E.E.Lightning – DDSV

You can always post the URL link to the jpeg, rather than embed in IMG tags.

Is there any chance of a full size high-res for us?

Unfortunately it would grossly load your RH margin with its file size of 2MB. 🙂

Mark

Is there any chance of a full size high-res for us?

Thanks for that, clears things up nicely. When I had my only flight in a T4 I took no notice of the fin shape. As a 14 yearold Air Cadet I was too excited about the prospect of actually flying in one to notice much at all. 🙂 Now I wonder why that could be?

Lucky you, I only got to work on them. I do believe though that finding out which mark you are sitting would be very low on your list of priorities if you are hurtling towards space at a rate of knots.

The round topped are T4/F1 and the square topped are T5

Thanks for that, clears things up nicely. When I had my only flight in a T4 I took no notice of the fin shape. As a 14 yearold Air Cadet I was too excited about the prospect of actually flying in one to notice much at all. 🙂 Now I wonder why that could be?

This is an enlargement of aircraft 11 that I’ve done – hope you don’t mind?

Seems to be the remains of a large 2 and 4 sticking out either side of the cross. XM214 was modified like this for her appearance at the 1969 Paris airshow as item number 469.

I cant see the same on your hi-res shot so are we talking about the same aircraft? If that is a picture of aircraft 6 then I would put forward XM215 as she was on strength with 226 OCU at the time. 🙂

Nope. My high res enlargement was aircraft 11, from the left, as yours.

Mark

This is an enlargment of aircraft 11 that I’ve done – hope you dont mind?

Seems to be the remains of a large 2 and 4 sticking out either side of the cross. XM214 was modified like this for her appearance at the 1969 Paris airshow as item number 469.

I cant see the same on your hi-res shot so are we talking about the same aircraft? If that is a picture of aircraft 6 then I would put forward XM215 as she was on strength with 226 OCU at the time. 🙂

Reading from left to right, the fin ‘last three’ or the full serials as they come in to view.
1) 449
2) 178
3) 452
4) 969
5) 171
6) Union Flag only
7) 968
8) XM997
9) XS457
10) 994
11) Union Flag XM905 best guess
12) XM987
13) XM974
14) XR718
15) XS450
16) XS459
17) XS458

Mark

1) XS449 T5
2) XM178 F1a
3) XS452 T5
4) XM969 T4
5) XM171 F1a
6) XM183 or XM216?
7) XM968 T4
10) XM994 T4
11) XM215 F1a

Thanks Mark. 🙂

Aircraft 11 is F1A XM214.

High Res.

Still XM214?

I would have said the last digit looks more like a ‘5’

Mark

Thanks Mark. 🙂

Aircraft 11 is F1A XM214.

Any chance of letting us in on the serials of the first 5 aircraft on the left Mark? If there readable?

Reading from left to right, the fin ‘last three’ or the full serials as they come in to view.
1) 449
2) 178
3) 452
4) 969
5) 171
6) Union Flag only
7) 968
8) XM997
9) XS457
10) 994
11) Union Flag XM905 best guess
12) XM987
13) XM974
14) XR718
15) XS450
16) XS459
17) XS458

Mark

Ok, I figure that the one I first thought was XM139 is in actual fact a second aircraft with a St Georges flag over its serial – the other is F1A XM214. I’m sure this was to do with the fact that both aircraft went to the Paris airshow that year and had the flags put over there tail serials so as not to cause confusion with there Paris Air Show number’s which were carried in similar sized numbers on the front of the aircraft. Can anybody confirm this?

Also I wonder is it a coincedence that there are 17 aircraft in the line up at the very time (Sept 70) that the unit was busy practicing there 16 ship formation flypast for there annual BoB airshow? They used to have 16 up plus a spare ship.

The story of that years BoB display and the blocking of the runway leading to 16 Lightnings needing to find somewere else to go on a Sunday and the subsequent loss of a T4 (XM990) on there return in front of the crowd (crew ejected safetly) is another story!

Having looked at the picture in an enlarged form and checking my notes, I can see that it isn’t XM139 in the line-up, so scratch that from the list.

Any chance of letting us in on the serials of the first 5 aircraft on the left Mark? If there readable?

Oh and by the way, yes its 226 OCU and the aircraft are in the markings of there shadow unit 145 Sqn.

Um, Lightnings my favourites! 😎

There is a right mix there a quick look tells me there’s an F1 (XM139) and F1A (XM171) an F3 (XR718) plus a selection of T4’s (XM9xx) and T5’s (XS4xx).

Lovely shot – made my day. 🙂

Isn’t that tail fin badge that of the OCU? If so they would have operated various marks.
Mike, Mk.3s had square top fins.
I would have thought the F.1s were out of use by ’70, possibly F.2s, but they weren’t that common over here. More likely T.4s.
Now if this was shot from the front they would be too easy to ID! Cracking shot by the way!

Would the round topped fins be Mk3s and the square ones either Mk6s or Tbirds?

The round topped are T4/F1 and the square topped are T5

What a superb shot indeed:)
All the square fin tops have 4xx numbers and must all be T5. I suspect a couple of single seaters shown here survive too – just need to match up those last 3 numbers to XP,XR or XS and see if they ring any bells….

spot the two fliers the other end of the line? 451 and 452.

Would the round topped fins be Mk3s and the square ones either Mk6s or Tbirds?

Very nice, thanks for posting that 🙂

Nice to see T5 XS458 at the head of the line up