The Blackburn Buccaneer was the best all around fighter design. It beat the CAP on an American aircraft carrier during war games by flying lower than anyone expected it to. Fifty feet above the water. That's ballsy flying because a 50 foot drop could make it a submarine. But the Vixen, as much as I do love the overall design, was a widow-maker.
The Buccaneer was a pure attack aircraft. It's trick was flying low under RADAR, which it was very good at, but it became totally obsolete once AWACS and Look-Down RADAR became common. A flight of Buccs on the deck would not be able to climb fast enough to even try to escape enemy fighters once spotted, and even if they did they would be too slow and sluggish to have any chance of even getting a lock with the two sidewinder missiles they (might have) carried.
An old fellow I have known for years now recently showed me something that shocked me. In his very large barn was one of these aircraft. He said he has had it for 30 years but hasn't started it in about 6 years due to DHS changes on buying and possessing jet fuels. He told me, I've wanted to show it to you for some time now but, given my current state, I'm showing it to you now and I ask you take it your hanger. I asked him, your current state? and he said, yes well, it seems the doctors think I have cancer and won't last out the year. That hit me like a hammer and I said, well damn, Harold. He said, oh, don't let it trouble you, I am 93 years old after all, we can't live forever, can we. So, I got the needed equipment together and we put the Vixen on a trailer and took it to the hanger. Once there, we set about checking the electrical system, engines and related systems, draining the fuel tanks and cleaning everything up. With everything being in proper order, even the long dormant engines. So, we had Harold start the old girl's engines and watched as he basked in the glory of hearing them running again. Harold told me, John, get "Sally" as he called her, ship shape and Bristol fashion, won't you? I told him, I absolutely would. Harold passed away 3 weeks ago. God's speed my old friend and his plane is getting preferential care, I've even located a former R-R engine final inspection man to give the engines an exacting going thorough.
Beautiful story.... Can I ask what are you planning to do with old 'Sally'?? Will she ever take flight again and bust some clouds for ole Harold???? I'm sure he will be in the coalhole when you do??!! 🙏👌
I have to disagree with the detractors on the comments here, it was precisely the weapons system that was needed at that time, the problem was that things were moving very fast at that time and like other designs it went from cutting edge to obsolete in a relatively short time. As for the often levelled “too many accidents” again this aircraft was much larger and heavier than it’s predecessors therefore the vast majority of the accidents were on catapult launches where a problem with the CAT would put the aircraft off the front of the carrier in a stalled state.
Such a beautiful bird. I remember the crash at the SBAC show killing John Derry and Tony Richards. A terrible day for many.... I wouldn't fancy being in the coalhole for hours on end..thanks for video .... Dave from Coventry
Immediately after the war, the trend for aircraft was to finish them in glossy paint, as opposed to today's norm of covering them in matte paint the provides better camouflage. This one looks particularly good, like a racing car.
It looked the way it did because it followed the old adage "Form Follows Function". Royal Navy aircraft carriers, of the time, were small, because of the mission they were required to do, being able to operate in smaller seas of Europe, unlike the Americans who's carriers would be in deeper waters (and which would struggle in seas the RN carriers would have no trouble with)
That was not why post war British carriers were smaller. The last British carriers to be laid down before the QEs were WWII designs and were about 50% larger than the Essex class as built. When the Sea Vixen was introduced the RN was still operating the Pre War HMS Victorious and WWII light fleet carries. As build they were meant to operate in the same environment as contemporary US carriers.
ANONYMOUS is DIMENSIONAL of many factors which are often overlooked by utter silence and then you begin to realise "how much hotter you can get" is a song about PROWLIN.
What about the hawker hunter? Many overseas customers bought the hunter, don't know what other countries bought this twin tailed jet. Britain has the harriers, served RAF, did well in the Falklands.
Bull$h!t. The Sea Vixen was comparable in performance and mission to the F3H Demon which was introduced three years earlier. In 1959 the premier US Navy fighter was the F8U Crusader which was not just the premier naval fighter but outclassed any fighter until the early 1960s. The Phantom entered US Navy service 2 years after the Sea Vixen. The Sea Vixen was obsolescent before it was introduced.
Near sonic speeds? Don't you mean supersonic speeds? Max speed was Mach 0.91. Not sure how cutting edge a fighter is that can't fly supersonic. About 1/3 of all Sea Vixens were lost in accidents. That's not a good record.
Meditation is the dissolution of thoughts in eternal awareness or Pure consciousness without objectification, knowing without thinking, merging finitude in infinity.
Before you can inspire with emotion, you must be swamped with it yourself. Before you can move their tears, your own must flow. To convince them, you must yourself believe.
This plane was a failure, no matter how much you praize it. About the same time this plane appeared, the Americans came up with the Crusader, the Pantom, the Starfighter, the Dagger, the Dart and the Thunderchief, all 1.5 to twice the speed of sound.
The Vixen flew at least two years before the earliest of the planes you mentioned. As for failure, didn't the Starfighter earn the nickname "Widow maker" because of the number of its pilots it killed?
@@ElectricSmurf The Vought Crusader became operational in 1957, the Starfighter in 1958, the Delta Dart in 1959, the Mig 21 in 1959. The Sea Vixen became operational in 1959 too. First flight is irrelevant; it is the year that the planes became operational that counts. Whether the Starfighter was a failure too is irrelevant. The shortcomings of the Starfighter do not make the Sea Vixen a better plane. And don't forget to mention that the first Sea Vixen that flew crashed into the audience at Farnborough, because it was made out of plywood and therefore broke up in mid air.
@@nor0845 The first version had a faulty wing spar. (First I mistakenly thought it was made of plywood, like it's predecessors) After it crashed into the public, they rebuilt it. Next, it could not break the sound barrier anymore in level flight.
@@retepeyahaled2961 Hi. I don’t want to get into a circular discussion about the merits of this aircraft but the only reference I could find to wood in the planes construction is regarding the cannons: “All sorts of ideas were tried but the only solution that worked was to put a baulk of timber in place to absorb this recoil force. Thus the Vixen was also the last British fighter to use wood in its construction! The cannons were soon removed and an all missile armament was developed.” The crash referred to, resulted from failure of the leading edge of the wing, which was later redesigned. Again, as far as I can ascertain the plane was an all metal airframe. Regards, Nor.
Would have been nice if you had included metric units into the video (at least on screen!). It sucks a ton to always pause the video and transform that unintelligable gibberish of imperial units into something I can understand.
@@jimrolph1594 true, but it still sucks a ton to always pause and translate that unintelligable gibberish into something understandable. As you know, the vast majority of global population uses metric.
I'm sorry, but man the British sure knew how to make some ugly planes. From below it looks pretty good though. Of course the TSR2 was one of the best looking planes the British (didn't) build. Like, WTF guys?
The Blackburn Buccaneer was the best all around fighter design. It beat the CAP on an American aircraft carrier during war games by flying lower than anyone expected it to. Fifty feet above the water. That's ballsy flying because a 50 foot drop could make it a submarine. But the Vixen, as much as I do love the overall design, was a widow-maker.
The Buccaneer was not a fighter, it was a strike aircraft, similar in role to the USN A-6.
The Buccaneer was a pure attack aircraft. It's trick was flying low under RADAR, which it was very good at, but it became totally obsolete once AWACS and Look-Down RADAR became common. A flight of Buccs on the deck would not be able to climb fast enough to even try to escape enemy fighters once spotted, and even if they did they would be too slow and sluggish to have any chance of even getting a lock with the two sidewinder missiles they (might have) carried.
An old fellow I have known for years now recently showed me something that shocked me. In his very large barn was one of these aircraft. He said he has had it for 30 years but hasn't started it in about 6 years due to DHS changes on buying and possessing jet fuels. He told me, I've wanted to show it to you for some time now but, given my current state, I'm showing it to you now and I ask you take it your hanger. I asked him, your current state? and he said, yes well, it seems the doctors think I have cancer and won't last out the year. That hit me like a hammer and I said, well damn, Harold. He said, oh, don't let it trouble you, I am 93 years old after all, we can't live forever, can we. So, I got the needed equipment together and we put the Vixen on a trailer and took it to the hanger. Once there, we set about checking the electrical system, engines and related systems, draining the fuel tanks and cleaning everything up. With everything being in proper order, even the long dormant engines. So, we had Harold start the old girl's engines and watched as he basked in the glory of hearing them running again. Harold told me, John, get "Sally" as he called her, ship shape and Bristol fashion, won't you? I told him, I absolutely would. Harold passed away 3 weeks ago. God's speed my old friend and his plane is getting preferential care, I've even located a former R-R engine final inspection man to give the engines an exacting going thorough.
So, where is it?
@@oxcart4172 why? Bristol.if you.must know.
Avtur is not really essential try kerosene. It's pretty much the same thing.
Beautiful story.... Can I ask what are you planning to do with old 'Sally'?? Will she ever take flight again and bust some clouds for ole Harold???? I'm sure he will be in the coalhole when you do??!! 🙏👌
Indiana Jones has a phrase for this.
What i love about this aircraft is its design, she looks like she comes straight out of Thunderbirds.
I have to disagree with the detractors on the comments here, it was precisely the weapons system that was needed at that time, the problem was that things were moving very fast at that time and like other designs it went from cutting edge to obsolete in a relatively short time. As for the often levelled “too many accidents” again this aircraft was much larger and heavier than it’s predecessors therefore the vast majority of the accidents were on catapult launches where a problem with the CAT would put the aircraft off the front of the carrier in a stalled state.
Surely the last all British fighter to serve with the Fleet Air Arm was the Sea Harrier?
I believe it's because the Harrier is a recon fighter jet. The dh110 is a fighter jet.
@michaellee2472 well it was originally Fighter Reconaissance Strike and then Fighter/Attack.
@@michaellee2472 Actually the Harrier is an attack aircraft pressed into service in the fighter role.
The Harrier is an Attack aircraft. Not well suited to Fighter roles. It didn't have the speed or maneuvering at speed to fight in air to air combat.
@@huckleberry5653 it didn't do too badly in the Falklands...
One of the most beautiful jet aircraft of it's time despite it's issues.
They have one at Tangmere, the observer's position is unbelievably claustrophobic.
I’m glad British Aviation is making a comeback.
I did my apprenticeship on these aircraft t RAF Halton a truly superb aircraft. One of my close friends is an ex pilot of the Navy versions.
Such a beautiful bird. I remember the crash at the SBAC show killing John Derry and Tony Richards. A terrible day for many.... I wouldn't fancy being in the coalhole for hours on end..thanks for video .... Dave from Coventry
Immediately after the war, the trend for aircraft was to finish them in glossy paint, as opposed to today's norm of covering them in matte paint the provides better camouflage. This one looks particularly good, like a racing car.
What a beautiful machine...
“pilots airplane”? I’ve never read anything where pilots had high praise for it.
Saw one at Duxford last year. Seems odd to put the "observer" in a place where he can't see anything.
And one of the most beautiful
One Hundred Ten, Just say 1 10.
and, if you see two capital letters like this: MK? just say Mark.
At the time we all said one-one-oh.
@@richtravis9562Thank you.
Everything that irritates us about others can lead us to an understanding about ourselves.
If the stars should appear but one night every thousand years how man would marvel and adore.
Vixen=super cool flying.
A truly british answer to many different scenrio's. Also a very good looking bird. The cold war era made some amazing aircraft
It looked the way it did because it followed the old adage "Form Follows Function". Royal Navy aircraft carriers, of the time, were small, because of the mission they were required to do, being able to operate in smaller seas of Europe, unlike the Americans who's carriers would be in deeper waters (and which would struggle in seas the RN carriers would have no trouble with)
That was not why post war British carriers were smaller. The last British carriers to be laid down before the QEs were WWII designs and were about 50% larger than the Essex class as built. When the Sea Vixen was introduced the RN was still operating the Pre War HMS Victorious and WWII light fleet carries. As build they were meant to operate in the same environment as contemporary US carriers.
...THE TWIN TAIL BOOMS AND ELEVATOR ASSEMBLY LOOK LIKE THEY BELONG ON AN OV-10 BRONCO....jmo
ANONYMOUS is DIMENSIONAL of many factors which are often overlooked by utter silence and then you begin to realise "how much hotter you can get" is a song about PROWLIN.
Fluffy pink unicorns are a popular status symbol among macho men.
One of the better looking aircraft in my opinion.
What about the hawker hunter? Many overseas customers bought the hunter, don't know what other countries bought this twin tailed jet.
Britain has the harriers, served RAF, did well in the Falklands.
Sooner or later, those who win are those who think they can.
Modify this aircraft and create a Cylon Raider - Stealth fighter version.
Hell yeah bro
Nothing weird about it. There's been a few aircraft with this design. Lockhed P-38, FW189, P-61, Saab J21, C-119, vampire,venom and OV-10.
Rubbish. It is not one of the weirdest at all. it was agreat design and with comparable performance to US fleet fighters at the time
Bull$h!t. The Sea Vixen was comparable in performance and mission to the F3H Demon which was introduced three years earlier. In 1959 the premier US Navy fighter was the F8U Crusader which was not just the premier naval fighter but outclassed any fighter until the early 1960s. The Phantom entered US Navy service 2 years after the Sea Vixen. The Sea Vixen was obsolescent before it was introduced.
Any of us can achieve virtue, if by virtue we merely mean the avoidance of the vices that do not attract us.
It was a bit "lob sided" with the off-set cockpit, but a better aircraft than the overweight and under powered RAF Javelin.
By that criteria so was the B47 and a version of the Canberra.
Lop.
Te Brits always seem to come up with the coolest names for their military aircraft.
lol @9:10 it shows the mirage F1 radar. I know that array when I see it!! Lmaooo
I think maybe the real designer was off, and they had to get an architect in who had never seen a plane before!
Interesting despite some dodgy editing, weird pronunciations, and inclusion of feature film footage.
Everything that exists is in a manner the seed of that which will be.
Too damned SLOW. Must be supersonic.
Did this plane participate in the war in Vietnam? 😐😐😐😐
Дякуємо Збройним Силам України за захист від орків!
Sea Vixen was awful. More dangerous to crews than enemies.
Near sonic speeds? Don't you mean supersonic speeds? Max speed was Mach 0.91. Not sure how cutting edge a fighter is that can't fly supersonic. About 1/3 of all Sea Vixens were lost in accidents. That's not a good record.
Wisdom is knowing what to do next; Skill is knowing how ot do it, and Virtue is doing it.
Very interesting aircraft. But how did it compare to contemporary 🇺🇸 aircrafts? Esp it wasn't supersonic...😕
The delicious aroma from the kitchen was ruined by cigarette smoke.
It is in your moments of decision that your destiny is shaped.
Kevin embraced his ability to be at the wrong place at the wrong time.
The dream was always running ahead of me. To catch up, to live for a moment in unison with it, that was the miracle.
Another great subject for a 1/48 scale kit. Anyone make one?
Airfix, is the first company to mind and of course they make one.
Awful aircraft - far too many accidents.
Indeed but many other aircraft of the time were not much better.
True silence is the rest of the mind; it is to the spirit what sleep is to the body, nourishment and refreshment.
What is necessary to change a person is to change his awareness of himself.
Your ability to learn faster than your competition is your only sustainable competitive advantage.
The anaconda was the greatest criminal mastermind in this part of the neighborhood.
The teens wondered what was kept in the red shed on the far edge of the school grounds.
Looks like it stole concepts from the P-38 and P-61. Me'h.
The purpose of learning is growth, and our minds, unlike our bodies, can continue growing as we continue to live.
When it is obvious that the goals cannot be reached, don't adjust the goals, adjust the action steps.
You cannot step twice into the same river, for other waters are continually flowing in.
Meditation is the dissolution of thoughts in eternal awareness or Pure consciousness without objectification, knowing without thinking, merging finitude in infinity.
Jason didn’t understand why his parents wouldn’t let him sell his little sister at the garage sale.
Wow! This is 💩
People are not lazy. They simply have impotent goals that is, goals that do not inspire them.
Everything was going so well until I was accosted by a purple giraffe.
Before you can inspire with emotion, you must be swamped with it yourself. Before you can move their tears, your own must flow. To convince them, you must yourself believe.
This plane was a failure, no matter how much you praize it. About the same time this plane appeared, the Americans came up with the Crusader, the Pantom, the Starfighter, the Dagger, the Dart and the Thunderchief, all 1.5 to twice the speed of sound.
The Vixen flew at least two years before the earliest of the planes you mentioned.
As for failure, didn't the Starfighter earn the nickname "Widow maker" because of the number of its pilots it killed?
@@ElectricSmurf The Vought Crusader became operational in 1957, the Starfighter in 1958, the Delta Dart in 1959, the Mig 21 in 1959. The Sea Vixen became operational in 1959 too. First flight is irrelevant; it is the year that the planes became operational that counts.
Whether the Starfighter was a failure too is irrelevant. The shortcomings of the Starfighter do not make the Sea Vixen a better plane.
And don't forget to mention that the first Sea Vixen that flew crashed into the audience at Farnborough, because it was made out of plywood and therefore broke up in mid air.
@@retepeyahaled2961The Vixen was all metal, not wood.
@@nor0845 The first version had a faulty wing spar. (First I mistakenly thought it was made of plywood, like it's predecessors) After it crashed into the public, they rebuilt it. Next, it could not break the sound barrier anymore in level flight.
@@retepeyahaled2961 Hi. I don’t want to get into a circular discussion about the merits of this aircraft but the only reference I could find to wood in the planes construction is regarding the cannons: “All sorts of ideas were tried but the only solution that worked was to put a baulk of timber in place to absorb this recoil force. Thus the Vixen was also the last British fighter to use wood in its construction! The cannons were soon removed and an all missile armament was developed.” The crash referred to, resulted from failure of the leading edge of the wing, which was later redesigned. Again, as far as I can ascertain the plane was an all metal airframe. Regards, Nor.
Would have been nice if you had included metric units into the video (at least on screen!). It sucks a ton to always pause the video and transform that unintelligable gibberish of imperial units into something I can understand.
The fact that the aircraft was designed using imperial measurements might have something to do with it.
@@jimrolph1594 true, but it still sucks a ton to always pause and translate that unintelligable gibberish into something understandable. As you know, the vast majority of global population uses metric.
@@jimrolph1594 and let's not forget: metric units are the units used in science. And all imperial units are by law defined by metric.
@ralfhtg1056 We use the mile in the UK not the Kilometer couldn't give a toss what rest of world uses
@@jimrolph1594 pretty arrogant....
I'm sorry, but man the British sure knew how to make some ugly planes.
From below it looks pretty good though.
Of course the TSR2 was one of the best looking planes the British (didn't) build. Like, WTF guys?