English Electric Lightning - Survivor 'XR753' (really ZF578, ex 53-670)

Another ex-Saudi Lightning, this was one that I spotted once while on a train to Bristol - just idly gazing out of a window and for the briefest of moments the aircraft was visible from behind. Just about enough time to blink and wonder if I was seeing things, and if maybe I should lay off the museum visits because I was obviously hallucinating Lightnings! Anyway, she's real, and she was there alright - at Quedgley. Raymond Hansed, the aircraft's owner, informed me that she had been repainted to represent XR753 as she was in 1975 when she was personal aircraft of Wing Cdr Thomson, CO of 23 Squadron (white spine and fin with red 23 Squadron eagles on the fin). She's since moved to the Tangmere museum and was on external display there for a while until the new hangar was completed - she has now been moved indoors, as you can see. Since my visit they've finished cleaning her up and putting her back together so she should be a lot easier to photograph!

Information on this page current as of 19/10/2008, last updated by Damien

Find other photos of XR753 on the following sites:

Air-Britain - Airliners.net - Airplane-Pictures.net - flickr.com - WorldAirPics.com - JetPhotos.net - PlanePictures.net