LPG website

[Mackrick]

Just spent some time on 320psi website and found a few photos I hadn't seen before in a new thread http://lpgxs904xr728.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=general&action=display&thread=182.

Andy hope you don't mind me linking to it.

[320psi]

Thanks for hilighting the site mate, yeh all those pics are to big for iconic, I havent got time to mod them all, just keep an eye on the thread, theres loads to come

Cheers

[Spitfire]

What does 'CUT' mean???

The one in Liskeard that I know well is described as being 'CUT' then moved by road to Liskeard

[Xplumberlives]

David

The wings are removed with a GAS AXE and then welded or fixed back on with some strengtheners through the fuselage!

It's not the prettiest way but is cost effective!

[Spitfire]

Why??

What does that achieve

[320psi]

Spitfire, Xplumberlives has it spot on, most Museum Lightnings have been 'cut' its the easiest way of moving them by road, when there isnt much time to get them shifted, theres hundreds of hours invloved in properlly stripping a Lightning, by guys who know exactly what they are doing.
When most people were buying lightnings for museums, the people in the know werent in the least bit bothered about helping out these nut cases as we were called, most were glad to see the back of them.

And all done outside at Binbrook (not known for its warm weather) with no specialist kit, rigs, frames, cranes (the Lightning needs tons of specialist kit to 'just' take it apart)

In most cases the aircraft you see in museums were shifted in a hurry to save them from the axe, once you brought a Lightning from Binbrook or Rossington as a shell you were given a set time to remove it from the site, this was usually days, not weeks, all done by enthusiasts with little or no money after taking out the costs for the purchase of the aircraft and the haulage costs (in the thousands).

And they are wired from end to end, you have to cut though the looms, there is no other way, even the SAfrican Lightnings had their looms cut, it took Mikes guys years to rewire them, the 422 and the Gatwick boys are now going though the same pain with theirs

The only ones I know that were properlly stripped were XS928 at Hendon (this has its looms cut ), XR770 at Waddo, (again looms are cut ), the F53 at Gatwick, the SAfrican 4 (thousands of hours spent bringing them back), XR753 at Conningsby (looms cut), there are others but I cant remember them

All were cut outboard of the oleos and the fins were cut, to make narrow and low enough for road transport, all were and are cosmetically resortable, but once this has been done thats it, never will they run again as the wings are 'wet' no fuel bags, once you have cut it then thats it.


Lightnings werent built to be taken apart

When you come to Brunty I will show you exactly what it means to strip a Lightning and just how big and complex they are

Cheers

[Spitfire]

Well how stupid is that

What happened in service when someone bent a wing - how on earth did they replace it

Seems nuts to me

[320psi]

Well how stupid is that

What happened in service when someone bent a wing - how on earth did they replace it

Seems nuts to me

Oh mate, when they bent them, which did happen, the aircraft was usually scrap.

But if you have to replace the wing its a massive task, typically Lightning, everything on a Lightning us a nightmare I jest you not


Thats why when in RAF service and as a matter of interest Mike in SAfrica is quoting the same it worked out to 100hrs engineering time to 1 hrs flight

[320psi]

Few more for you

http://lpgxs904xr728.proboards.com/inde ... thread=182

Enjoy

[Mackrick]

Thanks Andy (Saves me flipping back and forward between sites looking for updates. Some of these photos bring tears to my eyes. I know its inevitable but its alway sad to see the end of and aircraft.

[320psi]

Thanks Andy (Saves me flipping back and forward between sites looking for updates. Some of these photos bring tears to my eyes. I know its inevitable but its alway sad to see the end of and aircraft.

Yeh brings a tear to my eye as well, I was there, at the time watching them being smashed to bits with big mechanical grabs and gas axes, they would cut the fins off with steel saws, then pull them over on their backs with oleos pointing skyward, then either saw them up or gas axe them into smaller bits, then a big grab arm would pick the bits up and drop them in the skips or on the back of big wagons.

This is when our drive to save XR728 became even more 'driven'

At least we saved two

More than anyone else was gonna save

I tell you it was even worse in 1994 when the four at Cranfield were smashed up, it was a cold November grey day, lite rain really miserable, and infront of us four Lightnings got destoryed in about 2 days flat.
898 even caught fire, so sad

899 and 898, the last two F6's to fly out of Binbrook, they did a pairs touch and go on the ASP then pulled into the vertical and were gone, we stood there with all the station personel, untill the thunder had died away, then the sky larks could be heard again, and people just wandered off to whatever they had been doing before as if nothing had changed.

The end really, very sad, but at that time we had 728 and her future was safe

[Mackrick]

Stop it Andy. Thank heavens there are to be cared for by you and the lads

[320psi]

Some more

http://lpgxs904xr728.proboards.com/inde ... 182&page=1

[320psi]

Some more

http://lpgxs904xr728.proboards.com/inde ... thread=182

[Vulcan Bomber]

Andy, a question for you. (I can see you like them)

On the Lightnings, is it possible to change the cockpit sections over? I.e. would it be possible in theory at least to change one of your F.6's into a T.5 using the cockpit section i've sat in many a time at Bruntingthorpe?

Reason I ask is because I know it can and more than once has been done with Hunters.

Thanks, David.

[Saracenman]

I'm no 320, but surely an F6 is single seat and T5 twin seat? do you mean saw the front off one aircraft and glue on another?

sm

[Xplumberlives]

I'm no 320, but surely an F6 is single seat and T5 twin seat? do you mean saw the front off one aircraft and glue on another?
sm

The Original CUT & SHUT Aeroplane, a real RINGER! I think Vulcan Bomber needs to go back to modifying Airfix kits!!!

[320psi]

Andy, a question for you. (I can see you like them)

On the Lightnings, is it possible to change the cockpit sections over? I.e. would it be possible in theory at least to change one of your F.6's into a T.5 using the cockpit section i've sat in many a time at Bruntingthorpe?

Reason I ask is because I know it can and more than once has been done with Hunters.

Thanks, David.

David, SM

Yes its possible, but its a lot of work, three big problems, these are :
The whole forward spine area up to the back of the cockpit is different, it windens out to the back of the canopy, loads of new panels and under structure
The control runs under the floor are different as many things are duplicated in the T5, so alot of 'rigging' mods were done at EE and Bae.
The wiring looms are totally different, front to back as it were, they were wired from end to end, no joints at all, and rewiring a Lightning can take years of part time work, even full time work

Thousands of hours of work

VX328 you sat in at Brunt was for the record the last but one Lightning built, shame she was scarpped at Cranfield in 1994 along with the other three, XS923, XS899, XS898, but no one wanted them at the time

Now if you just wanted to bolt a T5 cockpit on to an F6 fuse then just tart it up to look about right, then yes its possible, as the bolt positions around the transport joint are the same

Good question,

[Vulcan Bomber]

Thanks Andy, I had a feeling it would be something like that.

Airfix models, I grew out of them years ago!!!!! I'll stick with my Land Rover now.


Cheers, David.

[Mackrick]

Andy thanks for the updated picture links..

[320psi]

Done a few more for you after an hour in the garage

http://lpgxs904xr728.proboards.com/inde ... 182&page=1

[Saracenman]

thanks 320 - question though.........

re: http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a273/320psi/Binbrook%20TS/Image26-1.jpg

which airframe is on the right, under the sheet? it appears to have no spine - is it the prototype now at Cosford?

sm

[320psi]

thanks 320 - question though.........

re: http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a273/320psi/Binbrook%20TS/Image26-1.jpg

which airframe is on the right, under the sheet? it appears to have no spine - is it the prototype now at Cosford?

sm

SM, its the P1A WG760 thats now in Cosford, it was brought up to display stardard at Binbrook in the mid 80s after its time at Henlow

[Saracenman]

ooooooo - that now makes me look really clever - I'm not really!

thanks 320!

how come it ended up there then? is it coz the Binbrook chaps were the best to restore it - all their Lightning knowhow?

sm

[320psi]

\:D/ ooooooo - that now makes me look really clever - I'm not really!

thanks 320!

how come it ended up there then? is it coz the Binbrook chaps were the best to restore it - all their Lightning knowhow?

sm

Yeh, spot on SM .

Basiclly, a crew lead by Chief tech Derek Chapman restored her as they had all the kit there as it were, Binbrook being the Lightning lair for a long time so all the know how was there on site

It actually arrived at Binbrook in July 1982 after spending years at Henlow

Gonna be sad now sorry ;

First flight Aug 1954, Pilot, Bee Beamont achived M1.0 on flight 3 (yes flight 3! )

Last Flight Feb 1961, after only 267 hours.

Moved around places like Weeton, St Athan, Bicester, then to Henlow in 1966, for display, stored outside untill dismatled and move to Binbrook in 82.

Moved from Binbrook to Cosford in Jan 1986 and put on display

Removing anorak now