made to export the Buccaneer to Germant which failed but 16 Buccaneers were sold to South Africa the 1st being piloted by Bobby Burns
Blackburn had warlier tried to get RAF interest and with the cancellation of the TSR2 project tried again. A contract for 26 Buccaneers was announced being serialled XW525 to XW550. The 1st conversion for RAF was XV350 which first flew in modified form on 11 Feb 1969. The Buccaneer entered front-line service on 1 October 1969 with 12 Squadron and was followd by 15 Squadron
by the time of the first Gulf war in 1991 the only RAF aircraft capable of delivering Pave Spike laser-guided bomb was the Buccaneer.Six aircraft were deployed on 25 Jan 1991 and a further 6 joined them. Time was telling on the airframe on 12 Squadron ceased operations on 1 October 1993 and 208 Squadron 31 March 1994. XK488 is preserved in the Fleet Air Arm Museum Yeovilton

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