XM172

Neil, i watched with interest on the NW news of her arrival in Cumbria, due to this i googled you and found this great forum, well done on getting the aircraft safely to your residence, i am an aircraft engineer and GA pilot, would you allow me at any time to takle a photograph of XM172 when i’m next in your area? you may cantact me at my e mail address should you so wish.. Steve

Neil – It might be worth considering dismantling her at Booker i.e removing the forward fuselage and rear and then taking the wings out. It would be far cheaper to move her the distance you are talking in pieces rather than as a wide load. It would also be easier to be rebuilding the sawn off wings at ground level rather than eight feet up in the air.

Yes i can reveal where up’t North is and im sorry i didnt mean to appear evasive.. .. Im in the process of going through ‘Planning Permission’ with the Lake District National Park Authority with a view to XM172 residing in Spark Bridge, Near Ulverston, South Cumbria. I held a public meeting last night (17th) with all my local residents and seem to have overwhelming local support with my relocation venture.

Letters of support would be VERY welcome and may help!!! My planning application is 7/2006/5142, dated 8 Mar 06….Lets see what comes out of the planning board!

I need to make it clear that XM172 is under threat at Booker and i am going at full speed to move her before anything ‘untoward’ happens to her !!
Barry Parkhouse has sold her to me and we are jointly looking at moving her ASAP. There are cost implications and where to go in the meantime as a move like this is not plain sailing. As i have intimated before, it could all go ‘crash’ with little warning so, with my ear to the ground, im on with this as fast as i can go!

Fly safe, Neil

Neil,

I’m so pleased to read you are saving XM172 and as soon as you can reveal where ‘up north’ is, I’m sure we would love to know. If you need higher resolution photos of the pics I posted, please p.m. me?

Hello All,

Dave T is SO right …it should be XS932 NOT XM932 … it was late at night when i decided to post that info and my head was full on letters and numbers …SORRY …
I fly MUCH better than i spell or prod the keyboard thank goodness. Well spotted Dave T and thank you. Accuracy IS important.

I plan to take F6 cockpit XS922 down to cockpitfest 06 and MAYBE Bruntingthorpe on 9th July should i get an invite to do that ???!!! (HINT).

XS922 cockpit is about 95% complete and i hope to have the canopy mounted soon and on its jack! The seat within it is only 60%. I will try and post more jpg’s of her when ive worked out how to do so.

I warn you now, shes in ‘rag order’ and needs sorting with TLC! Some time in the past when she was being cut up, she was rather brutally rolled over and the front and port side windshield glass got cracked in the process. Otherwise, apart from raggedy cut edges and a dint in the front intake lip, shes still alive and fighting…. Ive had her for well over a year now but like everything, i havnt had the time to tend to her needs just yet.

Thanks to all out there for your support. I plan to bring XM172 back to former Firebirds glory BUT i need to stress, i still have third party obstacles to overcome before im into clear waters … there is still a real risk of this project going ‘CRASH’ … watch this space!

Fly safe, Neil

Hi Neil

You need any help Lightning wise PM For my email , i own XP706 at Doncaster

Regards

Scott

…..Secondly, i would like to confirm that F6 cockpit nose section XM932 presently at FAST, Farnborough is now also owned by RotAirey Aviation….

Shouldn’t that be XS932 ? :confused:

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Neil Airey

Firstly I would like to thank you whole heartedly for saving XM172 from an uncertain future, I was on holiday down south at the back end of last year and toured the museums to see Lightnings and was very sad to see her slowly ebbing away with the undergrowth threatening to grow over her!.

Hopefully now a new home and more respectfull owners will see her once again in the manner she deserves.

I also managed to get to FAST and saw the front fuz in all her glory, Having heard that XS922 will be at Cockpitfest I am loosing sleep already!! (can’t wait).

It would be nice to see you at Cockpitfest if you are going to be there?

Regards

John.

Lighgtnings XM172, XM932 and XM922

Hello all Lightning friends out there, ive some news id like to publish streight from the horses mouth so as to keep it ACCURATE and here it is:
>
>Lightning F1a XM172 of Booker fame has been sold to me, Neil Airey of RotAirey
>Aviation by Barry Parkhouse and is in the process of being prepared for
>a move North …. planning permission is under way for its new home and thats
>all i wish to say about it for now except i hope to move her within 8 weeks
>from now. The situation is by no means set in concrete as third parties
>have to be involved.
>
>Secondly, i would like to confirm that F6 cockpit nose section XM932 presently
>at FAST, Farnborough is now also owned by RotAirey Aviation and is destined
>to be move and displayed at the new Walney Aviation Heritage Trust featured
>in last months Flypast. In the interim, it will be stored with limited access
>available to interested parties.
>
>Finally, my third Lightning is F6 XS922 or should i say, all that is left
>of her….Ive has this cockpit for some while now, (bought from G.Ramsey
>in Essex) is going to be at cockpitfest 2006 and is available for functions
>as it is trailer mounted. The conopy will be fitted within the next couple
>of months.The tail fin BJ is owned by Hugh Trevor and XS922 radome, is the
>one on the front of cockpit/nose XM932.

Best wishes, Neil Airey …

….i sent this email yesterday (14th) to the Lightning Association and Heritage site with 3 jpg pics of the 3 machines. I thought it best for them to have the news first.

It was still in the usual place at Wycombe Air Park (Booker) about a week ago.

Any developments with XM172 yet? :confused:

I thought the Hunter had been sold?

Why don’t you ring Parkhouse Aviation at Booker and I am sure you can get chapter and verse.

Apparently it is up for sale, as is the Hunter F51(?) at Booker.

Any of you chaps in the know heard anything yet? A bloody Lightning F1 as well, not like there are loads of ’em…. 🙁 😡 😡 😡 😡 🙁

Any more news? :confused:

According to Damien’s ‘Thunder & Lightning’ website:

http://www.thunder-and-lightnings.co.uk/lightning/survivorspics1.html

XM172 spent a brief period in Jeremy Clarkson’s garden for his TV show ‘Speed’, but didn’t stay there no matter what you might have been led to believe!

Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.

So Francie won the battle did she? 😉

For those with some liking for Jeremy Clarkson, the transparency of his publicity stunt motivation with this aircraft gives a good clue to his charecter. Perhaps he should be tapped for some funds?

Jezza does, indeed, love the Lightning. www.bbc.co.uk/topgear, contact us, floods of emails about her current plight, get her on display at the top gear studios etc etc. Come on chaps, before we lose another beautiful old bird!!! I’m doing mine now….

😮 Is the aviation world going to be told about this and given the oppurtunity to try and save her or will she just dissappear? First I’ve heard of this airframe being under such an immediate threat.

This news item is from 10 days ago…

http://www.farnborough.co.uk/story.asp?intid=965&txtpaper=

Doesn’t make very encouraging reading does it?

Aha… so it ~is~ the one !! (eek)

Perhaps Barry would be better off putting it beside the A1 ?

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