29 (R) Sqn RAF loans XS897 from Lakes Lightnings

hi there is was my dads lighting before lakes bought her and i was on the second week of rebiuld at coningsby and have some pics of it on facebook under: lightning f6 xs897 if you want to have a look

Just to add a little to XS897’s post RAF history, this lightning has got to be one of the luckiest survivors- excuse me if my facts aren’t quite right, but this is the story as my memory serves.

On decommision, XS897 was bought by a “dealer” along with another 11, who cut their wings & fins, then tried to sell them for £ 11,000 each. In the end they scrapped all bar ‘897 who was saved by a member of SYAM, literally at the eleventh hour + 59 mins, who excanged a Fergie tractor for her.

Prior to recovery to Firbeck, the scrappy dealing with the Lightnings got overzealous & started to cut her up before anyone could stop them, unfortunately the tool used for cutting was a JCB & she sustained a large hole in each “stub wing” and damage to the fuselage skinning. On arrival at the museum,such was the extent of damage that she almost became reduced to a cockpit only, but the excange with a Canberra BI.8 cockpit for a set of wings & aquisition of a new fin ensured that eventually she would become whole again.

When the museum moved to Doncaster, she was put on priority and a conserted effort was mde to repair the damage & re-wing her ( to this day I believe that this was the first time the task was undertaken by a volunteer group). She remained there until going to 29 Sqn- the rest they say is history.

I was sad to see her leave, but to see her coming together once more means her future is much assured. So here’s to those, past & present, who have played their part in the survival of “the Luckiest Lightning “.

I’ve seen her recently, she is looking quite good, just needs a paint job. 🙂

Hello all,

‘Lakes Lightnings’ here, owners of F6/F3 Lightning XS897 on loan to 29 Sqn and yes, i can confirm that things are going slowly and its all due to budget issues!

There is the dreaded Tax Year start/finish event which occurs every April as we all know.

The paint shop had quoted a price to paint her up but that estimate fell in last years figures so, OC 29 is now waiting for a revised estimate for THIS Tax Year!!! ….. and the wait continues.

Make no mistake, 29 Sqn is extremely busy with its primary task and going along at 100% and ‘minor things’ like our gateguard Lightning are on an ‘as and when’ basis.

At least she is tucked up in a hangar out of the weather so H & I relatively happy about that.

We too wait for the great unveilling and im afraid, its not likely to be at the Families Day event which is rapidly approaching.

I hope this helps clarify the situation. It has been a funny year indeed!

Why not show it at the families “as is” & put a donation box next to her to raise funds for the paint job?:)

Many thanks for the update. Although naturally we’d all love to be able to view the airframe, it’s good that it’s safely under cover and protected from the elements.

29 sqn and our Lightning XS897

Hello all,

‘Lakes Lightnings’ here, owners of F6/F3 Lightning XS897 on loan to 29 Sqn and yes, i can confirm that things are going slowly and its all due to budget issues!

There is the dreaded Tax Year start/finish event which occurs every April as we all know.

The paint shop had quoted a price to paint her up but that estimate fell in last years figures so, OC 29 is now waiting for a revised estimate for THIS Tax Year!!! ….. and the wait continues.

Make no mistake, 29 Sqn is extremely busy with its primary task and going along at 100% and ‘minor things’ like our gateguard Lightning are on an ‘as and when’ basis.

At least she is tucked up in a hangar out of the weather so H & I relatively happy about that.

We too wait for the great unveilling and im afraid, its not likely to be at the Families Day event which is rapidly approaching.

I hope this helps clarify the situation. It has been a funny year indeed!

Blimey,those 12 months have gone quick!:eek:

I was privliged to be a part of the very small team that reassembled it,hopefully it will be on display soon.

XS897

Ah great, found it:

http://www.globalaviationresource.com/reports/2010/29rsqn.php

Regards,

Phil.

I believe there were some photos of it in the hanger early this year, they were on a photo report about 29 Sqns current equipment, done by Global Aviation Resource IIRC.

TS

Who knows? It sits in the 29Sqn hangar and as far as i know hasnt been seen outside this year!! perhaps the families day this weekend will reveal something? :confused:

Any updates and/or photo’s of this project so far?? Exactly a year to the day from the last update!!

Purists: Refer to the first entry on this post please

Referring you to the first entry to this post.

Preservation is the MAIN issue and the cost of doing it properly is a serious undertaking and for that, im grateful to OC 29 Sqn to have initiated the project.

Yes the F6 had a larger belly tank than the F3 ….and had the advanced kinked wings.

XS897 will have some belly skin modifications and will be sporting the early version tank however, theres nothing we can to to the kinked leading edge wings im afraid unless someone out there knows the whereabouts of a surplus pair of early version/TBird wings!

XS897 presently rests in the corner of 29 (R) Sqns hangar awaiting reassembly having moved from Doncaster AeroVenture last Tuesday 2nd June 09 so if you have info on straight wings, please be quick in getting back to me.

Yes, our painted T5 XS420 at FAST Farnborough does look rather spiffing doesnt it! …….Pride of the Lakes Lightnings “fleet”.

BIG THANK YOU to all at AeroVenture for their support over the years and during the disassembly and same again to all at FAST at Farnborough for continuing to look after XS420 so well.

I understand XS897 will be towed around to the BBMF public viewing area on occasions and at other event days at Coningsby so, she will still be viewable by the public but i acknowledge the fact that its to a lesser degree than before…. BUT she will look spangly and be in a much better condition to weather the weather for the years ahead!!!

I know its not 100% spot on … but thats life in the real world.

The vast majority of Lightnings outside are fighting a slow battle with corrosion -anyone prepaired to spend some money on paint gets my vote.

As I understand things the painting option, rather than bare metal option, is one of the things that has been perplexing the restoration team at Newark.

Judging by the pictures of the FAST T5 on the ‘volunteer crew-room’ wall at Newark painting seems to be winning through!

just saudi wings I think. if you look closely at the pictures, you can see the sheet of aluminium on the forward starboard side covering the hole made by the JCB on 897’s original fuselage.

From memory the F.6 has a Saudi rear fuselage and different wings to what it originally had. In the bigger scheme of things and being historically accurate you could paint it in the markings of three different Lightnings and be historically correct. The vast majority of Lightnings outside are fighting a slow battle with corrosion -anyone prepaired to spend some money on paint gets my vote.

Who say’s Newark would want to consider such an exchange?

The whisper at Newark is that they might be developing their own local Lightning Squadron links for XS417 when it’s repainted! 😉

Maybe I’m missing something here, but how is it somehow a “good thing” for a Lightning to be taken off public display, especially when it’s going to look ridiculous, seen as 29 never operated the F6. Madness!

Surely, they could have at least found a T5? Couldn’t they take the T5 from Newark and loan the F6 to Newark in exchange?

Maybe I’m missing something here, but how is it somehow a “good thing” for a Lightning to be taken off public display, especially when it’s going to look ridiculous, seen as 29 never operated the F6. Madness!

Red Tops

Answering Robert above, NO to Firestreaks but YES to Red Tops!

She will be sporting a pair of Red Tops in the future.

Will you be putting Firestreaks on it!!!