Best Preserved Lightning??? (fighter jet not prop)

Andrewman

Go back to the lightning survivors thred i started there is a pic on there

Scott C

Has anyone got a recent pic of the Lightning at the Solaway Avation museum.

Peter Vallances lightning..

This is surely a contender as she is being restored to run and all of her systems will be operational.

Hi Gateguard

929 is nice but a shame they stuck her up a pole

Scott C

This is my favourite, XS929 at Akrotiri

Hi Peter

When 706 left binbrook it was stripped out in the cockpit but now im only missing a couple of items to complete the cockpit one of which is the stick.

Scott C

Scotts lightning

Hell oScott.
How badly stripped out was your cockpit?

Hi British Canuck

It’s unlikley that all the aircraft at doncaster will go undercover there is limited space. There are plans for Y.H.P.G to put up a blister hanger on site to house all the helicopters, which should free up space in the hangar but the DC-3 that the museum has is planed to go inside.

Scott C

😀 thank you Scott,well done:D

Scott,

Are all the exhibits eventually going to be kept under cover at the Aeroventure museum?

Doncaster Aeroventure

Scott C

I went to the Aeroventure museum at Doncaster a few weeks ago for the first time. I live about 200 miles from there so it is not local. I thought it was a great museum and the staff were very friendly and keen to talk about the exhibits. I saw your Lightning XP706 outside the building. Good luck with your project.

Should have some pictures to post soon.

Hi British Canuck

706 first flew october 63 and was delivered to 74 sqd in 64 flew with 74,23,29,5,11 Sqd and with the LTF last flew with the LTF in 1985. I am repainting her in 5 Sqd markings which was here last front line Sqd.

Scott C

F.3 XP706

Scott..

What’s the operational history of XP706..last service etc? last flight? and what will she be painted to represent? squadron?

Well,my vote has to go the F.53 at Tangmere.It’s had it’s wings and fin chopped and rejoined,but otehr than that it’s in amazing nick.You could eat yer dinner off the undercarriage bays!

Hi Trumper

My lightning is F.3 XP706 at aeroventure in doncaster. It had it’s wings and tail cut off when removed from binbrook. It was sold to 2 guys who moved it to strubby airfeild in lincolshire(one of the guys was stuart scott who has written a very exelent book on the lightning). It was then sold to a guy who moved it to the bomber county museum at hemswell, and then i bought it in june 2002. I have a new set of wings and a new fin to fit and it is been rebuilt to as near as operational condition as we can.

Scott C

Well from just the 2 lightings I have seen for myself up close, being the one at Vallance by-ways and the one at Norwich, the Vallance one is in the better state.

The one at Norwich is a mess.

From Pics I have seen, the one at the new Farnborough museum looks good.

ZF592 at Norwich

Originally posted by scott c
Hi Steve

Yeah the wiring is proving to be time consuming but if it’s all gonna work again once the aircraft is back in one piece it’s gotta be done.

Scott C

Blimey,that must be one helluva a car sticker to own,my other vehicle is an EE Lightning LOL:p
Which is your lightning then,sorry if it is a silly question i genuinely don’t know.What condition is it,does it ground run/taxy Many thanks,Trumper

Hi Steve

Yeah the wiring is proving to be time consuming but if it’s all gonna work again once the aircraft is back in one piece it’s gotta be done.

Scott C

It’s surely got to be the ones that are flying,i hope they are head and shoulders above the rest for safetys sake.
There must be a huge gap between keeping a dead one in a museum looking nice but keeping a live one with all it’s systems active and in tip top working order.:)

Scott, I think Firebird means the Leuchars F3.

I took a brief look at your one a couple of weekends ago, looks like a big job you’ve got there. That load of wiring looked rather daunting, but overall she appears to be structurally quite sound. Good luck with it. 🙂