Thunder & Lightnings

English Electric Canberra - Survivor WK122

TT.18 WK122 - Lakes Lightnings, Spark Bridge, Cumbria

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Canberra TT.18 WK122 at Bruntingthorpe, 4th January 2003; Damien Burke

Built as a B.2 in 1954, WK122 first served with 15 Sqd at RAF Coningsby. She was later converted to a TT.18 and transferred to the A&AEE for radio proving trials in April 1968. In September 1968 she was sent to 15 Maintenance Unit, RAF Wroughton (for overhaul?), and from there transferred for service with 7 Sqd at RAF St Mawgan in her TT.18 role - initially in a light grey scheme with black/yellow striped undersides, and later with dark green/grey topsides.

WK122 was sold to BAC in 1981 for possible export, and languished with them for a few years before being bought by the Flambards Theme Park. She was taken by road to Flambards in Cornwall in May 1988. With the gradual decline of the aircraft collection there, WK122 was disposed of around 2000 and sadly reduced to just a nose section with Phoenix Aviation at Bruntingthorpe. Neville and co. put a lot of work into restoring her and she was regularly opened up for visitors at the Bruntingthorpe open days. She changed hands again in 2004, moving to a private owner in Hertfordshire, then again in 2011 (to Wesham in Lancashire) before ending up with her current owners - Lakes Lightnings - at Spark Bridge in April 2012.

Information on this page current as of 12/08/2021, last updated by Jake

Find other photos of WK122 on the following sites:

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