English Electric Lightning - Survivor ZF585 (ex 53-683)
F.53 ZF585 - Flugausstellung P. Junior Museum, Hermeskeil, Germany
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Lightning F.53 ZF585 at Hermeskeil, 8th August 2025; Jake Wallace
Ex-Saudi aircraft 53-683 was one of the F.53 jets bought back by BAe and flown to Warton sporting the serial ZF585 in 1986. The airframes were stored on the airfield for some years before being acquired by a private individual when they were disassembled and stored at Marine Salvage near Portsmouth in the 1990s.
Like its sister ship ZF586 also at Hermeskeil, ZF585 was one of five F.53 cockpits placed to one side to take part in the 1999 movie Wing Commander. The cockpit was cut in half horizontally and was reportedly moved to Pinewood Studios in Iver, although some of the cockpits were also allegedly moved to Luxembourg for filming - not all that far from Hermeskeil!
ZF585 appeared at Hermeskeil some years ago, looking in a rather sorry state, being stored next to a Harrier fuselage. Since then, nature has slowly grown around the Harrier fuselage and the F.53 cockpit, making it very challenging to find and photograph.
Like its sister ship ZF586 also at Hermeskeil, ZF585 was one of five F.53 cockpits placed to one side to take part in the 1999 movie Wing Commander. The cockpit was cut in half horizontally and was reportedly moved to Pinewood Studios in Iver, although some of the cockpits were also allegedly moved to Luxembourg for filming - not all that far from Hermeskeil!
ZF585 appeared at Hermeskeil some years ago, looking in a rather sorry state, being stored next to a Harrier fuselage. Since then, nature has slowly grown around the Harrier fuselage and the F.53 cockpit, making it very challenging to find and photograph.
Information on this page current as of 18/08/2025, last updated by Jake |
Find other photos of ZF585 on the following sites:
Air-Britain - Airliners.net - Airplane-Pictures.net - flickr.com - WorldAirPics.com - JetPhotos.net - PlanePictures.net