RMP2 Posted March 26, 2022 Share Posted March 26, 2022 I like to think I am fairly familiar with Lightnings and their colours, squadron markings etc. But I stumbled across this one this evening which is listed as being a Leconfield aircraft but I dont recall ever having seen the forward fuselage or tail insignia before. Or is it just a Coltishall serious zapping? Can anyone enlighten me or point me towards more of such? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KingTiger435 Posted March 26, 2022 Share Posted March 26, 2022 (not sure if this is completely relevant) looking at this source it says XM145 it was part of the TFF (Target Facilities Flight), along with XM135 which also had those markings, not sure if it's relevant though sorry. A bit of background info 4 lightnings were used, 3 at a time, XM135, XM139, XM145, 139 was having wing tanks relined in 1969 and was replaced by XM174, which crashed within 10 days (pilot ejected and survived) source: https://www.40thcosford.org.uk/leuchars_page2.html 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bentwaters81tfw Posted March 26, 2022 Share Posted March 26, 2022 Somewhere I have a Modeldecal sheet covering the TFF Lightnings. I just can't lay my hands on it at present. Various strange markings, and that Leconfield example is one of them. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wez Posted March 27, 2022 Share Posted March 27, 2022 I believe those are the markings of the Leuchars TFF, Binbrook's TFF used markings similar (but not exactly the same as), the LTF markings. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Swindell Posted March 27, 2022 Share Posted March 27, 2022 9 hours ago, bentwaters81tfw said: Somewhere I have a Modeldecal sheet covering the TFF Lightnings. I just can't lay my hands on it at present. Various strange markings, and that Leconfield example is one of them. 2 hours ago, Wez said: I believe those are the markings of the Leuchars TFF, Binbrook's TFF used markings similar (but not exactly the same as), the LTF markings. Modeldecal sheet 78 has this scheme for XM139 of the Leuchars TFF https://www.scalemates.com/kits/modeldecal-78-royal-air-force-ee-bac-lightning-f-mks-1-1a-3-t4-t5-1961-74-hs-bae-harrier-gr3-3-4-sqns--158099 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMP2 Posted March 27, 2022 Author Share Posted March 27, 2022 Brilliant, thank you all. Youve even covered decals before I asked! Perfect! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Duncan B Posted March 27, 2022 Share Posted March 27, 2022 As an aside I served in the RAF with the son of the pilot who "parked" XM174 in Balmullo Quarry although I didn't find that out until a long time afterwards (his Dad was a Shackleton pilot by the time we were in the RAF). I have never seen any photos of XM174 from it's very brief time with Leuchars TFF and would really like to know if it had been painted up with the LeuTTF markings before it crashed. Duncan B Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ClaudioN Posted March 27, 2022 Share Posted March 27, 2022 13 hours ago, Wez said: I believe those are the markings of the Leuchars TFF, Binbrook's TFF used markings similar (but not exactly the same as), the LTF markings. IIRC, the yellow/red Leuchars TFF markings are the lion emblem of Scotland. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John B (Sc) Posted March 27, 2022 Share Posted March 27, 2022 (edited) It is indeed a Lightning F Mk1 aircraft from the Leuchars TFF, and Claudio is correct, that is the lion rampant of Scotland on the yellow background. Not sure about XM174, Duncan, don't think I've ever seen a photo of it in the TFF markings. Thank you KIngTiger435, those pictures bring back memories of happy times. Edited March 27, 2022 by John B (Sc) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Duncan B Posted March 28, 2022 Share Posted March 28, 2022 11 hours ago, John B (Sc) said: It is indeed a Lightning F Mk1 aircraft from the Leuchars TFF, and Claudio is correct, that is the lion rampant of Scotland on the yellow background. Not sure about XM174, Duncan, don't think I've ever seen a photo of it in the TFF markings. Thank you KIngTiger435, those pictures bring back memories of happy times. I suspect it was probably not photographed in the 10 days it was on the Flight. It went into the quarry nose first on fire so there probably wasn't very much of it left to photograph afterwards either. Duncan B 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John B (Sc) Posted March 29, 2022 Share Posted March 29, 2022 (edited) i bet there wasn't, Duncan ! Quite a common failure in the Lightning, fire in that very tightly packed fuselage. Not a good idea to hang around after a fire warning, ex-Lightning pilots have told me. Edited March 29, 2022 by John B (Sc) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tweeky Posted March 31, 2022 Share Posted March 31, 2022 Quote fire in that very tightly packed fuselage Only had fire extingushers in the engine bays, nothing in the inter and Reheat bays..... would never be designed in this way today. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keefr22 Posted March 31, 2022 Share Posted March 31, 2022 On 27/03/2022 at 11:03, RMP2 said: Youve even covered decals I think the same markings for XM144 are available in both 1/48 and 1/72 on the Model alliance 'Early Bird Lightnings' sheets, both of which are currently on special offer in Hannants; https://www.hannants.co.uk/product/ML48134?result-token=x28Td https://www.hannants.co.uk/product/ML72134?result-token=x28Td Keith 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMP2 Posted March 31, 2022 Author Share Posted March 31, 2022 50 minutes ago, keefr22 said: I think the same markings for XM144 are available in both 1/48 and 1/72 on the Model alliance 'Early Bird Lightnings' sheets, both of which are currently on special offer in Hannants; https://www.hannants.co.uk/product/ML48134?result-token=x28Td https://www.hannants.co.uk/product/ML72134?result-token=x28Td Keith Top heads up, cheers for that 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Duncan B Posted April 1, 2022 Share Posted April 1, 2022 On 3/29/2022 at 12:08 PM, John B (Sc) said: i bet there wasn't, Duncan ! Quite a common failure in the Lightning, fire in that very tightly packed fuselage. Not a good idea to hang around after a fire warning, ex-Lightning pilots have told me. He was lucky to walk away from it as he was very low when he banged out and actually landed very close to the burning remains. It was his second ejection, he had also banged out of Javelin when on 60 Sqn and probably the reason he ended up flying Shacks (no more give in his spine for any more ejections). 12 hours ago, tweeky said: Only had fire extingushers in the engine bays, nothing in the inter and Reheat bays..... would never be designed in this way today. Indeed, it was a jet pipe fire that burnt through the elevator controls. Unfortunately quite a common occurrence in the Lightnings, particularly in the early days. Duncan B Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Meatbox8 Posted April 3, 2022 Share Posted April 3, 2022 I read somewhere that the Lightning TFF at Leuchers was known as The Scottish Air Force. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theplasticsurgeon Posted April 3, 2022 Share Posted April 3, 2022 1 hour ago, Meatbox8 said: I read somewhere that the Lightning TFF at Leuchers was known as The Scottish Air Force. Indeed, and printed as such on the XtraDecal X011-72 used on this model Hadn't seen them with a yellow background though. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Duncan B Posted April 7, 2022 Share Posted April 7, 2022 On 4/3/2022 at 4:59 PM, theplasticsurgeon said: Indeed, and printed as such on the XtraDecal X011-72 used on this model Hadn't seen them with a yellow background though. The yellow lion rampant side bars and tail badge seen in the original post were the standard ones used by the Flight. The markings on the Xtradecal sheet for XS895 were a one off scheme to commemorate the disbanding of the Flight. XS895 only wore those markings for a very short time, basically for the photoshoot and was then sent off to be prepared for being passed on to Binbrook. Duncan B 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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