P1B Lightning XA847 Restoration

P1b lightning XA847 restoration

(Photo above: XA847 was one of three prototype P1B aircraft built and on 25th November 1958 flew faster than Mach 2 (the first aircraft to do so). The pilot Roland Beaumont is seen inset. IWM Collection)

Ian Black will be known to many of you, especially if you are ‘into’ the English Electric Lightning as much as I am! A former Lightning and Phantom pilot, Ian has devoted much of his time to recording photographs of this most famous of RAF fighter types and these are published in his outstanding reference books available from his website, Firestreak Books.

Ian is about to publish a superb Volume 4 on the English Electric Lightning at the time of writing, 1 October 2025

NOW AVAILABLE TO PRE-ORDER AT FIRESTREAK BOOKS

As Ian explains…

Firestreak books produced Lightning Volume 1 in 2014 – hugely popular, the book is now sold out with second-hand examples changing hands for high prices. In 2022 the author published the long awaited Lightning Manual which has been a roaring success. Having purchased his own Lightning in 2021, now held at the RAF Binbrook Lightning Collection, his focus turned to locating and preserving the holy grail of all Lightnings: the P1B – the original prototype. Languishing in a Suffolk barn for over thirty years a long process was begun with the current owner to restore and display the aircraft for the public to enjoy.

100% of the profits of Volume 4 will go into restoring the P1B XA847 which will include sourcing missing parts, cleaning and polishing and then the transport and re-assembly at a prestigious event in Sept 2026.

NOW AVAILABLE TO PRE-ORDER AT FIRESTREAK BOOKS

Please get involved everyone and buy a copy of Ian’s new book – you will be delighted with it. I have bought them all plus several that he published back in the day and all have been the perfect partners for any Lightning build that I have undertaken. More will follow for sure, especially having seen the quality of this latest volume.

Geoff C.