August 2018 FLYPAST 59A satin finish was chosen to be
more weatherproof than matt,
and the roundel and nose bars
were masked off so they could be
reinstated in their exact positions
later. In retrospect, acrylic paint
was probably not the best choice
as it’s quite soft and marks easily.
For the final touches Tangmere
volunteer Pete Mackean kindly
designed and supplied vinyl
spray-through stencils at no
cost. He also had some vinyl
AFDS markings made up which
can be tacked on for the
benefit of museum
visitors from that
era, such as
pilot Roly
Jackson
who lives
nearby.Memory lane
The cockpit is now internally
complete with working lighting,
courtesy of electronics guru
Al Stepney, another Tangmere
volunteer. To mark the occasion
and to commemorate 40 years
since the withdrawal of the F.2A
from service, a number of former
F.2 and F.2A pilots were invited
to BDAC last year for a trip down
memory lane, together with
friends and volunteers who had
contributed to the project.
The guest of honour was Jim
Wild. With regret, he had piloted
XN726 to the Royal Aircraft
Establishment at Farnborough,
Hampshire, on her final flight on
April 4, 1977, having hoped she
might have been employed as a
chase aircraft at Warton, given
her relatively low airframe hours- 2,222. Alas, it was not to be, and
ballistics tests in Essex beckoned.
The aircraft’s front fuselage
represents a small tribute to the
RAF Germany Lightning force
who ‘held the line’ in the Cold War.
Work is continuing on the cockpit
section as there’s corrosion in
the air intake ducting. Wing root
leading edges are to be added
and the rear needs tidying up.
Hopefully it won’t take another
18 years!
Above
The cockpit interior on arrival in 2000
and after restoration.
Right
Former 92 Squadron pilot Sqn Ldr Jim
Wild reunited with ‘his’ Lightning
cockpit. TONY PAXTON
Former XN726 pilot Sqn Ldr Jim Wild
prepares an inert Firestreak missile for
painting.