Lightnings of the LTF at Binbrook

There is a photo in one of the Lightning books, of a green/grey camo F.6 in LTF markings sitting on Binbrooks runway with a collapsed nose wheel. If memory serves me right it was in taken in 1979 and was of XS903….?

My F.3 is a former LTF aircraft but i dont recall seeing a LTF F.6 in green/grey camo only in grey

Scott C

All the Lightnings at Binbrook rotated between squadrons, storage and ASF for major /minor servicing, thus LTF would have a different F6 every couple of years or so. It was a simple job to change the gun tank for just fuel, although there were not many of the non – gun tanks about

Towards the end of my time I was a Chief in charge of one of the major teams. The aircraft had had parts robbed from them for other aircraft during their time in storage and were generally in a hacked – about state. I remember when one came in for the start of the servicing, one of my lads wanted to know if it was a decoy!!

In Chris Allen’s book’s “Fast Jets” & “Fast Jets 2” there are photos of XR773 (now with ThunderCity in Cape Town) marked as DF of the LTF with the extra belly fuel tank, and a photo of XR726 marked as DF in the same configuration, so, that’s at least 2 x seperate F.6’s that flew with the LTF in the non-gun pack config. as high speed targets for LTF students.

As I remember LTF only had one mk6 on strength. It was fairly unique in that it did not have the gunpack fitted so had extra fuel.

i meant camoflauge

The same type of campflage that the vulcans had.. grey and green camo colors not one solid coloe. I notice in some ref books that the F3s did but what about the F6s???

The only overall green camoflaged Lightnings were the F.2As which served with 19 and 92 Squadrons at RAF Gutersloh in Germany, however during camoflage trials on U.K. based machines at least one T.5 (XS452/11 Squadron) was also painted in an overall green scheme, and regarding the fitment of the ‘Overburgers’ the increase in drag and fatigue was considered too great for them to be regularly fitted.

Regards, Dazza.:)

We are relying on memory here!!

I am virtually certain they never had overwing tanks. They were a theoretical fit that none of the Lightnings at Binbrook used, except when they were at the very end of their life and BAe had some as high – speed targets.

The reasons for this were that they were bad for aircraft fatigue life and were also a total pain to fit. The holes in the wing where they fitted were good for an odd bit of light smuggling from Cyprus!

I can’t remember a just green aircraft they were either grey – green and towards the end various shades of grey. One interesting variation was on the underside where an oval was left metal exactly opposite / same shape as the canopy. The pilots said this confused the opposition as to which way up the aircraft was, as often the canopy glint was used as a cue.

info on the f6s…

Ian.
DO you know if the F6s were painted in the dark green sea grey camoflauge and did they have overwing tanks mounted???

In the early eighties I worked on the LTF. Happy days!

any other links for 172 scale model F6s???

Bumping it up to the top in hopes that someone elese may have some info….?

therein lies the problem…..

I already have a hasegawa 1/72 bird painted up as John Spencers aircraft and the other 1/72 is painted up as Jake Jarrons mount. I would like to do one in the Fighter command camoflage of the time.. dark green over med sea grey..

As Scott points out the Hasegawa kit comes with the decals for John Spencers XR728 – JS which was (and still is) in LTF markings. It was one of the few F.6 that had LTF markings and as such I think will be the only decals available for a LTF F.6.
The decal sheets still available that will have LTF markings will probably be for F.3 versions, such as the famously marked XR749 10th Anniversary markings.

Correct me if im wrong but dosnt the hasegawa lightning f.6 come with decals for XR728 in LTF markings

Scott C

Try these.

http://www.hannants.co.uk/cgi-bin/search.pl?Mode=view&Database=cat&R=CED72076

http://www.hannants.co.uk/cgi-bin/search.pl?Mode=view&Database=cat&R=X01172

http://www.hannants.co.uk/cgi-bin/search.pl?Mode=view&Database=cat&R=MD077

Anne