Lightning XS422 NOT for sale!

Christmas time – a time of goodwill to all old threads that people had forgotten about -bless !

Oh groan

As some geek, well you have to be, who knows a little bit about Lightnings I am involved with 422 and have 2C its electrics all do their stuff.

We have on the 422 crew a group, working out of some other place, who in combination, know more about Lightnings than any one else outside of South Africa.
We will sort out the 422 airframe if that is possible. Its in a recoverable state by US standards.

This will be done for whoever happens to own it at the time.

Hey guess what I actually worked on them and we made the 60% “O.R.” rate most of the time.

Hey and they wanted me back. Ho HO.

So If I say it can be done it will happen.

May be not to UK specs. but to US or SA specs.

Would I ride in it???

Well yes after I have been through it and checked off all my bits and seen all the “heavy” bits checked off to the same standard.

She has FI left

Rather than sit at your keyboards and nit pick why not get involved.

Stood close to a Lightning with both donks on 65%, being somewhat responsible for the event, is to say the least inspiring.
Come on we are ready to teach you; there are too few ready to WORK THEIR NUTS OFF on this bit of Brit heritage.

jb154

aright Jase, yeah alls hunky dorey thanks, and a big congrats to you mate.

couldnt agree more, those two boys certainly do a brilliant job on the AALO stall, all over the country. they are real stalwarts.

Hello Milt, hows tricks? To everyone,hello! Thanks for clearing up a few of the rumours around the project! As you know the aviation family love to spread rumours and mis-truths.The stall is basically a labour of love by 2 very dedicated(some say mis-guided) individuals who spend long hours driving to the ends of the country for a project that they believe in quite deeply so please come along and say hello to the guys. The money raised goes to the project.Most of who are (again,some say mis-guided ) volunteers, and apart from Milt are normally fairly sober!!

no problem fellas. any queries, just ask, otherwise the supporters site is pretty good for following progress. peter thanks for that, key’s hosting was so slooooow this morning, clicked twice, then waddaya know, site wakes up again:rolleyes:

MJR

Thanks for clearing that up. I thought it might be shares or something as everything seemed to be going fine. Thanks for the link I also have bookmarked it. One to watch for sure!
Ps I edited your double post and also this threads title.

MJR

Thanks for the link whch is now bookmarked, I have read a couple of the news letters and I am impressed with the progress made on her.

Talk about a challenge in the face of adversity, bloody good work chaps, keep it up.

Regards,

John.

now mr goodhall, you know better than that, its the bar that props us up 😉

Do come to the stand at the next brunty meet, myself and all of the other engineers are normally there talking Lightning nonsense or generally floating about Andy’s lovely birdies

Or stood propping the bar up!!:D 😀

Hi John, the corporate website is basically defunct since it was administered in the states, due to the devastated infrastructure in Biloxi and Bay St louis area, the site has fallen by the way side, as the administrators lost their homes. A new corporate site is currently being written to replace the old one, administered from the UK. For updates you are best following our supporters website here http://www.lightning422supporters.co.uk/

this one is updated quite regularly. crew just returned actually, so updates to follow soon.

Do come to the stand at the next brunty meet, myself and all of the other engineers are normally there talking Lightning nonsense or generally floating about Andy’s lovely birdies (AEROPLANES that is, before anyone asks. Andy doesnt drive a Cadillac seville with fur seats! ), formation pointing and pontificating about what a bleedin pain in the ass the Lightning is..

Firebird, yes a VERY good idea. The frequency of disasters is getting all too frequent, Ours was pretty much the only hangar that survived with minor damage after Katrina, but it was close. The other hangars were wrecked, including many of the aircraft inside them.

Thought is also being given to moving the project North West, out of harms way, since 422 has already used 3-4 of her 9 lives coming away unscathed from mother nature on the gulf, a few times now.

I think this is a VERY good idea.

As an aside, are there still any of the USAF exchange pilots that went through RAF Lightning training that are still fast jet current I wonder……?

Are ther plans to update their website….

http://www.lightningusa.org/news.html

This is the only one I have and it hasn’t been updated for three years, it’s always nice to have a chat with the AALO at Brunty.

Best of luck gents.

John.

Im here Im here, but MJR has all the answers, more than me, as he is closer to 422 than I 😀

Keep up the good work lads 😉

ok, to clear things up, The project is fine and bowling along, nothing to be alarmed about. The trade advert is simply for a large share or stake in the project to drum up extra funding and interest, and address possible sponsorship deals ahead of flight. As the project draws nearer to flight, extra attention is now being diverted to the long term fiscal stratergy for 422 to operate, which includes attracting sponsors and funding state side too. Thaught is also being given to moving the project North West, out of harms way, since 422 has already used 3-4 of her 9 lives coming away unscathed from mother nature on the gulf, a few times now. There are no plans to sell 422 or her spares inventory to Thunder City. 422 is staying firmly planted to US soil for the forseeable future. Firebird..yes. Phil Wallis is currently AALO chief Engineer, and there will still be a stand at the next Brunty open day.

Where’s Andy of LPG when you need him, he must have heard a few whispers….as the AALO used to have a stall at LPG open days.;)

IIRC Phil Wallis was involved with the AALO wasn’t he…?

If ‘422 has appeared for sale in an ad, I would guess Mr Beachy Head isn’t interested in it and all the spares to add to his fleet in SA, as I would have thought they would have approached him before placing an add….or they want far more for it all than it’s really worth…..

Getting a copy of Trade A Plane and ringing them up seems to be the answer to the question.

Can we get back on topic please!

can anybody answer the original question ?

what would it take to persuade the CAA that a lightning could safely operate under civillian guise in this country? she has a massive spares backup, surely this coupled with experienced engineers and a good financial backing should be whats needed?

Haven’t we been here before?

There are no spares to speak of in this country, the majority of them now reside in SA keeping their birds alive.

The CAA in the UK will not touch any fast jet equiped with afterburners, they are deemed to complicated and given the crash/fire record of the Lightning who can blame them.

The Lightning had a career that far exceeded it’s planned retirement and all the airframes that are left in this country have little or no ‘time’ left on them.

The list goes on and makes for an endless debate but one thing is for sure, it will never happen:( .

Regards,

John.

Time travel back and somehow improve the safety record of the type.