News / redfield
Historic fighter jet continues to fly in self-storage
A self-storage facility is the permanent home to an impressive aviation installation.
Vanguard Self-Storage has suspended a English Electric Lightning XP745 (EEL) from the ceiling since 2019.
The founding director, ex-military Mac McCullough, acquired the plane for £1,500 after it was put up for disposal in November 1992.
is needed now More than ever
The EEL is the only fighter jet capable of Mach 2, twice the speed of sound. An interceptor, defensive plane, it has a speed and climb of extraordinary rates. It operated in the RAF, the Kuwait Air Force and the Saudi Air Force from the 60s to 80s.
Quintessential of British design, the fighter jet was powerful but limited in range by fuel capacity, and flew for the final time in 1976, retiring to gate guard duties at Boulmer.
The glass fronted atrium creates a well-lit space for the jet’s display
After Vanguard bought the plane, it was dissembled and stored in west London for 20 years. During this time, the company hoped to find a space that would do the classic piece justice.
In 2016, a purpose-built atrium was constructed at the storage facility on Church Road in Redfield, so the plane could venture on its final flight in the very city where its engines were built.
The plane remained in good condition, and with the help of lightning experts Dave Blisset and Max Waldron, a complete restoration began of the airframe. The process included degreasing the skins and application of livery and squadron markings.
XP745 arrived rejuvenated in Bristol in March 2019 taking five days to reassemble.
The plane now statically flies over the area of the storage facility, with all customers greeted by the remarkable display.
A viewing platform was built to see the plane from a height
The red and white checked tail, which are its 56 Squadron markings, gleam in the well-lit space.
The Redfield team, who have worked under the plane for three years, enjoy conversations with the public about the historic structure.
Anil Kellay, a Bristol branch staff member, feels the plane “gives people a bigger picture of what the company is about”.
For more information about the jet, visit www.vanguardstorage.co.uk/news/a-history-of-the-lightning-xp745
All photos: Olivia Loughran
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