FlyPast – August 2018

58 FLYPAST August 2018

FROM THE WORKSHOP ENGLISH ELECTRIC LIGHTNING

I decided to give the nose section
a ‘split personality’ to display the
colours of both the aircraft’s RAF
Germany squadrons. I wanted
to retain Jim’s name on the 92
Squadron green finish, so it would
have to be the starboard side that
was stripped to give the earlier
bare metal finish of XN726’s time
with 19 Squadron.
This was not ideal as the
starboard side had been the
target for the shrapnel tests

and had suffered more damage,

which would be more apparent

in the absence of paint. Another

challenge was to remove the yellow

zinc chromate and etching primer

beneath the camouflage without

damaging the metal surface.

I held ‘Plan B’ in reserve, which

was to spray with silver paint;

although I feel this seldom

looks convincing.

Having stripped most of the

paint I had to resort to fine grades

of wet and dry paper to remove

the more resistant areas, following

which I buffed the surface using

polishing compound and mops

driven by an electric drill. All in all

it was a long and tedious process,

but definitely worth it.

I resprayed the red, white

and blue roundel using ‘rattle

cans’ mixed to the correct paint

specifications, together with the

blue and white chequers of 19

Squadron. Fortunately these large

markings covered the major areas

of damage.

Exposed areas of filler were

covered with patches of self-

adhesive aluminium foil, or

‘speed tape’ – not perfect, but the

damage is, after all, a reminder

of the airframe’s research career.

This is pertinent to XN726 fitting

the BDAC collection philosophy.

Unfortunately I couldn’t retain

the original paintwork on the

port side due to skin damage

and because the dark green

paint, which I believe was infra-

red reflective, had oxidised to

a brown shade and could not

be satisfactorily restored to its

original hue.

I decided to repaint using acrylic

weather-resistant paint colour-

matched to a surplus F.2A rear

fuselage panel, having used T-Cut

colour restorer and gloss varnish

to bring up the original shade.

“The guest of honour was Jim Wild. With regret, he had piloted XN726 to the

Royal Aircraft Establishment at Farnborough, Hampshire, on her fi nal fl ight

on April 4, 1977”

Lightning F.2 and F.2A survivors

The F.2A ‘type specimen’ – the most complete – is XN776 at the National

Museum of Flight Scotland at East Fortune, near Edinburgh. Even this Lightning

is missing some cockpit items, and sports incorrect colours.

Two more airframes exist in Germany: XN730 at Gatow and XN782 at

Hermeskeil, together with XN784 at Baarlo in the Netherlands, all kept outside.

The front fuselage sections extant in the UK are XN726, XN728 and XN795,

while XN769, the sole surviving F.2 cockpit section, is at the Malta

Aviation Museum.

Former 19 Squadron pilots (left) and 92

Squadron pilots (right), with the author in

the middle. RICHARD CROSSLEY

The air speed indicator and

Machmeter panel reassembled after

refurbishment, together with an

original smashed Machmeter.