Corgi AA34111 Hawker Siddeley Buccaneer SMK2, 800 NAS, HMS Eagle, 1971

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.