Lightning photos

[320psi]

Few more

XR770, now at Waddo



XR772, crashed off Sprun Point, after entering a spin, Pilot Martin Ramsey ejected but died in the sea



XR757, spares recovered March 88, placed out on the airfield, disposal by MOD ed of Marh 88, cut and moved to Rossington, nose saved, airframe scrapped Dec 92



Fire dump



XS927, spares recovered March 88, cut and moved to Foulness ranges June 88, belived scrapped bu March 94



XR751, spares recovered Sept 87, dispoal by MOD March 88, moved to Venland Manor Cornwal by Roy Flood



XR718, FI expired by Jan 87, flown to RAF Wattisham for GIA in Feb 87, placed on the dump by 1990, bought and moved by Blyth Valley aviation collection Nov 92




XS457, now at Gainthopre Lincs



Either XR725 which was spares recovered, went to Rossington and then sold to Charles Ross's and now sits in his Garden in Binbrook village or it could be XS903 which was flown to Elvington in May 88 by 11sqd boss Jake Jaron



Spares recovery, cant make the number out




XS901 Flown Bruggen in May 88, for BDRT scrapped by 1992



XR718 again flown to Wattisham in 87, scrapped in 1990, nose at Blyth Valley aviation collection



XR726 cut and moved to Rossigton in July 88, scrapped by 1992



XS923, last flight June 30th 1988 to Cranfield with 5 other Lightnings (899, 898, 452, 328 and 458) for Arnolds Glass's 'airforce', bought by Nev Martin along with 3 others and cut and reduced to scrap in Dec 94, nose saved by private collector



Not for the 'weak of stomach', taken by me in Jan 95 just after she arrived at Nevs yard, along with the other bits of dismembered Lightnings





XS933 cut and moved to a private scrap yard in June 88, nose sved and is currently with a private collector





XS416 cut and moved to Rossington in July 88, currently at Gainthopre Lincs

[MadNaddy]

More fantastic pictures. Thanks 320 xxx

[Mayfly]

some cracking shots there 320

[Gaz]

Fantastic stuff! More please!!!!

[Mackrick]

Thanks Andy

[320psi]

Few more

XS416 again



XS935 Cut and moved tpo Rossington July 88, scrapped by Dec 92





XS923 again, but with over wings on





XP751, broken fuel pipe caused a fire in the jet pipe area, pilot Iam Black got her back to Binbrook, disposal Sept 87, cutting began Jan 88, all parts removed by the end of the month



XS417 removed by road in 1988 to Newark air museum



XS419 on the detuner, crew look like they are waiting the fuel bowser, she was cut and moved to Rossington in July 88, finally scrapped by 1992



XS901 in an earlier life



Our very own XR728 in her former life



XS895, spares recovered March 88, disposal by April 88, moved by road to Pendine ranges June 88, presumed scrapped by 1997, XR753, flown to Leeming in May 88 by Chris Berners Price, saved as gate guard, moved to Conninsby in 2006 as 11sdq gate guard



XM183, issued to Binbrook as 8416M in 1972 and used in 1975 to trial camo schemes, placed on the airfield as a decoy, finally cut and scrapped by Jan 88



XR727, flown to Wildenrath May 88, as GIA, belived scrapped by 1992



XS422, before her ETPS at Boscombe Down, last flight Aug 88, currently in the US with the AALO



XR724 and a Victor, 724 still stands on that lonely hill at Binbrook





XR718, see above to details







XR773, currently with Thunder City SAfrica



XP737, crashed into the Irish sea Aug 79 after pilot abounded the aircraft after port U/C failed to lower, Fg Off Ray Knowles ejected safely



XR716, flown to Cottesmore in Aug 87 and placed on the fire dump, expired and scrapped by June 94



And later in life around 1986





And on Cottesmores fire dump around 1992







And some from the famous 'Rossington' in the early 90's















More to come yet

[Xplumberlives]

Keep 'em coming!

[Mackrick]

Those last few but keep them coming Andy

[Saracenman]

320 - why have the radomes been nicked from all the scrappers? were the radars used on other birds?

sm

[320psi]

320 - why have the radomes been nicked from all the scrappers? were the radars used on other birds?

sm

Hey sm, the radomes and radars were highly prized items at the end like rudders, by the RAF spares recovery lads, they were the first things to be removed to keep other aircraft in the air

The scrappers never got any of these parts

[Saracenman]

aha - but they were never used on any other type then?

sm

[320psi]

aha - but they were never used on any other type then?

sm

No, Lightning stuff is type specific


Some more

XS449, placed in open storage at Binbrook in 1975, camouflaged in 77 as a decoy, placed for disposal in 87 cut and removed for scrap by Aug 87



XS451 again



A Classic shot





Cant make out the tail no.



XS419 again



XR773, now in SAfrica



XS923, cut at Cranfield in 1998, all scrapped front end saved



XS936, brought by Roy Flood, cut and moved to Castle air Motors in June 1988





Scrapping at Wattsham in the 70's



XS937, crashed July 1976, after starboard undercarriage failed to lock down, aircraft turned out to sea and pilot Simon Manning ejected safely, wreckage not reovered



XP751, see above for more details,scrapped by Jan 88



XP753, used as Lightnings 'areos' display aircraft during 1983, crashed whilst on the way to Teeside airport just off Scarborough during an unauthorised display, crashing into the sea, pilot Mike Thompson ejecting at extreme low level and was killed, wreckage recovered and transported to Binbrook



XP761, positioned permantly on the Binbrook fire dump by 1982, finally scrapped in Jan 88



And again in later life



XR718 Wattisham for GIA, cut and by 1992, nose removed and saved



XP702, out of storage, spares recovered Sept 87, put out for open storage, moved to Otterburn ranges March 88, extensive ordance damage by 1992 and removed for scrap



More to come

[Gully]

Thank you ,

Gully

[Mackrick]

Thanks Andy

[320psi]

Some more for you

XS922, spares recovered at Wattisham June 88, used for BDRT, cut up for scrap Feb 92, nose saved by private collector



XR755, spares recovered at Binbrook March 88, placed for disposal March 88, brought and moved to Cormwall by Ernie Marshall for his garden



XR770, in a different guise, now at Waddington



XR752, Spares recovered March 87, disposal May 87, scrapped by Sept 87





Our XR728 in her camo coat, circa 1981/82



XR754,flown to Honnigton for fire training June 88, disposal Sept 91, scrapped Feb 92, nose saved by private collector



XS458 again, now with Russel Carpenter at Cranfield in running trim



XP707, crashed during practice display routine at Binbrook March 87, after a slow feeding ventral sent the C of G out, pilot Barry Lennon ejecting safely



XS898, one of the last two Lightnings to fly from Binbrook in June 88 to Cranfield, where she stood years, only to be cut in Dec 94, nose saved by private collector



XR723, crashed into the sea 15 miles off Akrotiri Sept 1979, due to an engine fire, pilot Gp Capt Peter Carter ejecting safely



XR763, crashed on approach to Akrotiri after a/c ingested part of the banner during at PPC detachment, which resutled in double engine failure, pilot Dave Chan ejecting safely, wreckage recovered and scrapped, fin erected in the grounds of the bar at Akrotiri



XS419, spares recovered and placed out onthe airfield, cut and moved to Rossington July 88, finally scrapped Dec 92



XR749, flown to Leuchars for BDRT, bought by Ken Ward and moved to Teeside airport and cosmetically resorted and placed on the gate, since moved to Peter Head by the new owners



Feel the force

[RLN]

Thanks, Andy.

[Gaz]

I love this thread!


More please!!!

[Xplumberlives]

Thanks Andy, are there ANY lightnings that Terry didn't manage to capture for posterity?

[Mackrick]

As always fantastic photos...thanks Andy

[Xplumberlives]

and has done the same with other aircraft.

Glad your all enjoying

Can you post some of his other pictures Andy?

[320psi]

Thanks Andy, are there ANY lightnings that Terry didn't manage to capture for posterity?

I dont think he got all of them, but I will stand corrected , I will ask him, he made it his life to get most of them, and has done the same with other aircraft.

Some more,

The famous XM173, now at Duxford



And 173's sister, XM172, which spent many years on a plinth outside Colt, she came down and is now with Neil Airey, in his back garden



Here she is on that very plinth



XS458, one of the six to leave Binbrook right at the end for Arnold Glass's 'airforce' at Cranfield, which was short lived
Now owned Russel Carpenter and regually run







XR755 again, now with Ernie Marshall in his garden





XV328, the last but one Lightning to be built for the RAF, like the other 5 she was flown to Cranfield in June 88, and slowly died, untill scrapping in Dec 94, her nose is nwo at Brunty



XR754 again in some really nice sunlight



Pairs landing, 'nice'



Our very own XS904, as 'M' of 11sqd, nice to see, you all know where she is now



And again with a very tatty looking jet pipe door



And the 1st lady of the LPG, XR728, in her last livery, JS of the LTF



XS933 again scrapped March 88



Pairs takeoff, BR XR773 on the left is now in SAfrica, with Thunder City



Power coming 'up' for a pairs take off



Lovely four ship



And now some sad ones, all spares recovered and put out to 'grass' notice no rudders or radar cones


















In the snow, doesnt help the scene though




Fire trainer



Later




Binbrooks gate guard, XP748, moved to Pendine ranges in June 88 and belived scrapped by 1992



Got a load of interesting hanger shots coming up

Glad your all enjoying

[Saracenman]

320, I'm certain this must have been asked before, but did the LPG (as it became) have a choice of which birds to buy?

if so, what boxes did the (ultimately) two you ended up with tick?

i would assume you avoided Hangar Queens - but did you even get the choice?

sm

[320psi]

320, I'm certain this must have been asked before, but did the LPG (as it became) have a choice of which birds to buy?

if so, what boxes did the (ultimately) two you ended up with tick?

i would assume you avoided Hangar Queens - but did you even get the choice?

sm

sm, yeh its been asked before somewhere

We had no choice, it was 728 or nothing, there were only 7 flyers left at the end to pick from, and we wanted a 'live' one that was to be flown to Brunty.
The other six had been bought by Arnold Glass with his 'millions' behind him in a sealed bid, he also wanted 728 but we got her, by luck really, just as well, dont you think
We were just a bunch of nutters with some daft dream of saving a Lightning, seriously thats how were were seen

As for ticking boxes, it was simple really, we wanted to save a 'live' Lightning, Ive said this before Im sure, but the LPG isnt a complicated bunch of guys with far sighted aims, its never been like that, we take this hobby one day at a time, first hurdle 'get an aircaft' and so on, step by step, the last 21 years has been like that

904 was a last minute thing up to the wire really, she nearly never made it to us, the scrappy's nearly got her

We talked about buying a decoy or spares recovered one yes, but once we began to look into the costs and effort needed to shift one and rebuild it comsmetically it was a none starter for us, and by that time we were in the mixing pot of other people bidding for the last 7 flyers, it was all very nail biting stuff, sleepless nights etc

All come good though didnt it

[Saracenman]

yeah, i remember you saying that 904 was a 'surprise' purchase, but i don't think i ever knew about 728

only seven to choose from eh? and look what ultimately happened to the other six

thanks 320

sm

[320psi]

yeah, i remember you saying that 904 was a 'surprise' purchase, but i don't think i ever knew about 728

only seven to choose from eh? and look what ultimately happened to the other six

thanks 320

sm

Yeh 904 was a call from warton,about a week before the end 'put this bid in' and shes yours

Someone who knew us well wanted her saving

We all raided our piggy banks and stuck in what we could afford, then got the call 'shes coming Thursday'


Yeh only 7 at the end, not many really, yes it was sad about the cranfield six, well at least 458 is still alive and of course 452 is in SAfirca, so not so bad.

Its a strange thing really they sat there all that time, open to buyers, and no one was interested, no one, not a sole, even at the end when they were being sold for scrap, no one came forward to save them the only bidder was the scrappy, Nev Martin.

Sad but, like Ive said before 'you cant save em all'

Ours wouldnt be so special then, would they