MINISTRY OF TOURISM AND MALTA TOURISM AUTHORITY CO-SPONSORS OF THE INITIATIVE TO PRESENT "LIGHTNING F2" COCKPIT SECTION TO MALTA AVIATION MUSEUM

The Ministry of Tourism and the Malta Tourism Authority are among the co-sponsors of the initiative to present a "Lightning F2" Cockpit Section to the Malta Aviation Museum by Mr. Russell Carpenter, who flew over to Malta specifically to make the presentation to the Malta Aviation Museum, in the presence of Tourism Minister Michael Refalo.

Speaking at the presentation Minister Refalo thanked Mr. Carpenter for his donation and said that he was proud that the Authority and his Ministry were able to help the Malta Aviation Museum to add yet one more important exhibit to its prestigious collection.

"On this occasion I single out, Mr. Polidano, Mr. Spiteri Staines and all the members of their committee as well as those who dedicate much of their spare time to restoring finds and exhibits and putting them up for display for special thank you, praise and merit.

"Regrettably it is all too rarely that NGO’s and voluntary organisations who do so much for the social, cultural and sporting wellbeing of our community receive the recognition which they so richly deserve.

"Without this group of volunteers we would not have had an aviation museum and we would not have had an attraction for many of our British visitors as well as enthusiasts from other countries.

"Malta has close connections with the Royal Air Force and although one’s mind goes immediately to the World War II exploits of Faith, Hope and Charity there have been hundreds of aircraft and thousands and thousands of RAF personnel who have played a part and contributed to our history.Army, Navy and RAF personnel who served in Malta till 1979 and their families have fond memories of Malta and the Maltese. They relive the past as they enjoy their holidays with us.

The band of volunteers and aircraft enthusiasts who have made this Museum happen, have also made it a foremost attraction for visitors from many countries."

Background to the presentation:

In the summer 2000, UK holiday-maker Russell Carpenter visited the Malta Aviation Museum and in conversation with Secretary David Spiteri Staines, mentioned that a ‘Lightning’ cockpit section lay in his back garden. As Mrs. Carpenter was not at all happy with this intruder in her flower and vegetable garden, Mr. Carpenter dutifully looked out to give it a new home.

At the Malta Aviation Museum he was told that the Museum would very gladly give it a home and Mr. Carpenter decided to donate the section to it. However moving it from Mr. Carpenter’s back garden entailed a problem. It had to be lifted by crane over his neighbour’s house to a nearby street from where it was loaded into a container truck and driven all the way to Malta by MD Trucking.

The ‘Lightning’ was the last single-seater fighter-aircraft to see service with the Royal Air Force and came into operational use in 1961. During the 60’s and 70’s many Malta based RAF Squadrons (including Nos. 5, 11, 23, 29, 56 and 111) flew the planes mainly on military exercises with NATO forces.

The ‘Lightning’, a supersonic, all-weather interceptor strike reconnaissance aircraft, was powered by two Rolls Royce Avon jets and built by English Electric, later amalgamated into the British Aircraft Corporation. It reached a maximum speed of mach 2.3 (1,500 mph / 2415 kmph) a climb rate of 50,000 feet per minute and a range of 800 miles.

There are many variants of the ‘Lightning’. The cockpit sections belongs to an F2 which had a wing span of 10.61 m., 16.48 m. in length and equipped with four 30mm Aden guns. Other variants carried Fire Streak or Red Top air to air missiles.

Flight Lt. Mark Micallef Eynaud, a Maltese national who served with the RAF, flew this type of aircraft for some years even in Malta.