Blackburn Buccaneer S.22 - RAN

[Sheriff001 397]

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Blackburn Buccaneer S.22 - RAN

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This is the Blackburn Buccaneer for the Royal Australian Navy. This package consists of complete aircraft. 

Historical Background 

The military buildup in China and Indonesia in the early 1960s led the RAN to renew the airwing of its 2 Audacious class aircraft carriers, HMAS Sydney and HMAS Melbourne. At the beginning of the decade, these British aircraft carriers fielded an airwing of F3D Skyknight all weather fighters, FJ-3 Fury day fighters, and Westland Wyvern attack aircraft. All were considered incapable of coping with the fighters and air defences projected to be introduced by Indonesia and China in the ensuing years. 

To respond to this situation, the RAN formulated requirements for an all-weather supersonic fighter, and a carrier-capable strike aircraft which could deploy a "special munition" after penetrating enemy defences. For this latter requirement, only two aircraft were viable, the Grumman A2F, and the Blackburn NA39. The Navy had concerns about the A2F's complex DIANE system, but overall favoured the US offering. The government, on the other hand, saw the Buccaneer requiring less of Australia's dollar reserves, and an order for a British aircraft could provide the British government a greater incentive to engage in nuclear cooperation with Australia. Since the naval fighter requirement was likely to be fulfilled by the McDonnell F-4 Phantom, using a British strike aircraft would keep the two big allies in balance. Therefore, the Government ordered 38 Buccaneer S.22s. The S.22 was basically the same as a British Buccaneer S.2. 

The RAN's first Buccaneers were hoisted into HMAS Melbourne for delivery as deck cargo in 1965. Deliveries were completed in 1966. By the end of 1967, HMAS Melbourne was ready to sail with 854 Squadron fully equipped with Buccaneers. The RAN's Buccaneers did not participate in the Vietnam War, though some of their pilots and observers did fly 2 Squadron's Buccaneers on exchange to the RAAF. In 1970, the government authorised a "mid-life update" for the Buccaneer. This update was carried out by the Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation, and included upgrades to the Buccaneer's weapons, and defensive systems. In particular, it gained the ability to use guided weapons, and the new Pave Spike pod. Deliveries of upgraded Buccaneers, designated Buccaneer S.22D began in 1972. The Liberal/Country Coalition government intended to use them in Vietnam, as a "political replacement" for the Task Force in Phuoc Tuy province, which was withdrawing. The Labor Government elected at the end of 1972 cancelled this deployment. 

The Buccaneers spent the rest of the 1970s and 1980s on deployments, mainly in the Pacific and Indian Oceans. In 1990, the Government decided to retire the carriers, and replace them with two Invincible class carriers. HMAS Melbourne was already in inactive reserve. Some of 854 Squadron's Buccaneers were turned over to the RAAF as attrition replacements and parts hulks. It was the beginning of the end of the Buccaneer - at least it was until the invasion of Kuwait. HMAS Sydney, with 857 Squadron's Buccaneers, was dispatched to the Gulf. Some of 854 Squadron's Buccaneers, formerly attached to HMAS Melbourne, were sent to Bahrain to support the Buccaneers of 2 Squadron, RAAF. The HMAS Sydney's Buccaneers operated beside the US Navy's A-6 Intruders against targets in Iraq and Kuwait. 

After a successful tour of duty in the Gulf, the RAN's Buccaneers returned home. HMAS Melbourne was fully decommissioned in 1992, and HMAS Sydney in 1993. The RAN continued to fly a small number of Buccaneers out of HMAS Albatross in Nowra, New South Wales for fleet support. The RAN's final operational Buccaneer flight took place in 1995. After that, 2 Buccaneers were retained in airworthy for the RAN Historical Flight, a number were turned over the RAAF, and the remainder were offered for private sale, or to Museums - including one at the Fleet Air Arm Museum in Nowra. 

Package

2 full aircraft, plus bomb racks. The S.22D uses the S.2B 1989 3D model for its Pave Spike station. The S.22D is edited to allow the use of US weapons. 

Contents

This includes the following:

• Buccaneer S.22
  • Extra dark sea grey and white
  • Extra dark sea grey (British white ensign)
  • Extra dark sea grey (Australian white ensign)
  • Gull grey and white
• Buccaneer S.22D
  • Extra dark sea grey (white decals)
  • Extra dark sea grey (black decals)
  • Dark sea grey
  • Gull grey and white
  • RAN Camouflage
• Squadrons 
  • 854 Squadron, RAN (HMAS Melbourne)
  • 857 Squadron, RAN (HMAS Sydney)

Requirements
- Ravenclaw007's Buccaneer FAA for SF2: https://combatace.com/files/file/12307-buccaneer-faa-for-sf2/

Installation

• (If not done already), download and install Ravenclaw007's Buccaneer FAA for SF2
• Add the contents of "To Mod Folder" to your mod folder. Overwrite and merge when requested.
• Add the following squadrons to SQUADRONLIST.INI

[Squadron791]
Name=854NAS
DisplayName=854 Squadron, RAN
Nation=AustralianNavy

[Squadron792]
Name=857NAS
DisplayName=857 Squadron, RAN
Nation=AustralianNavy

• Recommendation: Not to use this on the Majestic class HMAS Melbourne. I'd suggest getting Wrench's HMAS Australia, or reskinning HMS Ark Royal (R09)

Credits

• original Model by Russouk2004
• Skins and decals by Paulopanz
• FM rework by Kreelin,Spillone104,Baffmeister,Cliff11
• 3D work,templates,Skins,weapon´s and cockpit´s by - ravenclaw_007

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• Submitter
  Sheriff001
• Submitted
  09/08/2019
• Category
  What If Hangar

 

[Sheriff001 397]

FLAW DETECTED

There is a flaw in the wheel well door in the right wing texture for the RAN Camouflage skin. Here is a revision. 

Right_Wing.dds