Blackburn Buccaneer S2 Cockpit Rig - XN979

Blackburn Buccaneer S2 Cockpit Rig - XN979 This cockpit rig formerly known as XN979 will be restored as a full cockpit with skins. We're learning how to do it, I wish to work with aircraft after school.

I'm trying to build experience with working on aircraft so it's part of this journey too.

We haven't done much on the cockpit recently as we had a break, but progress has still been made.Just before we left we ...
02/09/2026

We haven't done much on the cockpit recently as we had a break, but progress has still been made.

Just before we left we got primer and a coat of light grey on the steering arm for the trolley. It's much better but we'll do another coat when it's drier weather again.

Thanks to some amazing support from our ex Buccaneer friends we were so happy to come and back and see the wiring that's now in place on the centre pedestal. Thank you so much Graham, and Guy, we really appreciate it. Graham helped us to remove the cut wiring last Autumn and it needed replacing and future proofing. You can see the difference- well done! The cables will be attached to the control column base after the centre pedestal has been put back in the rig.

I have also started to wirelock and to do the replacement split pins in the pedestal.

As usual there was a break from the holiday for engine running. Thanks to Vulcan XH558 too.



20/08/2026

Carolyn here, some of you have been kind enough to ask how Marcus got on with his exams.

We're really pleased to say that he's passed his exams well and is enrolling at college now ready for A Levels. The next step towards an aircraft engineering career.

We spent the weekend at Real Aeroplane Club for the G for George. The dual Spitfire display was outstanding and so many ...
18/08/2026

We spent the weekend at Real Aeroplane Club for the G for George. The dual Spitfire display was outstanding and so many other aircraft. I spent the weekend as ground crew, which is always great.

We are also keeping busy with the cockpit. The modified steering arm now has a first coat of Royal Navy grey. We've trimmed the replacement gaiters and have progressively been finding missing, or replacing centre pedestal nuts and bolts.

Mum spent some time in the rig sanding, degreasing and the usual Jenolite before etch primer and paint. We want to ensure that the front end is ready for the pedestal going back in as it's pretty inaccessible after.

Generally we're trying to get red oxide or etch primer on all bare metal bolts now. Hours with a paintbrush and it's looking better all the time.

Last week we had a day at Vulcan XH558 working alongside the very keen to learn and enthusiastic Air Training Corps Cadets from the Kent Wing. They came to help with our routine maintenance and were brilliant.

We're going to take a break from work for the summer for a couple of weeks now but we're still planning in the background.

Hope you're all enjoying the summer.




06/08/2026

We'll be visiting Newark Air Museum on Saturday for the Aeroboot.

As always, we're especially keen to find some more Buccaneer parts for the rig, and tools and anything else you might have that's related. As usual Mum is keen for more Vulcan parts!

We're looking forward to catching up with friends before we dash back for more work. See you there.



We've got a few jobs on currently which we are working through. The original towing arm for the cockpit was formerly con...
04/08/2026

We've got a few jobs on currently which we are working through.

The original towing arm for the cockpit was formerly constructed from very thick and durable steel, but unfortunately weighed an enormous amount, so it was impractical. With the help of Bill and James (thank you very much), a replacement section of steel tube was found and welded on to the top and bottom of the arm, so it is now much lighter. At some point I intend on repainting the trolley into the correct grey, so I took all of the original paint off the ends, and it has now been coated in red oxide paint.

I've also been fabricating an adapter plate for another terminal block in the control column base from a thick aluminium bracket. It's almost finished but requires a little more adjustment.

Mum has also been keeping busy with the centre pedestal, installing more nuts and bolts, and a few more brackets and repainting the brake lines light aircraft grey where they've been chipped. The metal insert for the gaiters has now had the replacement anchor nuts finished. She's been shopping for lots of finishing parts like split pins and panhead screws. Thank you Naylan and South Yorkshire Aircraft Museum as always.

We're now starting the exciting next chapter for the rig - putting some new wiring back into the pedestal before it's made inaccessible by being fitted. We're very lucky to have the help of Graham, as well as Naylan, who's worked on Buccaneer wiring before. We're working out what we might need with a rewire for future proofing. Thank you to Francis of The Buccaneer Aviation Group as well for making the control column base wiring understandable!

On Sunday we were back with Vulcan XH558 for an engine running day. Watch out for news about Halloween.....



It's been yet another busy week.Thanks to the help of our friends at South Yorkshire Aircraft Museum, the rig is back in...
29/07/2026

It's been yet another busy week.

Thanks to the help of our friends at South Yorkshire Aircraft Museum, the rig is back in the usual place by Vulcan XL388.

Mum sanded the floor under where the centre pedestal will go in the cockpit. It's had a coat of etch primer and dark sea grey - and the rivets the red oxide and grey. It's much tidier. She also carried on and has painted 8 of the 9 'new' skin panels and rivets into grey. They look much better.

She then rebuilt the starboard foot motor inner so it's now got some pressure when you press. Thanks to Naylan for helping with the difficult circlips.

We've decide to lighten the steering arm as its so heavy due to it's old design. Thanks to Bill's help the main heavy section has been replaced by a lighter weight version. James has kindly welded it all together again so we need to start priming it now.

Mum's also painted 2 anti vibration mount metal sections, another is ready to blast. We're still tweaking bolts and castellated nuts, tightening them up and priming/painting. The metal for the gaiters has been sanded where the anchor nuts were (and more corrosion) and primed again.

A special thanks to Naylan as usual for all of his help last week - and for the replacement spacer he's made for one of the pieces. Thanks also Mum for carrying on whilst I was busy with my work experience.

Toolbox Tuesday!I recently bought this ex-MOD AOG toolbox, which came with all of the foam inlays included, to go toward...
28/07/2026

Toolbox Tuesday!

I recently bought this ex-MOD AOG toolbox, which came with all of the foam inlays included, to go towards future work as I look to be a licenced engineer. I've managed to fill some slots, and plan to make/change a few, especially for screwdrivers.

If anybody can help with this, identifying which slots may hold which tools, or reccomend any tools, I'd be very grateful, especially about a decent screwdriver set please.

Likewise, if anyone is selling any tools, please send me a message, as I may be interested!

What a week!We had a very busy week at the museum prepping the centre pedestal. It's largely rebuilt now - so a huge tha...
21/07/2026

What a week!

We had a very busy week at the museum prepping the centre pedestal. It's largely rebuilt now - so a huge thanks especially to Naylan without whose expertise and knowledge we couldn't have done it. Also to Sam and James and South Yorkshire Aircraft Museum. We've got another bearing holder to machine to fit the next section of the pedestal but it's already been a huge tranformation. We've taken the chance to get every bearing etc working whilst we've had it in so many pieces. The bolts and nuts have been blasted or cleaned and the tap and die used, or they've been replaced. The hydraulic lines for both foot motors have been reinstated. The other rudder pedal is back on, along with many of the control rods inside. Once there, I continued spannering until sunset at Breighton, as I had mounted the instrument rail brackets earlier the wrong way around. We left the panels and pedestal out for people to see more easily.

You might have noticed that the windscreen is back in alignment too. We will need to drill more holes after the pedestal goes back in, but first things first. Thank you again to those who've helped, right down to getting the rig loaded, takenand returned.

It was amazing to be Real Aeroplane Club and the Brough reunion. Thank you so much everyone for your encouragement, information and support. We heard and saw some amazing stories and documents which we were privileged to see. Thank you to the RAC for the invite, what a day.

We've been given some interesting leads to follow about where the rig was at Brough and how it might have been used. There seems to be some concensus about it being in the Drawing/Design Office, Mech Test and being kept between there and Experimental. However we're still looking for more info so any more details or dates would be priceless please.

I was ground crew airside - an amazing experience, filling and seeing out the Yak, and assisting in fuelling and moving of the Hurricane. Thank you to everyone that made this weekend happen.

Thanks to Mum for looking after the rig when I was working, and also to Gary H Hancock and Damo Kinsley for your help loading.

Back to my work experience this week!

Ready to roll to Real Aeroplane Club ready for Best of British! Thanks to South Yorkshire Aircraft Museum for all of you...
18/07/2026

Ready to roll to Real Aeroplane Club ready for Best of British! Thanks to South Yorkshire Aircraft Museum for all of your help

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