As reported on social media, 53-672, a former Saudi air force English Electric Lightning F.53, formerly part of the Cornwall Aviation Heritage Centre recently made the 9-hour journey north from Newquay in Cornwall to Binbrook, Lincolnshire on the 1st of February, 2025.
With the assistance of the author and former Lightning pilot Ian Black, a Lincolnshire-based charity, His Church, have acquired and transported the former Saudi jet to its new home. His Church own a large part of Binbrook, the former Royal Air Force Station in the Lincolnshire countryside that was once the “spiritual home” of the Lightning type.
Built by English Electric at Samlesbury in Autumn of 1967, 53-672 was delivered to Saudi Arabia a year later in November 1968. Eighteen years later as part of the contract to supply the Saudi Air Force with Tornado jets, 672 was bought back, flying back to the UK with almost 2305 hours on the airframe. Eventually it was put on display as a gate guard outside its birthplace at at BAE Samlesbury in 1990, where it remained for 23 years. In 2013, 53-672 was dismantled due to corrosion, eventually being used to create molds to create fiberglass replicas, after which ownership passed to the now defunct Cornwall Aviation Heritage Centre – Newquay Airport, the former RAF Station St Mawgan. For more information on this particular aircraft, visit Thunder and Lightnings website page for this airframe.
During the recent dismantling, it was discovered that 53-672 had had her wings cut off and reattached in the past. Speaking to Vintage Aviation News, Cormac Taylor from His Church said, “We’re looking to put it back together in a much more stable way, and also making sure that everything is sealed and painted correctly with modern day paint to help preserve it.” Asked what the future held for 53-672, Cormac said “It’s going to be a gate guard for Binbrook. This is somewhat of a spiritual home for Lightning. So it kind of fits to have one out there for people to come in and see.”
53-672 is the fourth Lightning in the charity’s care, also onsite are 2 two-seat T.5s, XS416 and XS459, and Ian Black’s F.6 XP693.
