The sunset/night photoshoot featured not only the Panavia Tornado GR1T ZA319 but also the Hawk T1 XX154 and the English Electric P.1 WG763
The Panavia Tornado GR1T, ZA319, Hawk XX154, and a rare English Electric P.1 are interesting photographs, which were taken on March 18, 2023, at the Boscombe Down Aviation Collection at the Old Sarum Airfield, Salisbury, UK, by Andrew Timmerman from Finn Aviation Photography.
Timmerman explained:
‘On the 18th of March, Threshold.aero organized a sunset/night shoot at the Boscombe Down Aviation Collection at the Old Sarum Airfield, Salisbury, UK. After loads of rain showers in the morning, it cleared up and the sun was out, giving us good opportunities for some great photos of the main attraction of the photo shoot, the Panavia Tornado GR1T, ZA319, the day after having been unveiled in its original color scheme. Also standing outside for us there was the first prototype of the Hawk T1, XX154. There was also a very rare English Electric P.1 (WG763, the second of only two P.1s built) that was the prototype of the amazing English Electric Lightning that became the backbone of the RAF fighter force.’
The first GR1T (dual-control) in production is the Panavia Tornado ZA319. Before its relocation to the Tri-National Tornado Training Establishment (TTTE) at RAF Cottesmore, it spent a brief period at Boscombe Down for the final release to service. On March 17, ZA319 was officially unveiled in its initial color scheme.
The Hawk T1 XX154 was the first prototype of the renowned Royal Air Force trainer aircraft.
The Hawk XX154 aircraft was airlifted from MOD Boscombe Down, where it was in active service with the Empire Test Pilots’ School (ETPS) until December 2018, to its new home in the Boscombe Down Aviation Collection at Old Sarum Airfield on August 21, 2019, the 45th anniversary of its first flight.
The English Electric P.1 WG763, as previously mentioned, was the second of only two P.1s built. The English Electric (later BAC) Lightning, the RAF’s front-line fighter, was developed from the experimental P.1.
The first of the two prototypes, WG760, achieved Mach 1.22 in level flight, exceeding the speed of sound. P1A WG763, the second prototype, peaked at Mach 1.53.
Later aircraft achieved speeds more than Mach 2.0 thanks to additional fuselage modifications and the installation of powerful engines. The Lightning was operational for almost thirty years.
Aviation enthusiasts frequently visit the Boscombe Down Aviation Collection, also called the Old Sarum Airfield Museum. It is the home of a sizable collection of Cold War-era military aircraft, several of which have accessible cockpits where guests can climb in and play with the controls.
In July 2012, the museum moved from its old location at the Boscombe Down airfield to Old Sarum. Despite the closure of the Old Sarum airfield at the end of October 2019, the aviation collection is still in business.