Lightning Interceptor high speed run 24th July 2010

To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the English Electric Lightning going into service, the Lightning Preservation Group (LPG) had an open day on 24th July 2010 at Bruntingthorpe. This was also marking the official opening of the Quick Reaction Alert (QRA) sheds, which are hangers that now house both Lightning F6s, XS904 and XR728. Please see their web site for the official video of the whole day.

The part I like most of all is the high speed run that XS904 made, and this is it. It brought tears to my eyes, and they were rolling down my check. I don't mind admitting it. The power, the noise as the afterburners cut in, it is all awesome stuff. It doesn't come across here because my little £3,000 camera could not capture that sound but I was whooping as it went and I couldn't even hear myself - it was that loud. The sound was shaking me, I could hardly hold the camera steady but I didn't care. For 12 seconds I was caught up in the moment. And what a moment. I wish I could see it fly. I'd be crying my heart out.

Thank you LPG.

Category:

Autos & Vehicles

Tags:

• Lightning
• F6
• English
• Electric
• XS904
• Bruntingthorpe
• taxi
• run
• high
• speed
• afterburners
• reheat
• 24
• July
• 2010

[Calvertfilm]

@perrydononia87 Cool job and something to be proud of as you say.

[perrydononia87]

Awsome machine, My great uncle worked for english electric from leaving school as an elelectrical engineer and was proud to wire up avionics equipment on most of the lightnings built between 1960 and 1988.