York, United Kingdom — Four test aircrew members who gave their lives to help create the famous Blackburn Buccaneer aircraft were remembered at a special service. The service, took place in the museum’s chapel, saw the Blackburn Buccaneer XV168, recently donated to the Yorkshire Air Museum by aerospace firm BAE Systems, re-dedicated to the former Blackburn Aircraft workers who died as part of development and testing of the aircraft.
The family of Robert Blackburn, the firm’s founder, relatives of the aircrew members who gave their lives and representatives of the Blackburn Aircrew Association had been invited to attend the service at the museum in Elvington on 26th October.
The air crew, John G Joyce, Trevor D Dunn, ‘Sailor’ G R I Parker and Gordon R Copeman, died in three separate incidents while developing the aircraft between 1959 and 1963.
The XV168 was originally dedicated 20 years ago after it flew to BAE Systems’ site at Brough, East Yorkshire – the site of the original Blackburn Aircraft factory – which would be the first and last time a Buccaneer would land at the airfield.
Ian Reed, Director of the Yorkshire Air Museum, said: “The Buccaneer design underwent development trials at Elvington airfield and Blackburn Aircraft’s site at nearby Holme-on-Spalding Moor, close by, so the type has an historic connection to XV168’s new locality.
“XV168 complements the two other Buccaneers within the Museum’s collection, these being Blackburn Buccaneer S.2B XX901 and the Hawker Siddley (Blackburn) Buccaneer S.2 XN974, which was the prototype for the Fleet Air Arm Naval version of the low level strike attack aircraft, which is kept in ‘live’ ground operational condition.
“As part of the ceremony on Saturday, XN974 was powered up, as it stood with the others in a unique Buccaneer display.”
Blackburn Buccaneer XV168 aircraft dedication remembers test aircrew