Lightning Preservation Group (LPG)Open Day

^^Gord^^ · 24 Jul 2007 at 00:04

Spent Sunday at Bruntingthorpe for the Lightning Preservation Group's open day. If you want to know more visit there site....

http://www.lightnings.org.uk/

...but in short they are a group that maintain two Lightnings in "fast taxi" condition. It's very unlikely a Lightning will ever get CAA clearence to fly in UK airspace so this is as good as it gets (unless you go to Cape Town!).

With thanks to Martin (CAG) and Andy (LPG) we were given access to the end of the runway for the first two runs and the opposite side of the runway to the public on the third run. We were very close to the Lightning on the third run and my world became heat, jetwash and noise. I loved it!

If you want to see the full selection they are on my site....

http://www.g0rd.com/gallery2/f/LPG

^^Gord^^ · 24 Jul 2007 at 00:04

gt_junkie · 24 Jul 2007 at 00:07

God i love the lightning - always been one of my absolute favourites!

Nic pics as ever ^^Gord^^!

gt

Johnny|lucidcomposure · 24 Jul 2007 at 00:47

Fantastic photographs esp the 1st. Your aviation work is top drawer.

BUFF · 24 Jul 2007 at 03:16

no.5 for me but they're all good.
God I wish the CAA would let somebody fly one again in the UK. :mad:

^^Gord^^ · 24 Jul 2007 at 07:38

Thanks guys.

It wasn't the easiest of days to shoot. A lot of heat haze on the runway and the Lightning of course generates a lot of heat haze as well. The weather was also changing a lot as you can see from the later posed photos but just to experience the Lightning on reheat makes it all worthwhile.

Sadly, this may have been the last time we see them run in a while. The ever increasing insurance costs (especially after the Richard Hammond crash; the Lightnings are insured as dragsters) have got to the point where it's getting hard to afford an open day. This was the reason that only the Lightning ran and not any of the other Cold War jets at Bruntingthorpe.

The owners of the airfield are trying to figure a why to get insurance cover cheaper. Lets hope they do.

JonnyT · 24 Jul 2007 at 09:12

Fantastic pics! I absolutely love the Frightening

If you look closely at Picture #5 you can see the nosewheel is off the ground! It is almost like the good old days where it was about to fully rotate and climb in the almost-vertical to 40,000 feet in a minute

Flibster · 24 Jul 2007 at 14:00

Was an absolute stormer of a day.
The Lightning is one of the most beautiful airfrafe ever, and the LPG do one hell of a job keeping them running *although one was slightly poorly on the day... Anyone know where they can get hold of a servicable Avon?*

Hmmm.. If you were led across the runway by Andy B I probably saw you as I was chatting to him just before that.

Don't suppose you saw what the Bucc blew across the runway did you Gord? I was over at the Guppy so couldn't quite see.

Apparently they cleared around £5k after costs *mainly fuel and insurance...* so it's not quite enough to finish off the steel work and get the roof on their QRA shed, but they're hoping to still get it done before Christmas to get their babies under cover.

As well as the Insurance issues, they've also got problems with the starting method on the Lightning. Avpin is getting very difficult and expensive to find - it's essentially a liquid explosive used to get the engine up to speed very quickly.

Simon/~Flibster

antc · 24 Jul 2007 at 17:27

great photos ^^Gord^^. bet they were awesome to watch and be close too. Wish i had gone to see them!!

^^Gord^^ · 24 Jul 2007 at 17:40

Flibster said:
Hmmm.. If you were led across the runway by Andy B I probably saw you as I was chatting to him just before that.

Don't suppose you saw what the Bucc blew across the runway did you Gord? I was over at the Guppy so couldn't quite see.

Yes, I was one of people that Andy led over to the far side of the runway.

I just caught the Bucc after coming back from the Vulcan. It was a large plastic pipe covered up by black (bin liner style) plastic. All of which flew rather well!

whitecrook · 24 Jul 2007 at 17:54

I've googled, but why can't these planes fly?

Flibster · 24 Jul 2007 at 19:25

antc said:
great photos ^^Gord^^. bet they were awesome to watch and be close too. Wish i had gone to see them!!

They are fantastically noisy.

There may be an open day in September, that should have the Canberra, Buccaneer, Lightning, Comet, Victor, Hunter and who knows what else running hopefully.

The Vulcan may even make a little appearance.

Usually on costs £10 for the Cold War Jets open day.

^^Gord^^ said:
Yes, I was one of people that Andy led over to the far side of the runway.

I just caught the Bucc after coming back from the Vulcan. It was a large plastic pipe covered up by black (bin liner style) plastic. All of which flew rather well!

Andy's a good chap. Keeps us pretty up to date on whats going on in the world of the LPG. Dropped off a load of cake for them when I arrived. The Stella went to the Vulcan guys.

I did notice the debris and the cheer that went up. Just didnt know what it was.

Was nice to hear that the Comet is all working as well again after the electrics failed half way down the runway in May. Now Denis can get back to his day job with the Vulcan.

whitecrook said:
I've googled, but why can't these planes fly?

To put it basically.

They are considered both Complex grade and dangerous.

The Vulcan will be the first civillian operated Complex grade aircraft in the UK. It could well lead to several other Complex grade irframes being considered, but the Vulcan is the benchmark of what must be achieved before they'll even consider it.

There are, to be fair, a few design issues with the Lightning. The control elements pass between the engines, as do the hydraulic lines.

The AVPIN has been known to cause the Lightning to turn into something more like a bomb. When they fail, it's generally spectacular.

Plus the only 5 airworthy airframes are already either in flight or in the case of one, being returned to flight. Thunder City in South Africa operate 2 T5 two-seaters (XS452 and XS451) and 2 F6 single seaters (XP693 and XR773) - you can buy flights in the 2 seaters or even in their Bucaneer.

There's also a T5 undergoing restoration to flight in America (XS422)

There are a couple that have potential to return to flight, but it would be a lot of work as most of them have either been cut to get them to museums or have been stored outside. Money wise, you'd be looking at around the same amount as the Vulcan has had spent on it. She was in service longer than the Lightnings, the spares were available, the OEM's were willing to help and she was kept hangered in Winter. Lightning's have none of that.

Oh, and it's better than our current fighters.

Simon/~Flibster

*Apologies for the geekyness presented by me here....*

whitecrook · 24 Jul 2007 at 22:06

Flibster said:
<SNIP>
*Apologies for the geekyness presented by me here....*

Thanks for that thought it might be a bit more than a simple google could turn up.

chameleon · 25 Jul 2007 at 16:44

All the above and probably the fact the "Authorities" wouldn't want a supersonic plane they probably couldn't hope to catch in civilian hands...

Flibster · 25 Jul 2007 at 20:27

whitecrook said:
Thanks for that thought it might be a bit more than a simple google could turn up.

It's not a simple matter sadly, what I put was the basic big reasons.

I'm still saving to go to Thunder City to have a go in a T5 - I just want to do the supersonic vertical climb.... wheels up, nose up, arse on fire...

chameleon said:
All the above and probably the fact the "Authorities" wouldn't want a supersonic plane they probably couldn't hope to catch in civilian hands...

See the "better than our current fighters bit"

Scarily though, the Vulcan could out-turn the Lightning at it's operational height. :eek:

Simon/~Flibster

Fr0dders · 25 Jul 2007 at 21:33

ive still got the Airfix kit i made of one of these when i was a kid

still at my parents now actually !

Flibster · 21 Oct 2007 at 13:16

Bit of a bump this, but got word from Andy B @ the LPG about the QRA sheds.

The roof area has been fully painted now with both underboat and shiny top coat ready for the cladding to start going on - this begins on Tuesday.

In a few weeks time the two old girls will be undercover.

Now for the money for the sides and the doors...

Simon/~Flibster

^^Gord^^ · 21 Oct 2007 at 15:13

I'm hoping to get another visit in early next year to see them in the Q sheds. Will be good to see.

On the subject on lightnings, I visited the T5 at Cranfield a few weeks ago....

....unfortunately ATC wouldn't let us get close enough to it whilst it was run down the runway and I had to leave after the 1st run to take care of something that had cropped up.

Greg · 22 Oct 2007 at 08:24

^^Gord^^ said:
I'm hoping to get another visit in early next year to see them in the Q sheds. Will be good to see.

On the subject on lightnings, I visited the T5 at Cranfield a few weeks ago....

....unfortunately ATC wouldn't let us get close enough to it whilst it was run down the runway and I had to leave after the 1st run to take care of something that had cropped up.

Cranfield, in Buckinghamshire near Milton Keynes?! :eek:

I never knew that was there, I live about 5 minutes from Cranfield. Actually, I pass it every day on the way to work! :eek:

Might have to have a looksie!

Love the shots Gord, keep up the good work!

^^Gord^^ · 22 Oct 2007 at 08:46

It is visable from the outside but it will more than likely be under a tarp i'm afraid.