No 11501, Wednesday 16 Sep 2015, Lightning

ACROSS
8   Chapter fifty included in test? Not in the score awarded! (11,4) EXCLAMATION MARK {EX{C}{L}AMinATION} {MARK}
9   Irritable engineer with thug regularly breaking into manufacturing facility (8) PETULANT {P{E}{ThUg}LANT}
10 Flawless in diplomacy (6) INTACT {IN}{TACT}
11 Criticism of one ousting university building (9)  STRICTURE STR(-u+i)ICTURE
12 Show topless chest (5) OFFER cOFFER
15 Afflicted with scary illness in the heart becomes underweight (7) SCRAWNY {W+SCARY+illNess}*
17 Eternal goal? Not so much (7) ENDLESS {END}{LESS}
19 Range of strategic chess move cut short at the beginning (5) AMBIT gAMBIT
20 Designed for comfort, therefore no mount in chair for starters (9) ERGONOMIC {ERGO}{NO}{Mo..t}{In}{Ch..r}
23 For qualified gain (6) PROFIT {PRO}{FIT}
25 Ends of snake spanning greyish-brown ridge in a desert (4,4) SAND DUNE {Sna{AND} {DUN}kE}
26 Now freebie might not be distributed (3,3,4,5) FOR THE TIME BEING*

DOWN
1   Omit passage right away (6) EXCEPT EXCErPT
2   Enlightened group’s aim until one left devastated (10) ILLUMINATI {AIM+UNTIL+1+L}*
3   Bestowing one with special skill to entice Member of Parliament in German (9) IMPARTING {1}{MP}{ART}{IN}{G}
4   Importance of the frame of mind I hear you are in (7) STATURE {STAT{UR}E}
5   These gates admit the truth (5) LOGIC [CD]
6   Release monthly payment by end of August (4) EMIT {EMI}{a...sT}
7   Return journeys (8) PROCEEDS [DD]
13 Animal freed by mistake, let inside (6,4) FALLOW DEER {F{ALLOW} DEER*}

14 Bump into noble one almost breaking into register (9) ENCOUNTER {EN{COUNt}TER}
16 Rekindling old romance in this country (8) CAMEROON {O+ROMANCE}*

18 Old kingdom of northern Poland and its neighbour (7) PRUSSIA {Po..d}{RUSSIA}
21 Losing opener, unbeaten for 50 overs, say (6) INNING wINNING
22 Animal seen in hot territories (5) OTTER [T]
24 Chance fellow had (4) FATE {F}{ATE}

GRID

No 11500, Tuesday 15 Sep 2015, Skuldugger

Too obscure to be doing, early in the morning, at the airport! The NW corner has be foxed.

ACROSS
1   Gradually, Italian co-ops reordered boxed English article (4,1,4) POCO A POCO Anno to be given by any commenter  (Addendum - {COOP}* {A} {COOP}* - See comments)
6   Mischievous sprite has plum cake regularly (4) PUCK {PlUm}{CaKe}
8   Lively dance by girl with sporadic interest (romantic chiefly) in boy (8) GALLOPED Anno pending (Addendum - GALLIARD - {GAL}{L{I}A{Ro...c}D} - See comments)
9   In which the 11 is not very accommodating: heart of Tartarus (6) DETAIL {DE(-v+ta)TAIL}
10 A giant Airbus fan malfunction might be one heck of a deal (8,7) FAUSTIAN BARGAIN {A+GIANT+AIRBUS+FAN}*
11 “Unadulterated evil” describes underworld boss (5) DEVIL [T]
13 Spooner's firework plant (8) LARKSPUR from SPARKLER

15 Hottest Serrano peppers initially far from hot (8) SPICIEST {Se...o}{Pe...s}{ICIEST}
18 After death, spirit appears in Hades following typo (5) SHADE* (Addendum - (+s)SHADE(-s) - See comments)
20 11ish phosphate in lime compound (15) MEPHISTOPHELIAN*
23 Nonsense spouted by bookish characters on a bender after love-loss? (6) KIBOSH BOoKISH*
24 Slips careless, dropping last two at Ashes final (8) NEGLIGES {NEGLIGEnt}{S}
25 Little 11s instigating minor, paltry sins chiefly (4) IMPS Acrostic
26 An exotic bloom profaned her bodice (3,6) BEE ORCHID*

DOWN
1   11's preferred fashion brand excellent, Dad admits (5) PRADA ? (Addendum - {P{RAD}A} - See comments)
2   Little officer is so revolutionary in Gargantua and Pantagruel, for instance (7) COLOSSI {COL}{OSSI<=}
3   Setter takes taxi at the beginning of autumn, returns in the summers (5) ABACI {n...uA}{BAC}{I}<=
4   Could be thirteenth nobleman beheaded in the heart of Male (7) ORDINAL {lORD}{IN}{mALe}
5   12 for 11 or 'hardly improved' (3,5) OLD HARRY*
6   Cauldron takes forever to make soups (7) POTAGES {POT}{AGES}
7   Wept, overwhelmed, quit performing for being judged (9) CRITIQUED {CRI{QUIT*}ED}
12 Crumbling empire turning to mush after king kicked the bucket, for instance (9) EUPHEMISM Anno left for any commenter (Addendum - {EMPIrE+MUSH}* - See comments)
14 Married British leader concealed terrible shame — an Indian mistress (8) MEMSAHIB {M}{SHAME*}{I}{B}
16 Upset ejaculation breaks musical partnership (7) CAHOOTS Anno left for any commenter (Addendum - {CA{HOO<=}TS} - See comments)
17 Beat badly, centurions in hostilities finally decamp (7) TROUNCE CENTURiOns*
19 The bloke's gained a couple of pounds, he has no energy and is extremely unpleasant (7) HELLISH {HE{LL}IS}{He}
21 Voracity without moderation ultimately results in more fat (5) HUGER HUnGER
22 Change effected by people in this day and age (5) AMEND {A{MEN}D}

GRID