My first look see at a candidate would be XS925 at Hendon, This airframe was stored for a while before being sympathetically dismantled and displayed at Hendon in a warm dry hall, This airframe underwent the Mod 9 to add 400Hrs to the airframe and then spent a further two years on the flight line before being stored and used as spares recovery, the dismantling was done as it should be by removing the wings and tail without cutting but I am not sure how the electrics were taken appart.
It is fair to say that to save time and effort these were simply ‘cut’ through and this make for a very difficult task to re-build.
I feel sad about XR724, it is as you all know a current resident at RAF Binbrook and has had its sytems and engines run up on a regular basis, the trouble in my eyes is it is stuck out in position where there is very little oportunity to develope her potential and should she be moved then the logistics and cost would be prohibitive.
As far as I know the ex Saudi and Kuwait Lightnings that were not disposed to museums or scrapped where placed in containers for storage and therefore the possibility of corrosion is quite high, that said the Gatwick crew are doing a fine job of restoring ZF579 and running her systems up so it is possible.
XS458 from what I have seen and read is doing a superb job of running on a regular basis and even giving people the opportunity to strap themselves in and experience avon thunder, this airframe would be my choice for return to flight with a view to running pleasure rides.
All this talk is just speculation and I have felt a number of emotions whilst thinking about it, if only the disposal process was more sympathetic in the 80’s then there might have been more chances of suitable airframes, if only the spares support was better during the final years of the Lightnings career then maybe there would not have been so much canabalism of stored airframes.
If only……….
Regards
John.
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