Thunder & Lightnings - English Electric Lightning

English Electric Lightning
Survivor XS420
Lakes Lightnings, Farnborough Air Sciences Trust Museum (gate guard), Farnborough, Hampshire

First flown on 23rd January 1965, XS420 spent most of her career with 226 OCU at RAF Coltishall until 1983 when she joined the Lightning Training Flight at RAF Binbrook. Disposed of in 1987, XS420's wings and tail were cut off for transport to the new owner's storage facility in the fenlands of Cambridgeshire. After a brief period inside a greenhouse style building (which didn't do her many favours), her owner, Murray Flint, moved her to his home and removed her old green/grey camo paint. He was well on the way to finishing her in this gorgeous natural metal scheme (mostly polished, but with some silver paint where the skin is in poorer condition) when the RIAT airshow organisers made him an offer he couldn't refuse - finish the reassembly and repaint for display in the static at RIAT 2003! She duly moved to Cranwell for painting, and was then transported to Fairford for display at the show. Murray then moved her to FAST at Farnborough and she remains on display there, though ownership has now been taken on by Neil Airey of Lakes Lightnings.

Information on this page current as of 17/10/2008

Find other photos of XS420 on the following sites:

Air-Britain - Airliners.net - Airplane-Pictures.net - flickr.com - IrishAirPics.com - JetPhotos.net - PlanePictures.net - Vertical Reality

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