English Electric Lightning - Survivor XS922
F.6 XS922 - Lakes Lightnings (cockpit), Spark Bridge, Cumbria
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Lightning F.6 XS922 at Newark Air Museum, 25th June 2022; Damien Burke
First flown on 6th December 1966 from BAC Samlesbury, XS922 entered service with 5 Squadron at RAF Binbrook at the end of that year. She remained with 5 Squadron for her entire flying career, variously wearing natural metal then green/grey camouflage (coded AC, or just C sometimes) and then the later mixture of dark sea grey, medium sea grey and 'Barley' grey (coded AG, then later AF). She gained commemorative squadron bars representing other Lightning units shortly before being retired in 1987, with her final flight being to RAF Wattisham.
In late 1991 she was scrapped, with the cockpit section ending up in storage with Hanningfield Metals. The cockpit was then acquired by Tony Dyer of the Air Defence Collection and then onward to a private owner in the Stansted area. Finally, Neil and Heather Airey acquired her for their Lakes Lightnings collection. It is trailer mounted and is available for functions and therefore pops up around the country as a result - for instance, at the annual Cockpitfest event at Newark.
The tail fin of this aircraft is owned by Hugh Trevor (displayed at Tangmere), and the radome has since been used to replace the missing one on another Lightning nose - XS932 - which Neil did own, but has since sold on. Internally XS922 is pretty complete and Neil continues to work on the exterior to improve her condition.
In late 1991 she was scrapped, with the cockpit section ending up in storage with Hanningfield Metals. The cockpit was then acquired by Tony Dyer of the Air Defence Collection and then onward to a private owner in the Stansted area. Finally, Neil and Heather Airey acquired her for their Lakes Lightnings collection. It is trailer mounted and is available for functions and therefore pops up around the country as a result - for instance, at the annual Cockpitfest event at Newark.
The tail fin of this aircraft is owned by Hugh Trevor (displayed at Tangmere), and the radome has since been used to replace the missing one on another Lightning nose - XS932 - which Neil did own, but has since sold on. Internally XS922 is pretty complete and Neil continues to work on the exterior to improve her condition.
Information on this page current as of 10/07/2022, last updated by Damien |
Find other photos of XS922 on the following sites:
Air-Britain - Airliners.net - Airplane-Pictures.net - flickr.com - WorldAirPics.com - JetPhotos.net - PlanePictures.net