XT864 “007”

XT864 first flew in April 1968 and was delivered to the Royal Navy later that year. It served with 700(P) Squadron, 767 Squadron and 892 Naval Air Squadron, the Phantom unit embarked in HMS Ark Royal.

When the Navy gave up its Phantoms in 1978, XT864 spent a few months in store at RAF St Athan. It returned to service with 111 Squadron of the RAF in 1979.

In December 1988 a refuelling bowser damaged its tailplane. A repair would have been extensive, so the aircraft was retired, a year before 111 Squadron converted to the Tornado F.3. It replaced a Lightning as gate guard at RAF Leuchars, the first RAF Phantom to be displayed that way.

With Leuchars due to close as an RAF station, the Ulster Aviation Society bought the Phantom for £26,000. Dismantling began in January 2015, and it left Leuchars by road in mid-June. The cockpit had been stripped, with no seats, and many bolts had seized, but the outer skin was in good order.

Volunteers restored and repainted it in 892 Squadron colours of 1977, side number 007, and unveiled it in 2018. Work has continued since, and the flaps and folding wingtips move again. Its story is told in a 20-minute documentary by Stephen Riley.

In Hangar 2 at Maze Long Kesh, in Fleet Air Arm colours with side number 007.