English Electric Lightning - Survivor XS420
T.5 XS420 - Richard Hall, Farnborough Air Sciences Trust Museum (gate guard), Farnborough, Hampshire
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Lightning T.5 XS420 at Farnborough, 16th October 2008; Damien Burke
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 any 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 park at RIAT 2003! She duly moved to Cranwell for painting, and was then transported to RAF Fairford for display at the show.
After the airshow, Murray moved her to Farnborough Aircraft Services Trust Museum (FAST) at Farnborough, and she remains on display there to this day. Though ownership has since changed, first being taken on by Neil Airey of Lakes Lightnings and later, by Richard Hall & Mike Potten.
Richard has since taken on sole ownership and continues work to restore the aircraft today.
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 any 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 park at RIAT 2003! She duly moved to Cranwell for painting, and was then transported to RAF Fairford for display at the show.
After the airshow, Murray moved her to Farnborough Aircraft Services Trust Museum (FAST) at Farnborough, and she remains on display there to this day. Though ownership has since changed, first being taken on by Neil Airey of Lakes Lightnings and later, by Richard Hall & Mike Potten.
Richard has since taken on sole ownership and continues work to restore the aircraft today.
Information on this page current as of 22/12/2022, last updated by Jake |
Find other photos of XS420 on the following sites:
Air-Britain - Airliners.net - Airplane-Pictures.net - flickr.com - WorldAirPics.com - JetPhotos.net - PlanePictures.net