Ex Saudi Lightning on the move?

If you look at my photos in the first post you can clearly see the starboard main gear door is hanging down. I could see inside the undercarriage bay that the main gear leg/axle was there but with no main wheel or tyre fitted. I believe David Reid from the D&G museum was off to collect some wheels for it during the course of today as he was due to pay my colleague a visit on route to pick up a refuelling probe for there Bucc XT280.

Plazz

A photo taken last year before the work started. ( I dont know if its true but I was told it was only when the u/c was dropped that they found that the main legs were missing . Supposed to have been removed after it was roaded in on its wheels to save weight. The legs etc were still at the ex ferranti hanger at Turnhouse or so the story goes)

d&g may look small, but let me assure you, they are a very effective crew of chaps, 584 will be extremely well looked after once there, and we for one will be helping them out with any Lightning spares they may require.

MJR

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

Hope they dont take too long about it.
It’ll be fun getting it down off that very sturdy looking plinth and on to the back of a transporter.

I have just visited the museum web site and there is talk of their excitement about the Lightning and are asking for voulenteers to help ‘dismantle’ it, I wish no disrespect to the museum itself but from viewng the site one wonders with intrepidation just how the ‘dismantling’ will take place.

It looks like a fairly low budget affair and one wonders if they have the resources or funding to handle such a task, One only has to look at the sorry state that XP706 has been in for the last decade after a succession of owners and several moves have left this airframe in a poor state, only now after a move to Doncaster Air Museum does her future look safe.

I digress…..ZF584 was once a fine example of the beast but was left to rot in the open air by a company that paid her little attention, lets just hope that when she is moved there is little damage done and she gets the attention she deserves!.

It is a good thing that she will be preserved and not end up in the same fashion as XL391, lets just hope that her transportation and re-assembly are swift and successfull one, I wish all the best to those charge.

John.

It was mid August last year. Looking faded though…

meant 580 at Salmsbury, is it still at the main gate?

MJR

584 is the only one at the Gyle. You can see it on Google Earth if you look hard enough. I have some more recent photos, but unfortunately, theyre too big to post here.

oops zf584, getting confused with the 53 at Rochester. Not sure if this one is a tin can or not, most that went on plinths were gutted , to save weight. I know one of the volunteers at D$G, will get some gen on zf584, once it arrives. It will be well cared for. It will be interesting to see if BAE systems get rid of ZF580 too, also on a plinth at south gyle, last I heard.

MJR

This news was published in FP a while back.
I went to see it a few weeks back and its definitely looking the worse for wear-there’s a panel missing from the spine, which I guess must be letting the rain in. I’m looking forward to hearing it has been taken away to be cared for.

I’ve been to the D&G museum a few times now and it’s a great place to visit. I’ve got to say I’m well chuffed that they’re getting this Lightning, which by the way is an F.53 serial number ZF584.

Plazz

Plazz,

yes, true, its been on the cards for a while now that this aiframe was to go to D+G. I wonder if they will take it apart properly or chop it? Im fairly sure its ZF581.

MJR