Researched 2026-10-11 from the sources listed below. Airframes move between hangars, workshops and loans: check with Solway Aviation Museum before travelling to see this one.
The airframe in brief
| Serial / registration | ZF583 |
|---|---|
| Type | English Electric (BAC) Lightning F.53 |
| First flew | March 1968, as G-27-51 |
| Delivered | July 1968, Royal Saudi Air Force, Jeddah, as 53-681 |
| Units / operator | RSAF 6 Sqn and 2 Sqn |
| Returned to UK | 14 January 1986, re-serialled ZF583 |
| Arrived | 8 January 1989, by road |
| Current markings | 56 Sqn, as 'XP748' |
| Status | On display |
| Where | Solway Aviation Museum, Crosby on Eden |
The story of ZF583
ZF583 first flew in March 1968 under the British test registration G-27-51. It was an export version of the Lightning F.6. In July 1968 it was delivered to the Royal Saudi Air Force at Jeddah as 53-681.
In Saudi service it flew with 6 Squadron and then 2 Squadron. When Saudi Arabia retired the type, British Aerospace took the Lightnings back as part of the deal to sell Tornados to the kingdom. The museum records its last Saudi flight as 7 January 1986. It reached the UK on 14 January 1986 and was given the British serial ZF583.
BAe could not find a buyer to fly the returned Lightnings, so it sold them to museums and private owners. The Solway Aviation Museum acquired ZF583, and it was moved by road on 8 January 1989.
Years outdoors wore its natural-metal finish, so it was painted dark grey, similar to late RAF Lightnings. From 2007 it wore lighter grey with a black fin and red radome, a scheme no Saudi aircraft carried. In 2021 and 2022 it was repainted in 56 Squadron colours as the RAF Lightning XP748.
Seeing ZF583 today
Displayed outdoors at Carlisle Lake District Airport in 56 Squadron colours, marked as XP748 rather than its own serial.
| Museum | Adult entry | Airframes | Headline exhibit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Solway Aviation MuseumCrosby on Eden, Cumbria | £8 | 21 | Vulcan XJ823 with pre-bookable crew-compartment visits; a Phantom, Lightning and Canberra (whose three-crew cockpit reviewers describe as… |
Also known as: 53-681 · G-27-51 · XP748 · Lightning ZF583 · Saudi Lightning