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Fighter jet on display after 'exciting' restoration

BBC Four men wearing hi-vis vests guide a sleek, silver Lightning fighter jet out of a hangar at former RAF Binbrook in LincolnshireBBC
A team of volunteers has been restoring the Cold War interceptor

A historic fighter jet will go on display at a Lincolnshire airfield for the first time in almost two decades.

Enthusiasts have spent years restoring Lightning jet XR724, which spent most of its flying career at RAF Binbrook.

Josh Mortimer, of the Lightning Association, said visitors to the base, at Brookenby, would have a chance to see how the plane had been recovered thanks to "the fantastic efforts" of the group.

The open day will be staged on 24 August, from 11:00 to 16:00 BST.

It will be the first time members of the public will be able to see the restored jet "up close and personal".

"It still gives me a cold shiver when I drive up Binbrook Hill, because I was a young airman in the 80s and coming back... is really special for me," Mr Mortimer said.

"Working on the aircraft is unbelievably exciting."

A man, with grey hair and a beard, sits in the cockpit of the Lightning jet. He is wearing a hi-vis jacket and a baseball cap with sunglasses. There is flying equipment behind him.
Josh Mortimer enjoys the view from the cockpit

The supersonic English Electric Lightning was designed to intercept Soviet bombers and served as a mainstay of the RAF during the Cold War.

Jet XR724 first flew on 10 February 1965 and spent almost all of its operational career at Binbrook, before being retired in 1991.

Enthusiasts kept the jet's engines running and systems "live" until 2007.

Serious restoration work began in December 2020. Led by chairman Charles Ross, the Lightning Association raised money to build a new shelter for the plane, which was completed in June 2023.

Three months ago, the jet’s number one engine was run for the first time in 17 years.

Several people, men and women, wearing hi-vis vests and camouflage clothing, carry out maintenance work on the Lightning jet. The plane is outside on a tarmacked runway area.
A large group of volunteers have been working on the "exciting" restoration

Phil Wallis, a retired flight engineer who volunteers with the group, said: “A lot of people tend to mistake faded paint for an aircraft rotting away, but in actual fact, the structural integrity of the aircraft was still there."

The association has held a number of private reunions for former personnel of RAF No 5 and No 11 squadrons, which flew Lightnings from Binbrook.

Now, they will be showcasing their hard work to a wider audience. Tickets for the open day should be booked in advance via the Lightning Association's Facebook page.

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