Goodbye to Edinburgh Lightning

There was talk that she was so badly corroded that the only wagon she was leaving on was a scrap wagon, so, a very happy ending to say the least!!

I was led to believe that this particular airframe was one of the few previously transported in one piece and had been basically intact.
I’m glad its been moved to a caring home after watching it slowly moulder on top of its perch for such a long time.
I’ve got some photos here I took at the turn of the year, but the file sizes are too big for here unfortunately.

You are correct it was put together at the “Ferranti” hanger at Turnhouse and then towed complete along the road.

Hi All

I hope it’s easier to put a Lightning back together after taking it apart, im not looking forward to it 😀

Scott C

I was led to believe that this particular airframe was one of the few previously transported in one piece and had been basically intact.
I’m glad its been moved to a caring home after watching it slowly moulder on top of its perch for such a long time.
I’ve got some photos here I took at the turn of the year, but the file sizes are too big for here unfortunately.

I was told today on a visit to a museum that the wings on this particular airframe had already been cut for transport prior to moving to the Ferranti works to become a gate guard.

Obviously unless it is from the horses mouth then this info should be taken at face value but if it is true then it’s not so bad that they had to be cut again for transport.

Lets face it there is very little chance of one flying in the UK and if it does happen then there are at least half a dozen airframes that are viable for a return to flight, I do think it is a shame that wings were cut off these beasts for transport purposes but having seen some profesional jobs on re-attaching them they are not bad at all.

Regards

John.

If only EE had built these for the FAA they wouldn’t have had the problem!

It involves the removal of the forward fuselage and rear and then splitting the wings apart in the centre section. It’s a lot more difficult to reconstruct the aircraft to the same level of structural integrity and the manufacturers drawings afterwards!

Not really, for a static museum exhibit it takes about 2 days to prepare the wings for fitting, then a days work to mate the fuselage, nose and wings together and fit all the wing to fuselage screws and frames. Putting it back to gether as per bay practice isnt necessary if it isn’t going to run again.

We put 579 basic sheel back together in one day with 5 blokes, a hiab and a good driver,(allbeit after taking 2 weeks to prepare the wings correctly, since it was going to run again) and without any of the correct trestles. Taking it apart is far more difficult than putting the basic aiframe back together again.

Its a shame its been cut, but not surprising.

MJR

http://www.gatwick-aviation-museum.co.uk/lightning/mainsite.htm

There are quite a few Lightnings held together after surgery as a result of the wings and tails being cut, still around and looking none the worse for it.

The LPG guys did have the nice warm hanger at Leeming to dismantle XR753 the correct way, for its move to Coningsby. I don’t know how long it took though.

Tim

They can manage to do the same to Concorde and you cant see the join (Ok you can see the join if you look but joe public cant)

It involves the removal of the forward fuselage and rear and then splitting the wings apart in the centre section. It’s a lot more difficult to reconstruct the aircraft to the same level of structural integrity and the manufacturers drawings afterwards!

yes…

is it so hard to remove the tail and wings the normal way 😮