Preserved and Surviving Lightning Aircraft
Below are listed all the known aircraft that have survived the scrapmans torch over the years.
Some are in Museums, others are preserved in an active 'flyable' state, whilst some of the ones in South Africa are regularly flown
There are also some that were photographed whilst preserved which have since been scrapped or now just the cockpit survives. However not all of these are complete airframes some are front fuselages/Cockpits, some are still present on military ranges and so are likely to be in a desperate state and well past preserving.
If you are aware of any additions or deletions from this list I will happily amend this data
clicking on the BOLD Serial number will link you to seperate page with the images and text.
Special Features
Lakes LightningsAn Ultimate Collection |
Lightning Preservation GroupBruntingthorpe |
Arnold Glass'sDoomed Lightning Squadron |
Lightning Close UpWalkaround Images |
P1A - F1A
- WG760- RAF Cosford Aerospace Museum, N. of Wolverhampton -
- WG763 - Museum of Science & Industry, Liverpool Road, Castlefield, Manchester
- XA847- Howell family, Suffolk
- XG325 - Cockpit. 1476 Sqn ATC, Rayleigh, Essex
- XG329- Ian Hancock. Norfolk & Suffolk Aviation Museum, Flixton, nr Bungay, Suffolk
- XG331 - Front fuselage. Gloucestershire Aviation Collection, Gloucestershire Airport (on loan from CARG)
- XG337- RAF Cosford Aerospace Museum, N. of Wolverhampton -
- XM135- Imperial War Museum Duxford, Cambridgeshire
- XM144- Front fuselage. 'Lakes Lightnings' See Special Report Above
- XM169- Front fuselage. Ken Ward, N. Yorks Aircraft Recovery Centre, Chopgate, N. Yorks.
- XM172- 'Lakes Lightnings' See Special Report Above
- XM173- 'Lakes Lightnings' See Special Report Above, Newton-with-Scales
- XM178 - Savigny-les-Beaune Museum, France
- XM191- Front Fuselage. RAF Exhibition, Production & Transportation Unit, St Athan. (Described as F.6)
- XM192- Charles Ross. On loan to Thorpe Camp, Woodhall Spa
F2 - F2A
- XN726 - Front Fuselage. Hugh Trevor, on loan to Boscombe Down Museum Project, Wilts.
- XN728- Cockpit Section Rescued from Scrap Yard
- XN730- Gatow Museum, nr Berlin, Germany
- XN769- Front Fuselage. Russell Carpenter, on loan to Malta Air Museum
- XN774 - Cockpit. Darren Swinn, Boston, Lincs.
- XN776- Museum of Flight, East Fortune, nr A1, Lothian, Scotland
- XN782- Luftfahrtausstellung in Hermeskeil Museum, Germany
- XN784- PS AERO BV, Netherlands. Fuselage serial incorrectly reads 'XN781' For Sale 18,000 euros
- XN795 - Front Fuselage. Nigel Towler, Rayleigh, Essex
F3
- XP701 - Front Fuselage. Robertsbridge Aviation Society, Mayfield, Sussex
- XP703- Cockpit. Ground Procedures Trainer. LPG. RAF Coltishall, restored by Mick Jennings' team
- XP706 - South Yorkshire Aircraft Museum, Doncaster
- XP743 - Front Fuselage. RAF Wattisham Station Museum (ex-351 Sqn ATC, Burton-on-Trent)
- XP745- Front Fuselage. Vanguard Engineering, Western Ave, Greenford, Middx. Unlikely Company was bought by Pickfords Removals
- XP748- Binbrook Gate Guard until closure - Scrapped Pendine 2000
- XP757 - Front Fuselage. Martyn Steele
- XR713- RAF Leuchars, Fife. 111 Squadron marks.
- XR718 - Privately Owned, Over Dinsdale, North Yorks
- XR749- IVGTS, Scotland
- XR751 - Jet Art, Raggalds Farm, Queensbury, Yorks
P11 - T4
- XL629- DERA Boscombe Down, nr Salisbury, Wilts. Gate guard
T5
- XS416- is privately owned at Whaley Farm, Mill Lane, New York, near Coningsby
- XS417- Newark Air Museum, Winthorpe, Notts.
- XS420- 'Lakes Lightnings' - Loan to FAST (Farnborough Air Sciences Trust) Farnborough.See Special Report Above
- XS421 - Front Fuselage. Nigel Towler, Rayleigh, Essex
- XS422 - Anglo-American Lightning Organisation (AALO), Stennis Airport, Mississippi, USA;potential flyer
- XS451 - Mike Beachy Head's Thunder City, Cape Town, South Africa: ZU-BEX, flyer
- XS452 - Mike Beachy Head's Thunder City, Cape Town, South Africa: ZU-BBD, flyer
- XS456 - Skegness Water Leisure Park
- XS457 - Front Fuselage. Last noted Binbrook 24/08/08
- XS458- 5 Alive Projects, Cranfield Aerodrome, Beds.; taxiable
- XS459 - Fenland Aviation Museum, West Walton, Wisbech, Cambs.
- XV328 - Front Fuselage. Neville Martin, Bruntingthorpe, Leics
F6
- XP693 - Mike Beachy Head's Thunder City, Cape Town, South Africa: ZU-BEY. Potential flyer
- XR724- Lightning Association, Binbrook Airfield, Lincs. Taxiable
- XR725- Charles Ross, Chestnut Farm, Binbrook village, Lincs.
- XR726 - Front Fuselage. Privately owned, Harrogate, N. Yorks. (Unconfirmed; last seen Rossington 3.93)
- XR728 - Lightning Preservation Group, Bruntingthorpe Airfield, nr Lutterworth, Leics. Taxiable
- XR747 - Privately owned, Cubert, Cornwall
- XR753- Preserved XI(F) Squadron markings, RAF Coningsby
- XR754 - Front Fuselage. South Yorkshire Aircraft Museum, Doncaster
- XR755 - Ernie Marshall, Callington, Cornwall
- XR757- Front Fuselage. RAF Scampton owned by Trevor Garrod
- XR759- Front Fuselage. Andrew Exton, Haxey, nr Gainsborough, Humberside
- XR770- 5 Sqn, RAF Waddington
- XR771- Midland Aviation Museum, Coventry Airport. On loan from Magnatec Ltd.
- XR773 - Mike Beachy Head's Thunder City, Cape Town, South Africa: ZU-BEW. Flyer.
- XS897- 'Lakes Lightnings' On Loan - South Yorkshire Aircraft Museum, Doncaster See Special Report Above
- XS898 - Front Fuselage. Tony Collins, Lavendon, Bucks.
- XS899- Front Fuselage. Charles Ross, Binbrook Village restored by Mick Jennings' team
- XS903- Yorkshire Air Museum, Elvington Airfield, nr York
- XS904 - Lightning Preservation Group, Bruntingthorpe Airfield, nr Lutterworth, Leics. Taxiable
- XS919- Dinton near Salisbury
- XS922- Front Fuselage.'Lakes Lightnings' See Special Report Above.
- XS923 - Front Fuselage. Roy & Sue Jerman, Welshpool, Powys
- XS925- RAF Museum, Grahame Park Way, Hendon, N. London
- XS928- Preserved inside base, BAE Systems, Warton Aerodrome, nr Preston.
- XS929 - RAF Akrotiri, Cyprus. Gate guard
- XS932- Front Fuselage. Richard Scarborough of Walcott, Lincolnshire
- XS933 - Front Fuselage. Haydn Block, Terrington Aviation Collection, Terrington St Clement,nr Kings Lynn, Norfolk
- XS936- Roy Flood. On pylon at Castle Air Garage, Liskeard, Cornwall
F52 - F53 Royal Saudi AF
- 53-668 (ZF577) - Front Fuselage. Carousel film company
- 53-670 (ZF578) - Tangmere Aviation Museum (as XR753) on loan from HRF
- 53-671 (ZF579) - under restoration at Vallance Byways, Charlwood, Sussex
- 53-672 (ZF580) - BAE Systems, Samlesbury Airfield, Lancs. Gate guard
- 53-675 (ZF581) - BAE Systems, Rochester, Kent. - Moving to Bentwaters Cold War Museum 2011
- 53-679 (ZF590) - Front Fuselage. Carousel film company
- 53-681 (ZF583) - Solway Aviation Society, Carlisle Airport, Cumbria
- 53-682 (ZF584) - Dumfries & Galloway Museum
- 53-683 (ZF585) - Front Fuselage. Carousel film company
- 53-685 (ZF591) - Front Fuselage. Carousel film company
- 53-686 (ZF592) - City of Norwich Aviation Museum - correct-10March2006
- 53-688 (ZF586) - Front Fuselage. Carousel film company
- 53-692 (ZF593) - Warner-Robins Museum (stored), Warner-Robins AFB, Georgia, USA
- 53-693 (ZF588) - East Midlands Aeropark, Airport, Castle Donington
- 53-696 (ZF594) - North East Air Museum, Usworth, Sunderland, Tyne & Wear
- 52-655 - Technical Services Institute, Dhahran; on display
- 52-656 - Stored for display, Riyadh
- 53-676 (ZF582) - Front Fuselage. Bournemouth Aviation Museum (Kelvin Petty, Reading)
- 53-685 (ZF591) - Front Fuselage. Carousel film company
- 53-687 - F.53 Khamis Mushayt; on display
- 53-691 (ZF587) - Front Fuselage. Mike Coleman, on loan to Lashenden Air Warfare Museum, Headcorn, Kent
- 53-699 - Tabuk; on display
- 53-700 (ZF589) - Front Fuselage. Carousel film company
Kuwait AF F52 - F53
- 53-412 'C' - Displayed at Kuwait International Airport
- 53-415 'H' - on pole in a 'vic' formation, at Al Jaber AFB
- 53-416 'J' - on pole in a 'vic' formation, at Al Jaber AFB
- 53-417 'K' - on pole in a 'vic' formation, at Al Jaber AFB
- 53-420 'N' - Displayed at Kuwait Technology Institute
- 53-421 'O' - Preserved for Air Museum, Kuwait International Airport
- 53-422 'P' - Badly damaged at Messila Beach and dumped at Ali Al Salem AFB
- 53-423 'R' - Gate guardian at Ali Al Salem AFB
T54 - T55 Royal Saudi AF Kuwait AF
- 54-650 - Dhahran; on display
- 55-711 (ZF597) - Brian Reynolds, Olympic Flight Museum, Seattle, USA
- 55-713 (ZF598) - Midland Air Museum, Coventry Airport
- 55-714 (ZF595) - Front Fuselage. Anglo-American Lightning Organisation (AALO), Stennis Airport, Mississippi, USA
- 55-715 (ZF596) - Front Fuselage. BAE Systems North West Heritage Group, Warton Aerodrome, Lancs.
- 55-410 'A' - Badly damaged in the Gulf War and dumped at Ali Al Salem AFB
- 55-411 'B' - Preserved for Air Museum, Kuwait International Airport
Recent Deletions
- XP694 - Remains. Otterburn Training Area, Northumberland - SCRAPPED 1997
- XP702 - Remains. Otterburn Training Area, Northumberland - SCRAPPED 1997
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