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Greatest Interceptor to ever grace the skies? LPG Open Day *High Bandwidth*

Posted By: hbxov

Greatest Interceptor to ever grace the skies? LPG Open Day *High Bandwidth* - 07/13/06 12:02 AM

Sorry for the delay,its taking me forever to get through all these shots.Haven't even started the Duxford ones yet.

OK,the Lightning Preservation Group held an open day at Bruntingthorpe airfield near Leicester on the 8th July.My first time at the airfield and my first taste of the English Electric Lightning running.My dad worked on these for a few years during his time in the RAF so was a special day.

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Posted By: hbxov

Re: Greatest Interceptor to ever grace the skies? LPG Open Day *High Bandwidth* - 07/13/06 12:04 AM

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Posted By: hbxov

Re: Greatest Interceptor to ever grace the skies? LPG Open Day *High Bandwidth* - 07/13/06 12:05 AM

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Posted By: hbxov

Re: Greatest Interceptor to ever grace the skies? LPG Open Day *High Bandwidth* - 07/13/06 12:06 AM

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Posted By: hbxov

Re: Greatest Interceptor to ever grace the skies? LPG Open Day *High Bandwidth* - 07/13/06 12:08 AM

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I wasn't quite sure how to edit these last two but thats my 1st attempt.I'll go back and see what I can do different.Any help would be great.

Hope you enjoy!
Duxford pics will be up in a day or two.
Posted By: Bigfoot

Re: Greatest Interceptor to ever grace the skies? LPG Open Day *High Bandwidth* - 07/13/06 12:27 AM

Did you see the Avro Vulcan they keep there? Pretty impressive, the only one that's near flyable condition I think.

BTW taxiing those things around without being able to take off must be a mighty test of willpower...
Posted By: hbxov

Re: Greatest Interceptor to ever grace the skies? LPG Open Day *High Bandwidth* - 07/13/06 12:30 AM

I didnt actually,its stored in the main hanger on the airfield.They still need a load of money to get the Vulcan going.They are planning an end of year test flight from what I've read.Pretty exciting but short lived if they don't find a major sponsor.
Posted By: hbxov

Re: Greatest Interceptor to ever grace the skies? LPG Open Day *High Bandwidth* - 07/13/06 12:34 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by Ajax:

BTW taxiing those things around without being able to take off must be a mighty test of willpower...
haha,i thought the same thing.I was just wishing that the pilot had a knee jerk and all of a sudden the thing went into the air. \:D

If only...

Though,there was another group represented there.Anglo-American group that have a T5, two seat version that they are restoring to flying condition.I hope they have better luck with the FAA than we have here with the CAA.I'm going to have to go to South Africa to get a real glimpse of this machine in action.
Posted By: Top Gun

Re: Greatest Interceptor to ever grace the skies? LPG Open Day *High Bandwidth* - 07/13/06 01:39 AM

must have been fun seeing the older stuff fire up. Is that smoking engine just turing start up speaking of fires ;\)
Posted By: Radooh

Re: Greatest Interceptor to ever grace the skies? LPG Open Day *High Bandwidth* - 07/13/06 03:34 AM

Dude those photos are kick ass man!
Posted By: Arthonon

Re: Greatest Interceptor to ever grace the skies? LPG Open Day *High Bandwidth* - 07/13/06 06:33 AM

Beautiful shots! Great, classic aircraft.
Posted By: Simbo_Sim123

Re: Greatest Interceptor to ever grace the skies? LPG Open Day *High Bandwidth* - 07/13/06 08:01 AM

To see a and hear a Lightning sub-mach streak along the runway at a hight of 150 feet then pull into the vertical disapearing into the blue sky!
To hear the "blue note" of the engine of the Hunter as it flew directly towards and then overhead of the display line!
I was lucky to see the last ever flight of the Buccaneer (a flight of 4 aircraft callsign Blackburn 1 to 4)run in and break over the airfield at RAF Saint Athan before landing and being turned over to the scrap merchant.
These aircraft were at the pinnacle of the cold war era and should be kept flyable as permanent reminder as are the BoB flight.Perhaps a Phantom should be added to that list.
The halcyon days of my youth,sigh!

Simbo Sim_123
Posted By: SGT_Rock

Re: Greatest Interceptor to ever grace the skies? LPG Open Day *High Bandwidth* - 07/13/06 08:23 AM

Great photos...especially 5 and 22. 26 would have been so cool had those mean folks not parked cars right next to the Nimrod!
Posted By: Yojimbo

Re: Greatest Interceptor to ever grace the skies? LPG Open Day *High Bandwidth* - 07/13/06 08:49 AM

very very nice \:\)

#20 is a winner!! \:D

i sat in a lightning cockpit a couple of years back, and they didn't have to worry about me nicking the aircraft, i couldn't move the stick or shift the throttle, put my feet on the peddals cos my legs were too big!

32+33 RAW files?
Posted By: hbxov

Re: Greatest Interceptor to ever grace the skies? LPG Open Day *High Bandwidth* - 07/13/06 08:54 AM

Thanks dudes.

TG,the smoke is from the cartridges that they use in the canberra to start the engines.The first time they did it made me jump!

SGT_Rock,tell me about it,a lot of debris around the place.I might have a go at cloning some of the stuff out.Oh and its a Victor not a Nimrod. ;\) \:D

Bob,they sure are RAW,you want a crack at it?

I was hoping to get a look into the cockpit but there was so many people wanting a sit in it I didn't bother.
Posted By: Yojimbo

Re: Greatest Interceptor to ever grace the skies? LPG Open Day *High Bandwidth* - 07/13/06 09:37 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by SGT_Rock:
Great photos...especially 5 and 22. 26 would have been so cool had those mean folks not parked cars right next to the Nimrod!
did they ;\)

hope u don't mind the edit..
Posted By: hbxov

Re: Greatest Interceptor to ever grace the skies? LPG Open Day *High Bandwidth* - 07/13/06 10:18 AM

Good Job Bob!I don't mind at all.
Posted By: Jedi Master

Re: Greatest Interceptor to ever grace the skies? LPG Open Day *High Bandwidth* - 07/13/06 12:05 PM

All Canberras spew smoke like that when they start their engines. They use chemical cartridges to start them up IIRC and it's a messy deal.
The NASA WB-57s were just here to watch the shuttle launch and they are similar, although with much longer wingspans (sag towards the ground).


The Jedi Master
Posted By: SGT_Rock

Re: Greatest Interceptor to ever grace the skies? LPG Open Day *High Bandwidth* - 07/13/06 01:55 PM

I have GOT to learn how to properly do that in PS...of course I generally cannot be bothered unless the image is special...as this one is! That is a slick piece of editing Bob.

And obviously my eyes need correcting as well....Victor indeed :p
Posted By: Lord Flashheart

Re: Greatest Interceptor to ever grace the skies? LPG Open Day *High Bandwidth* - 07/13/06 02:37 PM

Great pics there...

Re taxiing the beast and having the willpower not to take it for a spin... You do know about the tale of the engineering officer who gave it a bit too much gas while doing ground tests and went flying by accident....

Quote:
I well remember the Wg Cdr Spry version of Wg Cdr Walter Holden's ‘flight’ without canopy or flying equipment when, on testing the engines at the end of the runway at Lyneham, he found himself in full reheat and airborne. Managing to control what must have been a very difficult aircraft to fly in that configuration and after four attempts, he put it down safely with only slight damage to the tail end. The aircraft, XM135, is a Mk1 - the first Lightning to go into service. Its proud record before retirement following its last flight into the Imperial War Museum at Duxford on 24 November 1974 was 1,634 flights.
http://www.caledonianchipmunks.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?t=241

Now a RAF Legend!
Posted By: BUFF

Re: Greatest Interceptor to ever grace the skies? LPG Open Day *High Bandwidth* - 07/13/06 10:07 PM

Nice as always, Andy.
Sad that the RAE's Canberra will be the last UK flying example & of course no Lightnings or Victors either.
Hopefully the Bucc. & Vulcan restoration projects will take-off in more ways than 1 ;\)
Posted By: hbxov

Re: Greatest Interceptor to ever grace the skies? LPG Open Day *High Bandwidth* - 07/13/06 10:57 PM

Thanks Scott.
It is sad seeing these machines in pretty good nick not able to be back where they belong,in the air!But thats the sign of the times I suppose.

Bucc looks very promising,the Vulcan not so much unless they find a sponsor soon.

Lord Flashheart,thanks for the link!What a great story.
Posted By: mailman

Re: Greatest Interceptor to ever grace the skies? LPG Open Day *High Bandwidth* - 07/14/06 01:36 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Yojimbo:
Quote:
Originally posted by SGT_Rock:
Great photos...especially 5 and 22. 26 would have been so cool had those mean folks not parked cars right next to the Nimrod!
did they ;\)

hope u don't mind the edit..
Gee thats a nice rework there Bob! Im gonna have to go home tonight and try this on some of my photos \:\)


Farken hell, there are two of them!?!?!

So where they just doing ground runs? If so, do the have plans to get them in to the air again?

Regards

Mailman
Posted By: hbxov

Re: Greatest Interceptor to ever grace the skies? LPG Open Day *High Bandwidth* - 07/14/06 02:02 PM

Aye there are two of them.I believe they are actually air worthy but the CAA will not allow them to fly in the UK because of their limited range.Something like 40 mins of fuel only on board.So they're restricted to ground runs only.A massive shame really. \:\(
Posted By: mailman

Re: Greatest Interceptor to ever grace the skies? LPG Open Day *High Bandwidth* - 07/14/06 06:47 PM

Didnt the original A models only have 10 minutes fuel when they first entered service?

Anyways, for my 40th birthday I want to go to Thunder City in SA and fly in a Lightning!

Regards

Mailman
Posted By: hbxov

Re: Greatest Interceptor to ever grace the skies? LPG Open Day *High Bandwidth* - 07/14/06 07:27 PM

Not quite sure mate.I'll ask my dad and see what he remembers.

Yeah SA is definitely the place to go for Lightnings!
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