Thunder & Lightnings

English Electric Lightning - Survivor XS919

F.6 XS919 - Henstridge Airfield (stored), Somerset

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Lightning F.6 XS919 at Wonderland Pleasure Park, 28th February 2000; Damien Burke

First flown on 28th September 1966, XS919 served with 11, 56, and 5 Squadrons, ending her career with 11 Squadron. XS919 has done more travelling than most retired Lightnings! Bought by an enthusiast in Cornwall, XS919 moved to Lower Tremar but by 1994 had moved once more to Torpoint in Devon, where she was reassembled and put on display in a car park. However after a few years of that XS919 was put up for sale and bought in 1999 by the owner of the Wonderland Pleasure Park near the village of Farnsfield in Nottinghamshire. Unfortunately the wings and tail were cut off for transport. If you want to see it, either take your family for a day out, or ring the park to arrange a Lightning-only visit - they're cool about people coming along for a look and won't make you pay for admission if you're just there to see the Lightning. Sadly since my visit in 2000 it seems there was just an initial burst of enthusiasm about restoring her, and she was soon looking a bit sorry for herself, with the owners of the park happy to consider offers to take her off their hands. She was put up on eBay and has since moved to Henstridge, where she remains in open storage.

Information on this page current as of 01/07/2014, last updated by Damien

Find other photos of XS919 on the following sites:

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