Prometheus Bound - The A1 Lightning Will Rise Again!

[Bertie McBoatface]

Waaay back in the 1980's a scrapped English Electric Lightning was bought as an attention getter for a scrap dealer/lorry park/advertising location (?) close to the A1 Great North Road near Grantham (The A1 was a kind of early British motorway which connects London with the North and still carries a lot of traffic). It had been chopped up, wings and tail cut off but the new owner splinted it back together with blooming great steel fishplates. This crude method wasn't strong enough to allow the main undercarriage to take the weight, as the legs were outboard of the weak joints. Accordingly, a framework was fabricated to hold it all up from under the belly. It was a good plan but not well executed and with each stormy night, the sharp edges of the cradle cut into the soft aluminium alloys of the Lightning's belly, rather as the eagles tore into Prometheus' liver (Look him up in Greek Myths if you have the time and curiosity). Slowly, the Lightning sank back onto its haunches and pointed its nose at the sky as if trying to rise once again into its natural element, a process greatly accelerated by the removal of the nose radar.

 

Well, it sat there for years, fading and rotting away (much like your author - lol). The souvenir vultures arrived and pinched anything that they could remove, and the scribblers vomited their graffiti all over the airframe. 

 

By the nineties it looked like this...

 

 

Eventually, it dropped from sight and fell to bits and I thought that was the end of it. But to my amazement, I discovered while researching this little essay last night, someone is actually restoring the nose/cockpit section of it right now. Here's a link to their website where you'll find much more of the story:  https://www.key.aero/forum/historic-aviation/144402-the-ongoing-restoration-of-the-a1-lightning-xn728

 

And here's my version using the Airfix 1:48 kit.

 

 

I intended to build a scrapyard diorama but then I always INTEND to build a diorama, and seldom do. 

 

 

Some things went well; I think I was close to nailing the faded, chalky look of the paintwork. Some things were rushed and unsatisfactory; the chipping, for example, and the improvised interior details seen through the purloined panels. But, I still like it, and I'll concentrate on the bits I am proud of and leave you to suggest things that I could have done to improve it. Note that it's not a faithful replica of the original but rather 'based on real events' as Hollywood would put it.

 

 

Disembowled!

 

 

Robbed blind!

 

 

Pinioned to the ground!

 

 

And pinioned as in wings clipped too!

 

 

Weathering and oil staining was fun.

 

 

 

 

The original might have risen but my version was determined to fall on its nose. I had to pack the jetpipes with lead to deliberately make it a tail sitter. That was a first!

 

 

 

"So where's the graffiti then?" I hear you asking, "Was it too difficult for you?"

 

Yes, it was way too difficult. This model made me sadder with every detail I added, and when it came to scribbling all over it as well, I just couldn't bring myself to do it. Fancy me getting emotional over a few tons of scrap metal; I must be getting soft.

 

Well I how you like it and all comments, + and  -, are welcome.

 

 

[europapete]

That is a really unique and well thought out bit of local history. I don't recall seeing it in person, as I moved to the USA in 84, but what a neat idea. Well done. Regards, Pete in RI

[Herrick]

I remember passing that when I used to go ‘up north’. The first time I saw it it looked great, in all its aluminum glory. ( Ok, it’s probably not aluminum, but the color is).

I didn’t know it was held together with lumps of steel, but I do remember it decaying into the graffitied pile of junk shown in your picture.

Great to hear it’s being restored! 
And what a wonderful way to celebrate it! That’s a great idea, love it!

[franky boy]

Poor old girl. Great to hear she’s being restored though. 
 

James 

[Bertie McBoatface]

59 minutes ago, europapete said:

That is a really unique and well thought out bit of local history. I don't recall seeing it in person, as I moved to the USA in 84, but what a neat idea. Well done. Regards, Pete in RI

 

Thanks Pete. I enjoyed writing the little history on this, my first RFI. It's been ages since I did any creative scribing, certainly long enough for my typing to have gone to pot!

 

8 minutes ago, Herrick said:

I remember passing that when I used to go ‘up north’. The first time I saw it it looked great, in all its aluminum glory.

 

That's interesting as I 'remembered' it as natural metal too despite it being green on top as an ex-RAFG bird. Now I wonder if I ever actually saw it or did someone tell me about it.. Oh well, at least it was aluminium underneath.

 

6 minutes ago, franky boy said:

Poor old girl. Great to hear she’s being restored though. 
 

James 

 

I was astonished that there was enough left to restore. It's one of those 'jack up the windscreen wiper and slide a new airframe underneath' jobs. (Not that Lightnings had wipers of course.)

 

 

[SAT69]

I'm impressed with your work. Definitely not the usual model but your build is a convincing replication of the real thing.

[Bertie McBoatface]

1 hour ago, SAT69 said:

I'm impressed with your work. Definitely not the usual model but your build is a convincing replication of the real thing.

 

Thank you for that. 'Definitely not the usual' is something I aim for every time. I'm not like other girls...

 

 

[TEXANTOMCAT]

Lovely work thanks for sharing!

 

 

TT

[Pete in Lincs]

It's not often you see a model like that! Well done, it looks great.

[Mr T]

I remember going past it on various trips in the eighties and nineties

 First time I saw it it was still in its RAFG Dark Green upper surfaces and then over the years it disintegrated. 

Not wishing to hijack the thread can any remember a Lightning in an amusement/theme park on the A614 near the turn off for Halam and Southwell? 

[Bertie McBoatface]

24 minutes ago, Pete in Lincs said:

It's not often you see a model like that! Well done, it looks great.

 

Thank you. I really wish I'd done the diorama now it's in the public domain. 

3 minutes ago, Mr T said:

I remember going past it on various trips in the eighties and nineties

 First time I saw it it was still in its RAFG Dark Green upper surfaces and then over the years it disintegrated. 

Not wishing to hijack the thread can any remember a Lightning in an amusement/theme park on the A614 near the turn off for Halam and Southwell? 

 

Don't worry about hijacking - take the conversation wherever it needs to go. 

 

Jeremy Clarkson apparently has a Lightning in his garden. Beats those damned gnomes eh?

[kapam]

That's a very unique depiction of a GE Lightning and beautifully done too!

[Bertie McBoatface]

48 minutes ago, kapam said:

That's a very unique depiction of a GE Lightning and beautifully done too!

Thank you Australia!

[Giampiero Piva]

Veri nice work ! Well done and unusual. Bravo !

[klubman01]

Saw the real thing on many, many occasions. Glad to hear that it is to be restored - quite an epic venture, I think.

Great model BTW.  Bravo.

Trevor

[Bertie McBoatface]

10 hours ago, Giampiero Piva said:

Veri nice work ! Well done and unusual. Bravo !

 

Thank you Giampierio. I'm glad you liked it.

 

 

8 hours ago, klubman01 said:

Saw the real thing on many, many occasions. Glad to hear that it is to be restored - quite an epic venture, I think.

Great model BTW.  Bravo.

Trevor

 

You know, after deep thought, I don't think I ever saw it in person. I believe I've looked at it online so many times that I've confused myself. I suddenly realised that I have no idea which side of the road it was on and if I had seen it, I'd know!

 

Thanks for the compliment, Trevor.

 

 

 

 

BY THE WAY, FRIENDS: I've just posted another RFI down in the Figure Modeller's Basement. I don't know if anyone ever goes down there so I going to shamelessly self-advertise here. The models are rubbish but there is a joke or two...

 

https://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/235096792-the-lords-of-hell-age-of-sigmar/

 

[klubman01]

It was on the left as you drove south, roughly midway between Newark and Grantham.

Trevor

[Bertie McBoatface]

3 minutes ago, klubman01 said:

It was on the left as you drove south, roughly midway between Newark and Grantham.

Trevor

 

That confirms it. In my imagination it was on the right. I was probably mixing it up with Wittering's gate guardian or something. 

[Graham T]

I drove past her many, many, many times.  Poor thing but great that someone is taking care of her.

 

[Lord Riot]

Great looking replica, and brilliant to hear at least part of her is being restored.

[bigbadbadge]

This looks marvellous,  what a great idea to model this poor old girl . Good to hear it's bring restored.  The modelling of the sport frame biting into the fuselage is astonishing. 

Great work on this

Chris

[spruecutter96]

I remember seeing this as I headed up the A1, probably during my early days of travelling to the IPMS Brampton St.Ives model-show. The last year I saw it, I seem to remember that most of the fuselage-panels had been half-inched (possibly my memory playing tricks with me, though - it was a long time ago).

 

Thanks for sharing with us. 

 

Chris.  

[spruecutter96]

2 hours ago, klubman01 said:

It was on the left as you drove south, roughly midway between Newark and Grantham.

I think there must have been two Lightnings sitting in the open near the A1. The one I used to see was maybe 20 minutes drive north of the Black Cat roundabout. That's a distance away from either of these towns. 

 

Chris. 

[Bertie McBoatface]

11 minutes ago, spruecutter96 said:

I think there must have been two Lightnings sitting in the open near the A1. The one I used to see was maybe 20 minutes drive north of the Black Cat roundabout. That's a distance away from either of these towns. 

 

Chris. 

 

RAF Wittering is north of the Black Cat on the left heading north.

RAF/USAF Alconbury is on the right just before that.

[Bertie McBoatface]

2 hours ago, Graham T said:

I drove past her many, many, many times.  Poor thing but great that someone is taking care of her.

 

 

Indeed. Presumably not to flying condition but museum standard is good too.

 

53 minutes ago, Lord Riot said:

Great looking replica, and brilliant to hear at least part of her is being restored.

 

Thanks mi'Lord

 

25 minutes ago, bigbadbadge said:

This looks marvellous,  what a great idea to model this poor old girl . Good to hear it's bring restored.  The modelling of the sport frame biting into the fuselage is astonishing. 

Great work on this

Chris

 

Thanks. It was really quite easy. I ground and scraped the plastic down until I could see a strong light through it and then ripped it open with a small screwdriver. Instant battle damage!

 

17 minutes ago, spruecutter96 said:

I remember seeing this as I headed up the A1, probably during my early days of travelling to the IPMS Brampton St.Ives model-show. The last year I saw it, I seem to remember that most of the fuselage-panels had been half-inched (possibly my memory playing tricks with me, though - it was a long time ago).

 

Thanks for sharing with us. 

 

Chris.  

 

That's two things we can all agree on; it was a long time ago and our memories are ... ... ... what was I saying?