Lightning - XM172
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: GOC
Posts: 32
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
XM172
I flew XM172 on a number of occasions between 1966 and 1973. She features 7 times on the trot between 8 & 13 May 1970 - for a mere total of 2h 15m, as 6 of them were display practices. The seventh was a Battle Four sortie. Halcyon days.
Join Date: Jan 2000
Posts: 114
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Just flew 172 twice whilst doing the course:-
Jan 10 69, Radex 8
Jan 14 69, Radex 20
Wasn't 172 the original Airfix model?
Funny looking back through the log book, even after 40+ years, I can still recall some (not a lot!) individual sorties. Happy memories.:
Jan 10 69, Radex 8
Jan 14 69, Radex 20
Wasn't 172 the original Airfix model?
Funny looking back through the log book, even after 40+ years, I can still recall some (not a lot!) individual sorties. Happy memories.:
The Airfix Lightning
Firestreak,
Anorak mode 'on'.
The original Airfix kit was XM192.
Vintage Airfix - English Electric Lightning F.1A
Don't know what happened to the real one, but mine came to grief due to my mother's over-enthusiatic tidying of my room.
Anorak mode 'off'.
Anorak mode 'on'.
The original Airfix kit was XM192.
Vintage Airfix - English Electric Lightning F.1A
Don't know what happened to the real one, but mine came to grief due to my mother's over-enthusiatic tidying of my room.
Anorak mode 'off'.
Mine needed an enormous amount of plasticene and lead to persuade it to sit on its undercarriage correctly. And Humbrol silver was a right ba$tard to apply with a paintbrush.
Gave it away to a relative's youngster when I no longer had anywhere to keep it - or the rest of my Airfix air force.
Gave it away to a relative's youngster when I no longer had anywhere to keep it - or the rest of my Airfix air force.
Personally I used that self-adhesive aluminium foil you burnished on to give a realistic metal finish.. And painted mine like the proper 226 OCU garish red and white. That's before night shift stuffing AI23 bullets into the noses of XM172 and her playmates to fix all the ones the pilots had broken...........
F2 (Colt Aug '65 to July '69).
F2 (Colt Aug '65 to July '69).
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: earth
Posts: 1,397
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
XM 192 is now well looked after in Thorpe Camp Tattershall Thorpe - not too far from several historic aircraft. She's in my logbook from 1965 too.
(Can't make the URL link work but google thunder and lightnings and look up XM192)
Who screwed with the ability to post other websites here?
(Can't make the URL link work but google thunder and lightnings and look up XM192)
Who screwed with the ability to post other websites here?
Your memory is only faulty in thinking (understanably) it was Airfix. Frog did a 1/72 P1A kit around that data. A collectors item if you find one in a dusty drawer.
I claim my anorak.
I claim my anorak.
.
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: UK
Posts: 268
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Apologies for posting a broken link earlier. Try this one.
Thunder & Lightnings - English Electric Lightning - Survivor XM172
Nice addition to any garden in my opinion, shame Mrs Clarkson didn't agree!
Thunder & Lightnings - English Electric Lightning - Survivor XM172
Nice addition to any garden in my opinion, shame Mrs Clarkson didn't agree!
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Close to the Arctic Circle
Posts: 57
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Some of the chaps from AMF helped out, in a strictly private sense, to get her off the stick - one of them (J*** We**on) had been part of the team that had put her there in the first place! IIRC, the blowdown system still worked after 25+ years, and they were able to extend the gear, drop her onto her wheels and tow her, gingerly, round to the back of AMF. I remember being greatly disturbed by the sound of her wings getting sawn off by some butcher that night....
The next time I saw her was some 2 years later, as she was being taken away from Booker airfield on the back of a truck, probably towards Chez Clarkson and TV celebrity.
The next time I saw her was some 2 years later, as she was being taken away from Booker airfield on the back of a truck, probably towards Chez Clarkson and TV celebrity.
Last edited by engoal; 6th Aug 2010 at 19:24.
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: UK
Posts: 932
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Stupid question time:
How are you supposed to take the wings off other than with a junior hacksaw? I assume that whatever the correct method is, it's too expensive / too rusty to do?
How many of the survivors have been taken apart "correctly"?
Yours in ignorance,
S41
How are you supposed to take the wings off other than with a junior hacksaw? I assume that whatever the correct method is, it's too expensive / too rusty to do?
How many of the survivors have been taken apart "correctly"?
Yours in ignorance,
S41
How many of the survivors have been taken apart "correctly"?
With the exception of the 3 x taxiable a/c at Bruntingthorpe and Cranfield & XR724 at Binbrook, there's also the ex-Saudi F.53 at Gatwick museum that was dismantled and re-assembled correctly, and IIRC the F.6 at Hendon may have been done correctly as well.
The other non-cut a/c would be those flown into museums with runways, so, F.6, XS903 at Elvington and F.1, XM135 at Duxford spring to mind.
Not sure about the F.2A at East Fortune though....I'm guessing it was cut..??
'928 on display at Warton is uncut too, although it's a pole mounted stripped out shell IIRC.
Pretty much every other UK survivor would have been cut.
........it was watching the fin swinging on a rope, way out of control and balance, smacking into the rear fuselage that made me wince 
Also, our ex frighting C/T was asked to recharge the low oleo - the good one got discharged instead.
Also, our ex frighting C/T was asked to recharge the low oleo - the good one got discharged instead.
Thread Starter
Many thanks for the responses chaps and I have clearly brought back a few memories.
I must say though, I have to defend Mrs Clarkson despite my interest. I'm not sure Mrs TN would be too keen. Having said that, looking out at the size of my garden, not sure it would make my day.......................
TN.
I must say though, I have to defend Mrs Clarkson despite my interest. I'm not sure Mrs TN would be too keen. Having said that, looking out at the size of my garden, not sure it would make my day.......................
TN.
