On 25th November 1957 XA847 became the first British aircraft to exceed Mach 2 and went on to have a career at Boscombe Down testing various Lightning upgrades. Displayed at the RAF Museum from 1972, this significant airframe, having been replaced in the museum by a Lightning F.6, was unbelievably put up for tender in 1988 and came close to being scrapped. Rescued by a private individual and put into storage, it was re-assembled for display at Farnborough 1994 and also appeared at RIAT the following year. It has since gone back into storage with an owner in Kettleburgh Suffolk.

Started life as one of the 20 development batch English Electric P1B. Received numerous mods over its life as a trials aircraft at Warton and Boscombe Down, probably the most noticeable was an F3 fin.

The first of three P.1Bs. A founder member of the RAF Museum when it opened in September 1972 and seen here just over a year later. Replaced by Lightning F.6 XS925 in 1988. Narrowly avoided scrapping, passed into private hands and remained dismantled in Kettleburgh, Suffolk in 2018.

One of the most amazing aviation photos, ever. Jim Mead was a professional photographer who went to Hatfield with his kids to see his neighbour, De Havilland test pilot Bob Sowray, fly the Lightning. In the end it was not Sowray but George Aird who flew that day. The tractor driver was alarmed by the bang of him ejecting following an engine fire. Aird crashed into one of the greenhouses and survived. Photo by: Jim Mead / Nationaal Archief (Netherlands)

Pre-production aircraft. Crashed on final approach to Hatfield, whilst involved in the Red Top AAM programme, on 13th September 1962. Will have been seen by many in the famous photograph of the pilot, George Aird's ejection watched by a tractor driver.

This rare F1 Lightning is seen in the packed hangar at the Norfolk and Suffolk Aviation Museum. The aircraft was previously at RAF Swinderby, a recruit training airfield where it was the parade ground 'guardian'

One of 20 pre-production Lightnings, this aircraft first flew 10 April 1959 with serial XG327 and was used on test duties throughout its career. It was withdrawn from use in 1971 and became an instructional airframe. When seen here at Manston it had been shorn of wings and fin and was just a shell.

Just moved to Flixton from the closed air base Swinderby.

XA847 was the first of three P.1Bs which followed two P.1As and was much closer in shape to the production Lightning design. Maiden flight 4.4.57 at Warton piloted by Roly Beamont; on 25.11.57 became the UK's first aircraft to exceed Mach 2. After a long career at Boscombe Down and Farnborough trialling various Lightning upgrades, retired to Henlow in 6.69 after 468 flights/205 hrs and placed on display at the RAF Museum in 1972 but ousted by a Lightning F.6 in 1988. Narrowly avoiding scrapping, passed into private hands and remains dismantled in Suffolk

One of 20 P.1B development aircraft for the Lightning fighter. A P.1B became the first British aircraft to fly at Mach 2 in 1958.

The first P1B test aircraft with the initial short fin with curved top. This type was not named "Lightning" until 1958. Demonstrating at the 1957 Farnborough Air Show equipped with long probes.