Lightning photos

[Saracenman]

NEVER!!!

[320psi]

T4 XM987, declared NEA in 1974 and issued to Leconfield for fire training, then to Catterick for fire training in 1976, remians still presnt in 87, hulk transported to a Thirsk scarp yard in 1990 ish



XM173, transported to Bentley Priory for gate guard duties in 1976, bought MSS Holdings Ltd when Bentley Priory closed, and is now being resported cosmetically by Neil Airey



XM214, flown to Guttersloh in 1974 for surface decoy use, beleived scrapped by 1977



XM972, Cat 5 damaged 1974, issued to Waddington for fire training, expired by 1981



A trio of Lightnings standing awaiting their fates at Leuchars



XR752, disposal by Mod in Sept 87 brought by Swefling Eng in, cutting operations began on 7th Sept, all parts removed from Binbrook by 25th Sept 87



XR716, used as one of two F3 areos display aircraft in 1987, performed the last Lightning display in Sept 87, Fairford, flown the next day, and spares recovered, then onto the fire dump, cut up and removed for scrap by 1994



XS897, placed for disposal at Binbrook in 88, cut and removed to Rossington, removed to SYAM and placed onthe former Doncaster airfield



Interesting shot, 'less canopy'




XR760 Chute failed to detach, crashed into North sea following double reheat fire Dec Pilot Bob Bees ejecting safely



XR713, Delivered to Leuchars in 87 for BDRT, still at Leuchars in 111sdq markings





XS419, spares recovered by March 88, cut and moved to Rossington by July 88, finally scrapped by 1992



XP749, cut up for scrap at Binbrook Jan 88







XM995, issued to Wldenrath in 1977, as BDRT, believed scrapped by 1992





XR761, Crashed 3 miles off Donna Nook due to fire, pilot Mike Hale ejecting safely



Fire training



The aftermath



XS899, one of the last two Lightnings to leave Binbrook by air in June 88, flown to Cranfield to join Arnold Glass's 'airforce' scrapped by 94, thingypit saved and on show at Norfolk air museum



XS452 in a much earlier life, now flying again in SAfrica



XR756, cut and moved by road to P&EE Foulness Island, for target use, beleived scrapped by 1994



XS417, bought by Newark air museum, cut and moved by road June 88, still at Newark



XS932, cut and moved to Rossington 88, nosed saved by Hugh Trevor (LPG) 91, currently with FAST at Farnborough



XR725, cut and moved to Rossington 88, saved by Charles Ross and moved his home in Binbrook village 91



XP694, moved by road to Otterburn ranges April 88, had recived extensive damage by 92, scrapped durning 1999



XS929, flown to Atrotiri May 88, currently still on a plinth in situ



Lovely line up



XS417, moved by road to Neward Air Museum in 1988, still in situ



XR754, moved by road to Doncaster




XS928, currently on the gate at Warton



XP701, moved by Jolly Green Giant USAF in 87 for Hawkinge Museum, scrapped in 1990, nose ventually going to Robertsbridge Aviation Society



XS921, suffered a control restriction off Flamborough Head Sept 1985, Pilot Craig Prentice suffered leg injuries durning ejection



T5 on the grass



XS898, one of the two last lightnings to fly out of Binbrook June 88, flown to Cranfield for Anrold Glass, broken up in Nove 94, nose going to a private collector



The spares/scrap line, Binbrook in the snow



No snow



XP753, crashed just off shore at low level durning an unauthorised display whilst on route to Teeside airport, Aug 1983, Pilot Mike Thompson killed due to low level ejection



XR726, cut and moved to Rossington July 88, scrapped between Nov and Dec 92



XR758, flown to Larrbruch May 88, for BDRT believed scrapped by 1996



More to come later

[RLN]

Andy, your knowledge and amount of pics of the Lightning never fails to amaze me

(Crawly bumlick borrowed from Spitfire )

[320psi]

Andy, your knowledge and amount of pics of the Lightning never fails to amaze me

(Crawly bumlick borrowed from Spitfire )

Theres hundreds more

[RLN]

[320psi]

XR770, in an earlier life



XS458, flown to Cranfield in 88, still in taxying condition






Lovely shot, feel the power



Victor break



XS925, dismatled and moved to Hendon for display April 88, still in situ at Hendon



In the grass, must have been summer time as the recovery lads are pulling her out with the nose leg tow bar



Break break break



XS922, flown to Wattisham June 88 for BDRT scrapped in 1992, nose section saved by private collector



XS417, roaded to Neward air museum 88




XS899, one of the last two Lightnings to fly from Binbrook to Cranfield, cut up in Dec 94 nose sved by Charles Ross, currenty with Norwich air museum




Finals



XR758, flown to Larrbrugh for BDRT May 88 , scrapped by 1996



Binbrooks Q shed, we will one day have this sight at Brunty





The 'line'



XR713, flown to Leuchars in 87 for BDRT still currently there




Cant make out the tail code





XS921, crashed 30 miles off Flamborough Head Sept 85, due to control restriction, pilot Craig Prentice, ejecting but suffering leg injuries



XS928,Warton gate guard



XS459, cut and moved from Binbrook in March 88, currently at a garden centre near Wisbeach





XR757, Gainthorpe Lincs



XS419, cut and moed by road to Rossington March 88, finally scrapped in 1992



An interesting pairing



XS458, taxiable at Cranfield





XR749, currently with FRA at Peterhead, as gate guard



XS933, spares recovered March 88, cut up and moved to scrap yard June 88, nosed currently with a private collector



Feel the force




More Victor action




XP749, spares recovered July 87, disposal by Oct 87, scrapped by Jan 88



XS899 again





Superb line up



XS451, what a looker, so sad











Hope your enjoying

[Gaz]

Clare's just looked over my shoulder and said "I see you're looking at porn on the internet again!"


She knows me so well

[Saracenman]

re your comment about how the Q She will look soon 320 - will you be putting a dividing wall down the middle at all?

pros? cons?

sm

[320psi]

re your comment about how the Q She will look soon 320 - will you be putting a dividing wall down the middle at all?

pros? cons?

sm

sm, quick answer, no

Reasons

1. Cost (£3000)
2. We have never liked the look of the centre wall and made a group decision a while ago, slightly away from original, I know but we have got just about everything else right so one 'diversion' Im sure can be forgiven
(We payed over the odds to keep the original rounded 'form' cladding)
3. When your in there with the doors closed you cant see them both together which makes it abit rubbish for us and we think, visitors
4. We would lose valuable ground kit storage space, the hanger belive it or not isnt that big when both jets are inside.

Cant think of any 'pro's' apart from being close to how it was

Cheers

[Pujgnie]

Akrotiris' Bat Shed had no dividing walls

[Saracenman]

good! i think it's much better (and a lot more practical) without a dividing wall!

good call 320

sm

[Gully]

And it leaves a bigger area for the Q-shed completion party!!

Gully

[320psi]

And it leaves a bigger area for the Q-shed completion party!!

Gully

Oh yes

[Dan4th]

And it leaves a bigger area for the Q-shed completion party!!

Gully

Oh yes

AND weddings, wakes, bar mitzvahs, birthdays,
anniversaries, Vulcan Club Meetings, etc.

(...for a nominal charge, of course...)

Danf.

[320psi]

Your gonna love this,I did, havent seen it before, lovely to see our old friend Jimmy Dell so young, he definately had the 'right stuff'

Notice the hyd rig, in the sequence when the gear is being tested ?

Everything looks so new

Love it



Brilliant stuff

RIP Jimmy

More piccies for you



XR768, Crashed into the sea off Mablethorpe Dec 1974, following a reheat fire, pilot Tex Jones ejected safely



XS901, Flown to Bruggen for BDRT March 88, believed scrapped by 1992





XS417, cut and roaded to Newark air museum 1988





XP701, removed by Jolly green Gaint Dec 87, to Hawkinge Museum, scrapped Sept 1990, nose to private collector



XR760, on a live scramble, crashed into the north sea off Whitby following double reheat fire, Dec 1985, Pilot Bob Bees ejecting safely







XR718, flown to Cottesmore Sept 1987 for GIA fire fighting duties, expired by June 1994



XS902, in trouble here, crashed into sea off Sprun Point, May 1971, following a mulitple fire warning, pilot Ali Mackay ejecting safely



XS422, EPTS, now in the US with AALO,




XP751, last flight Oct 1986, Ian Black as pilot, broken fuel line caused a fire in jet pipe bay, landed back safely but not repaired placed out on the airfield March 87, cutting operation began in Jan 88, all parts removed by Mid Jan



XS459, currently at West Walton Wisbeach






Think your gonna enjoy these

XN735, put out on the airfield at Wldenrath as surface decoy 1977, scrapped by July 1986



XN784 surface decoy Laarbruch Dec 1976, later used as BDRT, scrapped by Feb 1982 and XN784, Bruggen as surface decoy 1977, moved by Chinook in 1985 and apparently owned by Stadt M'gladbach airport authorities





XN727, to Franborough March 1977, cut and roaded to Foulness ranges 1978, scrapped 1983





XM973, issued to Bruggen as surface decoy Jan 1977, scrapped by Sept 1992



XM991, scrapped Oct 1975



XN768, issued to Gutersloh as surface decoy 1973, scrapped by June 1978



XN726, cut and moved to Foulness ranges Nov 1978, nose saved by Hugh Trevor (LPG) in 1993, moved to Boscombe Down museum



XN972, alloacted for BDRT Bruggen Jan 1977, then to fire dump and expried by Feb 1984



XN790, issued as surface decoy, Laarbruch Feb 1977, disposal by MOD 1985, cut and believed moved to the UK by Solair Wallsend



XN780, ground fire at Gutersloh Sept 1975, believed scrapped by 1984



XN777, issued to Wildenrath as surface decoy, scrapped by 1986



XN793, surface decoy at Wildenrath 1977, scrapped by 1986



XN782, surface decoy, Wildenrath 1977, disposal May 1989, removed by road to Luftahrtausstellung museum



How most ended their days







Cheers

[Dan4th]

That vid is just amazing, Andy, and you're
right -- everything looks so new and shiny!
That plus coats and ties on the techies....
Those must've been the days, eh?

Danf.

[Saracenman]

love that YouTube clip 320 - great find!

trouble is, with clips like that, i KNOW i was born twenty years to late

sm

[Spitfire]

What's a surface decoy??

[Dan4th]

David:

A surface decoy is an u/s aircraft that's parked
with others on a dispersal area or elsewhere on
an airfield in order to confuse or throw-off
the enemy's recon photographic activities.

The camera in the sky has no idea whether it's
a non-functional or live aircraft. Sometimes
they're shuffled around at night to create the
illusion of activity.

Danf.

[Xplumberlives]

Add to the above that as well as fooling the Photo-recce types it was also hoped that the decoy aircraft would draw gunfire or bombs from attacking aircraft, so leaving the serviceable ones undammaged to get on with the job.

[320psi]

Morning all, thanks for answering the question guys

Just before I leave for Brunty, Ive thought you might like to 'mull' on this shot, a true RAFG 92 sqd classic, but look at the tail code, yes shes F2a XN728, the famous A1 Lightning, which in my opion should have been put out of her misery years ago, and that comes from me a true Lightning 'nutter'



After years of aproaches by many people including ourselves to the differeing owners of the site get her moved and 'done something with' (which is debatable, she would just fall apart) it would seem all lines of comumication are closed.

I think the best that can be done, if shes ever for sale, is cut the cockpit off and save that, which is totally gutted and would take a mamoth tast to resort if the bits could be found at sensible prices
To make matters worse she was cut wrongly in the first place, inboard of the oleos, so without a new set of wings will never stand her own weight again, always needing a big steel frame under her belly.

Sorry to say it but a gas axe and a steel saw is the kindest thing, shame

I hope tp see some of you today, if you come along, try and grab me for a chat, please dont be offened if my time is stretched

Cheers

[Gully]

Really like the RAFG colour scheme. Were either of your two ever in Germany, Andy?

Thanks,

Gully

PS. Fantastic runs yesterday - huge congratulations to you and the rest of the LPG guys

[320psi]

Really like the RAFG colour scheme. Were either of your two ever in Germany, Andy?

Thanks,

Gully

PS. Fantastic runs yesterday - huge congratulations to you and the rest of the LPG guys

Hi mate, no neither were that 'green' which like you I also think looks good

728 spent her early life like the rest all polished ally, when with 23 and 56 sqd's, then camo, not unlike 904 is now, when she was with 5sqd and then air defence grey when she joined 11sqd, and then right at the end she joined the LTF, she was their last F6 and was kept on, not changing markings right at the end to fly with what was left of 11sdq as John Spencers personal 'mount'

904 was either polished ally or camo thoughtout her life, spending a few months with 5sdq but nearly all her service life with 11sqd

Yeh its was a great day, very busy but very rewarding, thankyou very much for coming along it was good to chat abit

[Gaz]

That video is something else!! Great find Andy!!

I'll echo everyone elses sentiments about Sunday, it was amazing! We did well in Guppyville too, so, thanks!!

[320psi]

That video is something else!! Great find Andy!!

I'll echo everyone elses sentiments about Sunday, it was amazing! We did well in Guppyville too, so, thanks!!

Hey mate, yeh I thought its was so 'period' apart from the music

Glad you enjoyed 'Saturday' (not Sunday ) pleased you took some cash as well, it all helps

See you soon