David. It’s my understanding (and I may well be wrong!) that Wattisham were indeed in a position to be able to accept and home 713, and probably have the guys on site able to carry out some sort of restoration. However, I think they severly underestimated the cost and labour required to correctly disassemble and transport a Lightning by road. It’s my understanding that removing the fin and accessing and splitting the I-beam (Lightning guys, please correct me if I’m wrong!) is an absolute sod of a job and it would take the best part of 1-2 weeks to get her into manageable pieces that are legally small enough for road transportation, which is why the majority of Lightnings that have ever been road moved have had their wings and fin clipped. That’s a fortnight of food and accomodation that probably 4-6 guys would need, which isn’t cheap on its own! Then you’d need someone that actually knows how to dismantle one, there can’t be many about that still have the sort of knowledge in their heads! Add to that the tooling/GSE/slings that may be required, transportation costs, potential police escort fees, and so on and you’re probably looking at (and this is just my back of a fag packet guesstimate, I could be way off!) somewhere in the region of £10k. Maybe more, maybe less.
The LPG were raising funds on behalf of the Wattisham museum, indeed at the twilight run last November, one of the LPG made a very passionate plea to the assembled masses to dig into their pockets to help get 713 back to her spiritual home. The funds raised that night were held by the LPG until such a time as the Wattisham Museum had been sucesful in their bid for 713. However, when the bid form Wattisham didn’t materialise, the LPG were almost obliged to put in a bid using the funds raised on Wattishams behalf (plus some from their own kitty as stated) to try and save 713 from going to the scrapman.
It was never the desire of the LPG to acquire 713, they’ve got their hands full enough! However, it seems she’s kind of chosen them, rather than them chosing her!
As to how the LPG folk paln to strip/move her, that remains to be seen. And as to what will happen to her once she makes it to Brunty, who knows. I’ve seen some very recent photos of her, lets just say the years have not been kind. Whilst I would say that based on what I’ve seen in photos, there is little or no chance of her ever moving under how own power again. But hey, if ever there was a group with the skillset, manpower, equipment and sheer bloody minded determination to make a miracle happen, then the LPG are it. Never say never…
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