Part of the EASA pt66 / part 147 includes wooden structures…. also, its damn good fun being able to play with dead aircraft and resurecting old dead ones!
Probably more connected with how much oil and AVGAS is left. Off the top of my head (Fluffy will be able to give the correct answer) the re-spar and limited hours should give a minimum of 50 years to the airframe… although its never that simple….
I would just like to say that the Airbus A319 which I helped to look after within a CIVILIAN company is a far more complex machine than the Lightning.
Just because an aircraft becomes a civvie does not mean that the skills required to maintain it diminish. Civvie engineers who are involved in such projects are usually employed because of their experience and knowledge of the type. I believe that the guys at TC would have been highly experienced when the outfit started. Even a green fitter would have 10 years experience behind him now. This closure appears to be purely financial partially as a result of an investigation into the unfortunate loss of an aircaft. Similar things happen to many airlines cross the globe. Don’t blame the guys on the ground. Blame the economy.
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