Types you’ll see alongside
Hawker Hunter, de Havilland Vampire, English Electric Canberra, Gloster Meteor, Harrier family.
Last verified 2026-07-11 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 16 English Electric Lightning airframes (including cockpit sections and replicas where noted) across 14 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boscombe Down Aviation Collection | Salisbury | South West England | English Electric Lightning cockpit |
| Bournemouth Aviation Museum | Christchurch | South West England | English Electric Lightning F.53 ZF582 – Nose section only |
| Gatwick Aviation Museum | Gatwick | South East England | English Electric Lightning F.53 ZF579 / 53-671 English Electric Lightning F.53 (cockpit) ZF589 |
| IWM Duxford | Cambridge | East of England | English Electric Lightning F.1 XM135 |
| Midland Air Museum | Coventry | Midlands & Lincolnshire | BAC Lightning F.6 English Electric Lightning T.55 |
| Morayvia | Forres | Scotland | English Electric Lightning F1.A XM169 |
| National Museum Of Flight | North Berwick | Scotland | English Electric Lightning |
| Newark Air Museum | Newark | Midlands & Lincolnshire | English Electric Lightning T.5 English Electric Lightning F.6 (cockpit section) |
| Norfolk and Suffolk Aviation Museum | Bungay | East of England | English Electric Lightning F.1 XG329 |
| Royal Air Force Museum London | London | London & Around | — |
| Royal Air Force Museum Midlands | Shifnal | Midlands & Lincolnshire | English Electric Lightning F.1/P.1B XG337 |
| Solway Aviation Museum | Crosby on Eden | Northern England | BAC Lightning F.53 ZF583 |
| Tangmere Military Aviation Museum | Chichester | South East England | English Electric Lightning F.53 ZF578 |
| Yorkshire Air Museum | York | Northern England | English Electric Lightning F.6 XS903 |
Computed from the survey
Collection context
Where the type is thickest
Midlands & Lincolnshire has 3 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 XG329; English Electric Lightning F.1/P.1B; English Electric Lightning F.53; English Electric Lightning F.53 (cockpit); English Electric Lightning F.53 ZF578.
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 | 14 |
| Airframes recorded in this survey | 16 |
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 all 118 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 16 English Electric Lightning airframes in UK collections.
Which museum has the most English Electric Lightning airframes?
Gatwick Aviation Museum has the most in this survey, with 2 recorded airframes.