Corgi AA32312 BAC Lightning F6 – XS921, RAF 74 Sqn, Tengah, Singapore, 1969

English Electric Lightning F6, serial number XS921, was delivered to 74 ‘Tiger’ Squadron in December 1966 and initially based at RAF Leuchars in Scotland. In 1967, XS921 and other Lightning’s of 74 Sqn made the long journey to Tengah Air Base in Singapore and in doing so became the first RAF fighter unit to make such a journey using air to air refuelling. The deployment to Singapore, codenamed ‘Operation Hydraulic’, gave the RAF’s Far East Air Force (FEAF) a powerful supersonic fighter element in the region. This was deemed necessary in order to deter the territorial claims made by Indonesia against nearby Malaysia, a British protectorate. The show of strength proved successful and 74 Sqn departed Tengah in August 1971 with the squadron disbanding. Its Lightning’s were taken over by 56 Sqn at RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus. In September 1985, while serving with 11 Sqn, Lightning XS921 was lost after developing technical problems while returning to RAF Binbrook after a training exercise but thankfully the pilot was able to make a successful ejection. For more information about 74 Squadron please visit http://www.74squadron.org.uk/