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COAP are joining with Time Line Events (TLE) to give you the opportunity to the former RAF Binbrook, home to the English Electric Lightnings.
Our event will start around lunchtime and feature a full engine run with all lights on..! Plus different cameos and opportunities to photograph the Jet 'clean'.
We will include time to capture the airframe under lights as the daylight fades into night time, and of course no 'time travel' shoot would be complete without period correct re-enactors portraying the period XR724 is currently set too.
Our day will run from 1300hrs and conclude around 1830hrs, thus allowing plenty of time to capture her under the wonderful big Lincolnshire skies. Tickets are limited and on sale from both TLE as well as COAP. We expect this event to be popular and urge you to book early to avoid disappointment.
BBQ & Hot Drinks will also be available on site on the day.
This shoot is the first of two over the weekend of 31st October - November 1st. After the Lightning at Binbrook on Saturday, part II of this RAF Home Team weekend sees us move for a Sunday shoot to the former RAF Coltishall in Norfolk and "The Home of the Jaguar".
Why not make a weekend of it and book both shoots?
A more detailed itinerary will follow closer to the time.
Background Info on XR274
Built as an F.3 and first flown on 10th February 1965, XR724 was retained by BAC and converted to an F.6 before being issued to 11 Squadron in 1967. She also served with 5 Squadron (and in 1979 wore both 11 and 5 Squadron markings as that year's display aircraft) and also the LTF. Finishing her career with 5 Squadron at the end of 1987, she was then flown back to Warton to put into use by BAe for Tornado F.3 radar target duties.
She was withdrawn from use in mid 1990 and then put up for sale in 1991. The Lightning Association successfully bid for her, had her registered as G-BTSY and flown back to her spiritual home of Binbrook on 23rd July 1992. Unfortunately, they then had problems with access to their own aircraft there, including months of being unable to work on her, and soon lost their use of one of the hangars. So while they tried to keep her in taxiable condition, taxi runs were few and far between.
With the airfield then sold off in chunks, and very little left of the concrete areas on which runs were performed, XR724's prospects looked bleak for some time. Briefly allowed into one of the hangars, she soon became hemmed in by stored farm machinery and then had to be moved outside again. Her condition visibly deteriorated with significant corrosion (including holed and delaminating skin panels), flat tyres, and a general air of neglect.
Thankfully 2010/11 saw a renewal of engineering work on the aircraft - this waxed and waned somewhat, but in the last 5 years or so the team have really got going, with planning permission for a temporary hangar granted in 2023 and the aircraft then going undercover.
This has enabled some serious work on the aircraft's systems, and a repaint has also begun. On the 27th April 2024 the news came through that she had performed her first successful starter firing since 2007. April 2024 also saw XR724 roll out of the hangar in its fresh repaint, which looks superb, to say the least, with several photographers snapping the aircraft as the skies fell dark over Binbrook. If you would like to keep up with their progress please feel free to visit their website Lightning Association.
