Airfix Buccaneer

[Simon382]

Good afternoon......I seek help with the @###*@*@ Airfix Bucc in 1/48! As is well known this is not the easiest kit out there (esp straight after a Tamiya Tomcat!). I've almost finished making the beast but have now at the slipper tank stage. My question is this, does it always need the b****y things???? I ask as they come in three parts designed by Lucifer herself. I am arming the beast with the included Sea Eagle. Did it ever fly without tanks? Any info will be gratefully received, especially if it's to say that they didn't.

[AntPhillips]

There are plenty of pics of Bucc's carrying 4 Sea Eagles and no slipper tanks, the Bucc was quite long legged especially with the bulged bomb bay door tank.

 

I seem to remember when the anti-ship squadrons converted from the Bucc' to the Tornado, one of the major criticisms was the fact that Tornado only routinely carried 2 missiles on the belly pylons as it needed to carry extra fuel in underwing tanks to match the Bucc's range.

[Jabba]

If I remember rightly they flew in the Gulf with no tanks.

[AntPhillips]

3 minutes ago, Jabba said:

If I remember rightly they flew in the Gulf with no tanks.

Early on in the Gulf, when they were laser designating for Tornado, they carried when viewed from front, ECM pod, Slipper tank, Laser Designator pod, Sidewinder.

 

Later on when they started to carry LGB's themselves, they invariably replaced the slipper tank and the Sidewinder with 2 LGB's, so when viewed nose on it was ECM pod, LGB, Laser Designator pod, LGB, I'm not certain if they ever carried anything internally.

[Simon382]

1 hour ago, AntPhillips said:

There are plenty of pics of Bucc's carrying 4 Sea Eagles and no slipper tanks, the Bucc was quite long legged especially with the bulged bomb bay door tank.

 

I seem to remember when the anti-ship squadrons converted from the Bucc' to the Tornado, one of the major criticisms was the fact that Tornado only routinely carried 2 missiles on the belly pylons as it needed to carry extra fuel in underwing tanks to match the Bucc's range.

That's good enough for me, thanks for the info Ant

[Jabba]

1 hour ago, AntPhillips said:

Early on in the Gulf, when they were laser designating for Tornado, they carried when viewed from front, ECM pod, Slipper tank, Laser Designator pod, Sidewinder.

 

Later on when they started to carry LGB's themselves, they invariably replaced the slipper tank and the Sidewinder with 2 LGB's, so when viewed nose on it was ECM pod, LGB, Laser Designator pod, LGB, I'm not certain if they ever carried anything internally.

 

Something in the back of my mind from when I built a 1/72 Bucc in that configuration and a block who was out there at the time said that they only carried the fuel tank for ferry flights and they were removed as soon as Ops started.

[kiwitrogg]

Hey

Have a squiz here, option 18, 31 and 34 look good.

http://www.blackburn-buccaneer.co.uk/Pages1_files/Payload_Stores_Index.html?

The rest of the site is Buccaneer gold as well.

Cheers

Gaz

[Simon382]

1 hour ago, kiwitrogg said:

Hey

Have a squiz here, option 18, 31 and 34 look good.

http://www.blackburn-buccaneer.co.uk/Pages1_files/Payload_Stores_Index.html?

The rest of the site is Buccaneer gold as well.

Cheers

Gaz

What can I say but a huge thankyou. That link is simply amazing!