Low Flying Lightning….

Excellent! Well done to everyone involved. She looks great!!

Hay good to see the old girl has been carefully dismantled for the road trip Hats off to all involved!

Hi to all, just had a few shots sent to me by the guys who are working at Leeming unbolting, 753 ready for here trip to Conningsby.
There’s a little update from Stuart Abbott quote;

On the road to coningsby today and tomorrow. only problems we have is the tailplanes wont come off. really really really siezed! had an 8 tonne jack pushing them. probably going to have to cut one off due to the road move. we will have to make some butt strap pieces to re-attach it back on. took us 2 weeks to strip it! i have had the joy of being in the upper intake and trying to get the front fuselage bolts off! 5 days that has took! wings are unbolted properly and everything is ready to go! hopefully by the end of next week, she will be looking like new again. as for the paint, because 753 is an 11 sqn association owned aircraft,not mod, the budget has had to come out of their pockets. we had to blag the paint job for free so the hawk/tornado colours were duly put on.

Glad she is in good hands 🙂

No the paint isnt right ! But i suppose one way to look at it is that 753 in now in a good home and being well looked after !!!!!
Cheers Scott

Lovely to see ‘753 getting a bit of attention and a good new home, just one thing though ( and I’m going to hate me for saying this! ) isn’t that paint nowhere near the right colour for a Lightning. I’m sure Albert will be along in a minute to back me up on this. 😀

To all here’s the latest on XR753, I found this update on the UKAR site

http://www.ukar.co.uk/board/ikonboard.cgi?;act=ST;f=9;t=8495;hl=xr753

Looks very shinny, but at least she’s going to be looked after at Conningsby
Not to sure on the time scales for dismatling, transport and reassembly

Here’s a shot I was sent this morning

Good stuff 🙂

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Hmm,Alas unfortunately it is they way of things to come, this has come from a very reliable source within the Ministry, How many of the sea harriers and jaguars have you seen sold complete with engines and avionics?same with the Jetstreams, a disposal agent local to ourselves buys and shifts on many of the said Jaguars and Harriers, neither adours of pegasus engines are available complete or dressed, the engines and avionics are stripped, allmost all vital equipment is now stripped, and many also have the fuel tanks holed internally.

MJR

Indeed, all SHAR and Jaguar disposals to date, are indeed engineless, and in the case of the SHAR, the cockpits are stripped of useful spares also.

Useful to whom is open to debate, as those SHAR’s and T.8’s still flying have to use NOS spares from Stafford, and ~not~ those removed from the fleet, merely to use up the allocated budget…. strange but true 😮

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I am sure both of these will be lovingly looked after in their new homes. Bet we see updated pics of them in a year or so in F/P

Here is the Leeming one last year.

Couple more pics of XR718 prior to her sale

Hi All

320 psi’s gen is right XR753 is being repainted for the 11 Sqn close down and will then be taken apart and moved to coningsby.

Scott C

Hmm, thats clearly not quite true, as witnessed by the numbers of Sea Harriers making their way into preservation, and also the number of Jaguars being offerred by a private company.

There may be hope yet!

Bruce

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Hmm,Alas unfortunately it is they way of things to come, this has come from a very reliable source within the Ministry, How many of the sea harriers and jaguars have you seen sold complete with engines and avionics?same with the Jetstreams, a disposal agent local to ourselves buys and shifts on many of the said Jaguars and Harriers, neither adours of pegasus engines are available complete or dressed, the engines and avionics are stripped, allmost all vital equipment is now stripped, and many also have the fuel tanks holed internally.

MJR

Hello 320psi and everyone,

Here’s hoping that chatting to various people earlier this year got the right wheels moving in the saving XR753 campaign.

I think there is a certain Squadron at Waddington that is looking for a Lightning as an ‘office’ guardian, They were after 753, but their former stablemates get to keep it…

It May have just been a rumour though :confused:

Tim

News hot off the press about XR753 at Leeming,
MJR dont know whether this is part of your plans or not, just got a mail from Stuart Abbott :
Quote:
The current plan is she will be getting re-painted in the next couple of weeks into 11 sqn 90th anniversary colours. then in November, a group of about 10 of us are going to properly take the fin, wings, tails,belly tank and split the fuse. she will be transported to coningsby where she will be rebuilt and used as the 11 sqn gate guard when the sqn re-forms there

Good news all round she is in fine condition

Here’s a shot of her taken back in 1999, taken from the Thunder & Lightnings web site http www.thunder-and-lightnings.co.uk

Cheers

Hmm, thats clearly not quite true, as witnessed by the numbers of Sea Harriers making their way into preservation, and also the number of Jaguars being offerred by a private company.

There may be hope yet!

Bruce

😮 That’s shocking! I’m lost for words.

Any known reason for this? The Lightning has never been part of any arms treaty. Doesn’t make any sense to me 🙁

All complex fast jets will go this way from now on, at least those that are complete and potentially ground runnable. An MOD directive, in responce to the variety of private groups successfully restoring such machines to ground run over the years, a notion that the MOD are very uncomfortable with.

MJR

http://www.gatwick-aviation-museum….ng/mainsite.htm

Yes,Early days, but a rescue plan is in motion.

MJR

http://www.gatwick-aviation-museum….ng/mainsite.htm

Unfortunately, not a rumour, 753 is indeed tendered for crush only. Efforts are a foot however!

MJR

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

Any known reason for this? The Lightning has never been part of any arms treaty. Doesn’t make any sense to me 🙁