Types you’ll see alongside
Gloster Meteor, Hawker Hunter, English Electric Canberra, SEPECAT Jaguar, Harrier family.
Last verified 2026-10-11 against the gazetteer Compendium. Airframes move — confirm on museum pages before travel.
On charge
Where to see the English Electric Lightning in the UK
The gazetteer records 30 English Electric Lightning airframes (including cockpit sections and replicas where noted) across 25 UK collections, in 7 regions: London & Around, East of England, South East England, South West England, Midlands & Lincolnshire, Northern England, Scotland.
| Museum | City | Region | Airframes recorded |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bentwaters Cold War MuseumChecked 2026-10-08 | Woodbridge | East of England | English Electric Lightning F.53 ZF581 |
| Boscombe Down Aviation CollectionChecked 2026-10-08 | Salisbury | South West England | English Electric P.1A WG763 English Electric Lightning F.2A nose section XN726 Cockpit or section |
| Bournemouth Aviation MuseumChecked 2026-10-08 | Christchurch | South West England | English Electric Lightning F.53 nose section ZF582 Cockpit or section |
| City of Norwich Aviation MuseumChecked 2026-10-08 | Norwich | East of England | English Electric Lightning F.53 ZF592 |
| East Midlands AeroparkChecked 2026-10-08 | Derby | Midlands & Lincolnshire | BAC Lightning F.53 ZF588 |
| Farnborough Air Sciences Trust MuseumChecked 2026-10-08 | Farnborough | South East England | English Electric Lightning T.5 XS420 |
| Gatwick Aviation MuseumChecked 2026-10-08 | Gatwick | South East England | English Electric Lightning F.53 ZF579 English Electric Lightning F.53 cockpit section ZF589 Cockpit or section |
| IWM DuxfordChecked 2026-10-08 | Cambridge | East of England | English Electric Lightning F.1 XM135 |
| Midland Air MuseumChecked 2026-10-08 | Coventry | Midlands & Lincolnshire | BAC Lightning F.6 XR771 English Electric Lightning T.55 55-713 |
| MorayviaChecked 2026-10-08 | Forres | Scotland | English Electric Lightning F.1A cockpit section XM169 Cockpit or section |
| National Museum Of FlightChecked 2026-10-08 | North Berwick | Scotland | English Electric Lightning F.2A XN776 |
| Newark Air MuseumChecked 2026-10-08 | Newark | Midlands & Lincolnshire | English Electric Lightning T.5 XS417 |
| Norfolk and Suffolk Aviation MuseumChecked 2026-10-08 | Bungay | East of England | English Electric Lightning F.1 (DB) XG329 English Electric Lightning F.3 nose section XP743 Cockpit or section |
| North East Land, Sea and Air MuseumsChecked 2026-10-08 | Sunderland | Northern England | English Electric Lightning F.53 ZF594 |
| RAF Air Defence Radar MuseumChecked 2026-10-08 | Norwich | East of England | English Electric Lightning F.2A nose section XN795 Cockpit or section |
| RAF Coltishall Heritage CentreChecked 2026-10-08 | Norwich | East of England | English Electric Lightning T.5 cockpit section XS421 Cockpit or section |
| RAF Manston History MuseumChecked 2026-10-08 | Ramsgate | South East England | English Electric Lightning F.6 XR770 English Electric P.1B XA847 |
| Robertsbridge Aviation SocietyChecked 2026-10-08 | Robertsbridge | South East England | English Electric Lightning F.3 nose XP701 Cockpit or section |
| Royal Air Force Museum LondonChecked 2026-10-08 | London | London & Around | English Electric Lightning F.6 XS925 |
| Royal Air Force Museum MidlandsChecked 2026-10-08 | Shifnal | Midlands & Lincolnshire | English Electric Lightning F.1/P.1B XG337 |
| Solway Aviation MuseumChecked 2026-10-08 | Crosby on Eden | Northern England | English Electric Lightning F.53 ZF583 |
| South Yorkshire Aircraft MuseumChecked 2026-10-08 | Doncaster | Northern England | English Electric Lightning F.3 XP706 |
| Tangmere Military Aviation MuseumChecked 2026-10-08 | Chichester | South East England | English Electric Lightning F.53 ZF578 |
| Thorpe Camp Visitor CentreChecked 2026-10-08 | Lincoln | Midlands & Lincolnshire | English Electric Lightning F.1A XM192 |
| Yorkshire Air MuseumChecked 2026-10-08 | York | Northern England | English Electric Lightning F.6 XS903 |
3D model
The Lightning F.6 in 3D
A procedural model built in Blender from the type’s published dimensions, painted as XS903 'A' of No. 5 Squadron in 1968. Drag to orbit, scroll or pinch to zoom · all 215 models · download .glb (1.0 MB) · Plate 162 in The Hangar
Computed from the survey
Collection context
Where the type is thickest
East of England has 6 collections recording the type.
Marks and variants recorded
BAC Lightning F.53; BAC Lightning F.6; English Electric Lightning F.1; English Electric Lightning F.1 (DB); English Electric Lightning F.1/P.1B; English Electric Lightning F.1A; English Electric Lightning F.1A cockpit section; English Electric Lightning F.2A.
Why it matters
The short story
Two Avons stacked one above the other, wings swept sixty degrees, and a rate of climb that let it intercept Concorde and, once, out-climb a U-2. The last all-British supersonic fighter drank fuel like a bet and made every pilot who flew it insufferable at parties for life. Fourteen museums hold one; at the Lightning preservation groups, they still do full-power runs that rearrange your internal organs.
Type notes
The English Electric Lightning in brief
| Type | English Electric Lightning (F.1A–F.6) |
|---|---|
| UK museums holding one | 25 |
| Airframes recorded in this survey | 30 |
Serials are the gazetteer's survey snapshot of what each collection records on charge — restorations move between workshops and reserve hangars, so check the museum page for opening times and current display status before travelling. Every type across 119 museums is indexed in the Compendium.
Aircraft questions
Frequently asked
How many English Electric Lightning airframes are left in the UK?
The Aviation Gazetteer records 30 English Electric Lightning airframes in UK collections.
Which museum has the most English Electric Lightning airframes?
Boscombe Down Aviation Collection has the most in this survey, with 2 recorded airframes.