BAC Lightning F.6 XS928/933

Sorry to all that don’t agree on the paint scheme. I do understand your point of view and agree to a point but like Lindy’s Lad said to fit in our collection it must have a northern connection. As Lightning’s from northern Q, Binbrook opperated in this area, that’s what has been chosen. Again sorry to dissapoint…..

Regards,

Phil.

Not my decision I hasten to add. The colour choice was decided long before I took on my present role.

Personally, I think that the lightning is too small and not delta-winged enough to be of any interest to anyone. A nice gloss camo scheme with white undersides and a black radome is what you need………….:D (heaviest aircraft to land at Sunderland Airport and one of the last aircraft to land there – just before anyone starts…)

I like it

sorry, but I think it suits the aircraft, there is (to me anyhow) something very 80’s about it and while I’m of an all over barley grey man myself, I think it will look superb and cudos to anybody involved. One more airframe preserved in my view is all we all want.:D

ZF594

Sorry to all that don’t agree on the paint scheme. I do understand your point of view and agree to a point but like Lindy’s Lad said to fit in our collection it must have a northern connection. As Lightning’s from northern Q, Binbrook opperated in this area, that’s what has been chosen. Again sorry to dissapoint…..

Regards,

Phil.

Ditto……:mad: .

John.

The aircraft is to become an external display, and would die very quickly in a natural metal finish – again, hence the repaint.

The general policy is to keep the aircraft in a paint scheme they once wore.

I have to say I’d rather see it painted silver with it’s pastel UK national markings and ZF594 code as it was on it’s last ever flight on 14th Jan 1986 when flown back to Warton by Flt/Lt Ian ‘Bucket’ Hollingworth.

After all, it was then a UK owned a/c and being flown by a serving RAF pilot…?

That should be enough of a connection and still meet it’s originality.

Much better than seeing it painted as something it’s not.:(

Pin badges eeek

Ok, so I got the link wrong lol….

Regards,

Phil.

less pin badges, more aircraft..

http://www.demobbed.org.uk/

Look for the lightning gallery…..:D

I pressume you’ve got the Ian Black Lightning books….?

There’s a few good ones in there of them. I pressume you are painting it up in the unusual dark grey – light grey scheme then?

Don’t forget 928 carried on flying at Warton for a few more years in the same scheme but just minus sqn markings….before being stripped as a spares ship for the LFC and now Thunder City fleet, and being on display at Warton.

Hi all,

Yes, she is to carry the marks of XS933, BE of 11(F)Sqn in the unusual dark sea grey upper and barley grey lower as this has not been replicated on any museum aircraft anywhere.
Sorry to the purists out there who would love to see her back in Saudi colours but without being allowed to apply a FULL compliment of Saudi markings, it would just look wrong!!! We are just sticking to the rules layed down to us by Saudi legislation. Before anyone says anything though, the Lightnings in this country that have been painted Saudi are not done so with ALL markings…. Take a look on www.demobbed.co.uk

Thanks to all that have helped in this query!

Regards,

Phil.

Nash

Lets just say it shouldn’t have hapenned, credit to NEAM for the work they are doing there but from a purists point of view its just wrong.

Before everyone condems me for my point of view, just see the reaction you would get if you painted a Spitfire the wrong shade of green!.

John.

I agree from a purists point of view it is wrong, however our reasons are thus:

Our lightning is a Saudi varient, and as such we cannot justify having the aircraft in the collection. Hence the repaint to represent a UK type.

As a Binbrook aircraft, holding QRA for the north of England, we can justify it by linking it to RAF Boulmer (control + scopies)

The aircraft is to become an external display, and would die very quickly in a natural metal finish – again, hence the repaint.

We get very few enthusiasts through the gates, and so very few people who will be able to tell the difference. Our history file on the aircraft is swollen with images and reference material should the original Saudi scheme be re-applied, and we can still provide tracability to that airframe’s history.

If anyone has a complete F6 from XI(F) sqn or Binbrook, which they would like to exchange for our Saudi Example (must be in similar condition) then I am all ears.

By the way -as it stands, this will be our ONLY non-original paint job. The general policy is to keep the aircraft in a paint scheme they once wore. We are incredibly lucky to have the Sabre Knights F86D and a Meteor which was based at RAF Acklington AND was part of the Evergreens display team at Manby. For the Meteor, we have the opportunity to tell the story of Acklington and Display teams through the ages…

Kindest regards, etc etc,

LL (Projects manager at NEAM)

Nash

Lets just say it shouldn’t have hapenned, credit to NEAM for the work they are doing there but from a purists point of view its just wrong.

Before everyone condems me for my point of view, just see the reaction you would get if you painted a Spitfire the wrong shade of green!.

John.

thats a fair point, i wouldn’t condem you for it, everyone is entitled to an opinion

Hi.
Two pics from Binbrook, first one 18/3/82, second one Nov-81. hope
these are usefull, sorry about the quality.

Nash

Lets just say it shouldn’t have hapenned, credit to NEAM for the work they are doing there but from a purists point of view its just wrong.

Before everyone condems me for my point of view, just see the reaction you would get if you painted a Spitfire the wrong shade of green!.

John.

:confused:

Hi all,

Does anyone have any good pictures of either XS928 or 933 while in service at RAF Binbrook in the latter years i.e. 1980 – 1988??

This will be used to aid the restoration of ZF594/53-696 at N.E.A.M.

Phil

http://neam.org.uk

😡 😡 .

OK!

Here’s XS928 seen in the last year of Lightning ops at Binbrook:

and here’s XS933 awaiting the chop:

🙁 🙁 🙁 such an ignominious end to such a beautiful machine, all the “scrapping” pictures break my heart

OK!

Here’s XS928 seen in the last year of Lightning ops at Binbrook:

and here’s XS933 awaiting the chop:

Hi all,

Does anyone have any good pictures of either XS928 or 933 while in service at RAF Binbrook in the latter years i.e. 1980 – 1988??

This will be used to aid the restoration of ZF594/53-696 at N.E.A.M.

Phil

http://neam.org.uk

Hi,

Here’s a few of XS928 at Binbrook wearing two different tail codes

And one of her (her back end) at the last Last Lightning show in the rain :rolleyes:

And here’s XS933 also at Binbrook

And here’s XS928 at Warton, in the last ‘line up’ photo shoot

Hope they help you out 😉

I pressume you’ve got the Ian Black Lightning books….?

There’s a few good ones in there of them. I pressume you are painting it up in the unusual dark grey – light grey scheme then?

Don’t forget 928 carried on flying at Warton for a few more years in the same scheme but just minus sqn markings….before being stripped as a spares ship for the LFC and now Thunder City fleet, and being on display at Warton.