The English Electric Lightning is a British
fighter aircraft
Fighter aircraft are fixed-wing military aircraft designed primarily for air-to-air combat. In military conflict, the role of fighter aircraft is to establish air superiority of the battlespace. Domination of the airspace above a battlefield ...
that served as an
interceptor
Interceptor may refer to:
Vehicles
* Interceptor aircraft (or simply "interceptor"), a type of point defense fighter aircraft designed specifically to intercept and destroy enemy aircraft
* Ford Crown Victoria Police Interceptor, a police car
* ...
during the 1960s, the 1970s and into the late 1980s. It was capable of a top speed of above
Mach 2. The Lightning was designed, developed, and manufactured by
English Electric
N.º UIC: 9094 110 1449-3 (Takargo Rail)
The English Electric Company Limited (EE) was a British industrial manufacturer formed after the Armistice of 11 November 1918, armistice of World War I by amalgamating five businesses which, during th ...
, which was later merged into the newly-formed
British Aircraft Corporation
The British Aircraft Corporation (BAC) was a British aircraft manufacturer formed from the government-pressured merger of English Electric Aviation Ltd., Vickers-Armstrongs (Aircraft), the Bristol Aeroplane Company and Hunting Aircraft in 1 ...
. Later the type was marketed as the BAC Lightning. It was operated by the
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's air and space force. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) and ...
(RAF), the
Kuwait Air Force
The Kuwait Air Force ( ar, القوات الجوية الكويتية , al-Quwwat al-Jawwiya al-Kuwaitiya) is the air arm of the Armed Forces of Kuwait. The Air Force headquarters is located at Abdullah Al-Mubarak Air Base, with the remaining f ...
(KAF), and the
Royal Saudi Air Force (RSAF).
A unique feature of the Lightning's design is the vertical, staggered configuration of its two
Rolls-Royce Avon turbojet
The turbojet is an airbreathing jet engine which is typically used in aircraft. It consists of a gas turbine with a propelling nozzle. The gas turbine has an air inlet which includes inlet guide vanes, a compressor, a combustion chamber, and ...
engines within the fuselage. The Lightning was designed and developed as an interceptor to defend the
V bomber
The "V bombers" were the Royal Air Force (RAF) aircraft during the 1950s and 1960s that comprised the United Kingdom's strategic nuclear strike force known officially as the V force or Bomber Command Main Force. The three models of strategic ...
airfields from attack by anticipated future nuclear-armed supersonic Soviet
bombers such as what emerged as the
Tupolev Tu-22, but it was subsequently also required to intercept other
bomber
A bomber is a military combat aircraft designed to attack ground and naval targets by dropping air-to-ground weaponry (such as bombs), launching aerial torpedo, torpedoes, or deploying air-launched cruise missiles. The first use of bombs dropped ...
aircraft such as the
Tupolev Tu-16 and the
Tupolev Tu-95
The Tupolev Tu-95 (russian: Туполев Ту-95; NATO reporting name: "Bear") is a large, four-engine turboprop-powered strategic bomber and missile platform. First flown in 1952, the Tu-95 entered service with the Long-Range Aviation of the ...
.
The Lightning has exceptional
rate of climb,
ceiling
A ceiling is an overhead interior surface that covers the upper limits of a room. It is not generally considered a structural element, but a finished surface concealing the underside of the roof structure or the floor of a story above. Ceilings ...
, and speed; pilots have described flying it as "being saddled to a skyrocket".
This performance and the initially limited fuel supply meant that its missions are dictated to a high degree by its limited range. Later developments provided greater range and speed along with
aerial reconnaissance
Aerial reconnaissance is reconnaissance for a military or strategic purpose that is conducted using reconnaissance aircraft. The role of reconnaissance can fulfil a variety of requirements including artillery spotting, the collection of ima ...
and
ground-attack
In military tactics, close air support (CAS) is defined as air action such as Airstrike, air strikes by Fixed-wing aircraft, fixed or rotorcraft, rotary-winged aircraft against hostile targets near friendly forces and require detailed integration ...
capability. Overwing fuel tank fittings were installed in the F6 variant and offered an extended range, but the maximum speed of the configuration was limited to a reported .
Following retirement by the RAF in the late 1980s, many of the remaining aircraft became museum exhibits. Until 2009, three Lightnings were kept flying at "
Thunder City
Thunder City is an aircraft operating and maintenance company based at the Cape Town International Airport in Cape Town, South Africa. It was well known for owning the largest civilian collection of former military jet aircraft in the world. Thes ...
" in
Cape Town
Cape Town ( af, Kaapstad; , xh, iKapa) is one of South Africa's three capital cities, serving as the seat of the Parliament of South Africa. It is the legislative capital of the country, the oldest city in the country, and the second largest ...
, South Africa. In September 2008, the
Institution of Mechanical Engineers
The Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE) is an independent professional association and learned society headquartered in London, United Kingdom, that represents mechanical engineers and the engineering profession. With over 120,000 member ...
conferred on the Lightning its "Engineering Heritage Award" at a ceremony at
BAE Systems
BAE Systems plc (BAE) is a British multinational arms, security, and aerospace company based in London, England. It is the largest defence contractor in Europe, and ranked the seventh-largest in the world based on applicable 2021 revenues. ...
' site at
Warton Aerodrome.
Development
Origins
![English Electric Lightning P](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3a/English_Electric_Lightning_P.1_P.1A.svg)
The specification for the aircraft followed the cancellation of the Air Ministry's 1942
E.24/43 supersonic research aircraft specification which had resulted in the
Miles M.52
The Miles M.52 was a turbojet-powered supersonic research aircraft project designed in the United Kingdom in the mid-1940s. In October 1943, Miles Aircraft was issued with a contract to produce the aircraft in accordance with Air Ministry Sp ...
programme.
W.E.W. "Teddy" Petter, formerly chief designer at
Westland Aircraft, was a keen early proponent of Britain's need to develop a supersonic fighter aircraft. In 1947, Petter approached the
Ministry of Supply
The Ministry of Supply (MoS) was a department of the UK government formed in 1939 to co-ordinate the supply of equipment to all three British armed forces, headed by the Minister of Supply. A separate ministry, however, was responsible for aircr ...
(MoS) with his proposal, and in response Specification ER.103 was issued for a single research aircraft, which was to be capable of flight at and .
Petter initiated a design proposal with
F W "Freddie" Page leading the design and
Ray Creasey
Raymond Frederick ''Ray'' Creasey OBE (18 December 1921 – 16 July 1976) was a British aerodynamicist with British Aircraft Corporation, previously English Electric, from 1948 until his death in 1976. He was responsible for the aerodynamics of ...
responsible for the aerodynamics. By July 1948 their proposal incorporated the stacked engine configuration and a high-mounted tailplane. As it was designed for Mach 1.5, it had a 40° swept wing to keep the leading edge clear of the
Mach cone
In fluid dynamics, a Mach wave is a pressure wave traveling with the speed of sound caused by a slight change of pressure added to a compressible flow. These weak waves can combine in supersonic flow to become a shock wave if sufficient Mach waves ...
. This proposal was submitted in November 1948, and in January 1949 the project was designated P.1 by English Electric. On 29 March 1949 MoS granted approval to start the detailed design, develop wind tunnel models and build a full-size mockup.
The design that had developed during 1948 evolved further during 1949 to further improve performance. To achieve Mach 2 the wing sweep was increased to 60° with the ailerons moved to the wingtips. In late 1949, low-speed wind tunnel tests showed that a vortex was generated by the wing which caused a large downwash on the tailplane; this issue was solved by lowering the tail below the wing. Following the resignation of Petter, Page took over as design team leader for the P.1.
[Darling 2000, pp. 8–10.] In 1949, the Ministry of Supply had issued Specification F23/49, which expanded upon the scope of ER103 to include fighter-level manoeuvring. On 1 April 1950, English Electric received a contract for two flying
airframe
The mechanical structure of an aircraft is known as the airframe. This structure is typically considered to include the fuselage, undercarriage, empennage and wings, and excludes the propulsion system.
Airframe design is a field of aerospa ...
s, as well as one static airframe, designated ''P.1''.
The
Royal Aircraft Establishment
The Royal Aircraft Establishment (RAE) was a British research establishment, known by several different names during its history, that eventually came under the aegis of the Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom), UK Ministry of Defence (MoD), bef ...
disagreed with Petter's choice of sweep angle (60 degrees) and tailplane position (low) considering it to be dangerous. To assess the effects of wing sweep and tailplane position on the stability and control of Petter's design
Short Brothers
Short Brothers plc, usually referred to as Shorts or Short, is an aerospace company based in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Shorts was founded in 1908 in London, and was the first company in the world to make production aeroplanes. It was particu ...
were issued a contract, by the Ministry of Supply, to produce the
Short SB.5
The Short SB.5 ( serial ''WG768'') was a "highly unorthodox, adjustable wing"Staples K.J. British research aircraft designed by Short Brothers in response to the UK Air Ministry requirement ER.100; to provide input for the design of the Englis ...
in mid-1950.
[The SB5 was allocated serial number WG768 on 27 July 1950.] This was a low-speed research aircraft that could test sweep angles from 50 to 69 degrees and tailplane positions high or low. Testing with the wings and tail set to the P.1 configuration started in January 1954 and confirmed this combination as the correct one.
Prototypes
![English Electric P](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/96/English_Electric_P.1_%2827898298121%29.jpg)
From 1953 onward, the first three prototype aircraft were hand-built at
Samlesbury
Samlesbury () is a village and civil parish in South Ribble, Lancashire, England. Samlesbury Hall, a historic house, is in the village, as is Samlesbury Aerodrome and a large modern brewery owned by Anheuser-Busch InBev. The population at the ...
. These aircraft had been assigned the
aircraft serials ''WG760'', ''WG763'', and ''WG765'' (the structural test airframe). The prototypes were powered by
un-reheated Armstrong Siddeley Sapphire
The Armstrong Siddeley Sapphire is a British turbojet engine that was produced by Armstrong Siddeley in the 1950s. It was the ultimate development of work that had started as the Metrovick F.2 in 1940, evolving into an advanced axial flow de ...
turbojets, as the selected
Rolls-Royce Avon engines had fallen behind schedule due to their own development problems. Since there was no space in the fuselage for fuel the thin wings were the fuel tanks and since they also provided space for the stowed main undercarriage the fuel capacity was relatively small, giving the prototypes an extremely limited
endurance, and the narrow tyres housed in the thin wings rapidly wore out if there was any crosswind component during take-off or landing.
[Scott 2000, p. 13.] Outwardly, the prototypes looked very much like the production series, but they were distinguished by the rounded-triangular air intake with no centre-body at the nose, short fin, and lack of operational equipment.
On 9 June 1952, it was decided that there would be a second phase of prototypes built to develop the aircraft toward achieving ; these were designated ''P.1B'' while the initial three prototypes were retroactively reclassified as ''P.1A''. P.1B was a significant improvement on P.1A. While it was similar in aerodynamics, structure and control systems, it incorporated extensive alterations to the forward fuselage, reheated Rolls-Royce Avon R24R engines, a conical centre body
inlet cone, variable nozzle reheat and provision for weapons systems integrated with the
ADC
ADC may refer to:
Science and medicine
* ADC (gene), a human gene
* AIDS dementia complex, neurological disorder associated with HIV and AIDS
* Allyl diglycol carbonate or CR-39, a polymer
* Antibody-drug conjugate, a type of anticancer treatment ...
and
AI.23 radar.
Three P.1B prototypes were built, assigned serials XA847, XA853 and XA856.
[Beamont 1985 p.123]
In May 1954, ''WG760'' and its support equipment were moved to
RAF Boscombe Down for pre-flight ground taxi trials; on the morning of 4 August 1954, ''WG760'', piloted by
Roland Beamont
Wing Commander Roland Prosper "Bee" Beamont, (10 August 1920 – 19 November 2001) was a British fighter pilot for the Royal Air Force (RAF) and an experimental test pilot during and after the Second World War. He was the first British pilot to ...
, flew for the first time from Boscombe Down. One week later, ''WG760'' officially achieved
supersonic
Supersonic speed is the speed of an object that exceeds the speed of sound ( Mach 1). For objects traveling in dry air of a temperature of 20 °C (68 °F) at sea level, this speed is approximately . Speeds greater than five times ...
flight for the first time, having exceeded the
speed of sound
The speed of sound is the distance travelled per unit of time by a sound wave as it propagates through an elastic medium. At , the speed of sound in air is about , or one kilometre in or one mile in . It depends strongly on temperature as w ...
during its third flight.
[Buttler 2000, p. 65.] During its first flight, ''WG760'' had unknowingly exceeded , but due to
position error the
Mach meter only showed a maximum of . The occurrence was noticed during flight data analysis a few days later. While ''WG760'' had proven the P.1 design to be viable, it was limited to due to
directional stability limits. In May 1956, the P.1 received the "Lightning" name, which was said to have been partially selected to reflect the aircraft's supersonic capabilities.
[Buttler 2000, p. 66.]
OR.155 and project selection
In 1955, the
Air Ministry
The Air Ministry was a department of the Government of the United Kingdom with the responsibility of managing the affairs of the Royal Air Force, that existed from 1918 to 1964. It was under the political authority of the Secretary of State ...
learned of the
Tupolev Tu-22, expected to enter service in 1962. It could cruise for relatively long periods at Mach 1.2 and had a dash speed of Mach 1.5. Against a target flying at these speeds, the existing
Gloster Javelin
The Gloster Javelin is a twin-engined T-tailed delta-wing subsonic night and all-weather interceptor aircraft that served with Britain's Royal Air Force from the mid-1950s until the late 1960s. The last aircraft design to bear the Gloster name ...
interceptors would be useless; its primary
de Havilland Firestreak
The de Havilland Firestreak is a British first-generation, passive infrared homing (heat seeking) air-to-air missile. It was developed by de Havilland Propellers (later Hawker Siddeley) in the early 1950s, entering service in 1957. It was the fir ...
armament could only attack from the rear and the Tu-22 would run away from the Javelin in that approach. A faster version, the "thin-wing Javelin", would offer limited supersonic performance and make it marginally useful against the Tu-22, while a new missile, "
Red Dean
Red Dean, a rainbow code name, was a large air-to-air missile developed for the Royal Air Force during the 1950s. Originally planned to use an active radar seeker to offer all-aspect performance and true fire-and-forget engagements, the valve- ...
" would allow head-on attacks. This combination would be somewhat useful against Tu-22, but of marginal use if faster bombers were introduced. In January 1955, the Air Ministry issued
Operational Requirement F.155
Operational Requirement F.155 was a specification issued by the British Ministry of Supply on 15 January 1955 for an interceptor aircraft to defend the United Kingdom from Soviet high-flying nuclear-armed supersonic bombers.
Discussion about th ...
calling for a faster design to be armed with either an improved Firesreak known as "Blue Vesta", or an improved Red Dean known as "
Red Hebe". The thin-wing Javelin was cancelled in May 1956.
In March 1957,
Duncan Sandys released the
1957 Defence White Paper
The 1957 White Paper on Defence (Cmnd. 124) was a British white paper issued in March 1957 setting forth the perceived future of the British military. It had profound effects on all aspects of the defence industry but probably the most affected wa ...
which outlined the changing strategic environment due to the introduction of
ballistic missile
A ballistic missile is a type of missile that uses projectile motion to deliver warheads on a target. These weapons are guided only during relatively brief periods—most of the flight is unpowered. Short-range ballistic missiles stay within the ...
s with nuclear warheads. Although missiles of the era had relatively low accuracy compared to a manned bomber, any loss of effectiveness could be addressed by the ever-increasing yield of the warhead. This suggested that there was no targeting of the UK that could not be carried out by missiles, and Sandys felt it was unlikely that the Soviets would use bombers as their primary method of attack beyond the mid-to-late 1960s.
This left only a brief period, from 1957 to some time in the 1960s, in which bombers remained a threat. Sandys felt that the imminent introduction of the
Bloodhound Mk. II surface-to-air missile would offer enough protection against bombers. The Air Ministry disagreed; they pointed out that the Tu-22 would enter service before Bloodhound II, leaving the UK open to sneak attack. Sandys eventually agreed this was a problem, but pointed out that F.155 would enter service after Bloodhound, as would a further improved SAM, "
Blue Envoy". F.155 was cancelled on 29 March 1957 and Blue Envoy in April.
To fill the immediate need for a supersonic interceptor, Lightning was selected for production. The aircraft was already flying, and the improved P.1B was only weeks away from its first flight. Lightnings mounting Firestreak could be operational years before Bloodhound II, and the aircraft's speed would make it a potent threat against the Tu-22 even in a tail-chase. To further improve its capability, in July 1957 the Blue Vesta program was reactivated in a slightly simplified form, allowing head-on attacks against an aircraft whose fuselage was heated through skin friction while flying supersonically. In November 1957, the missile was renamed "
Red Top". This would allow Lightning to attack even faster bombers through a collision-course approach. Thus, what had originally been an aircraft without a mission beyond testing was now selected as the UK's next front-line fighter.
Further testing
On 4 April 1957 Beamont made the first flight of the P.1B ''XA847'', exceeding Mach 1 during this flight. During the early flight trials of the P.1B speeds in excess of 1,000 mph were achieved daily. During this period the
Fairey Delta 2 (FD2) held the world speed record of achieved on 10 March 1956 and held till December 1957. While the P.1B was potentially faster than the FD2, it lacked the fuel capacity to provide one run in each direction at maximum speed to claim the record in accordance with international rules.
In 1958 two test pilots from the USAF
Air Force Flight Test Center, Andy Anderson and
Deke Slayton, were given the opportunity to familiarise themselves with the P.1B. Slayton, who was subsequently selected as one of the
Mercury
Mercury commonly refers to:
* Mercury (planet), the nearest planet to the Sun
* Mercury (element), a metallic chemical element with the symbol Hg
* Mercury (mythology), a Roman god
Mercury or The Mercury may also refer to:
Companies
* Merc ...
astronauts, commented:
In late October 1958, the plane was officially and formally named "Lightning".
The event was celebrated in traditional style in a hangar at
Royal Aircraft Establishment
The Royal Aircraft Establishment (RAE) was a British research establishment, known by several different names during its history, that eventually came under the aegis of the Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom), UK Ministry of Defence (MoD), bef ...
(RAE)
Farnborough Farnborough may refer to:
Australia
* Farnborough, Queensland, a locality in the Shire of Livingstone
United Kingdom
* Farnborough, Hampshire, a town in the Rushmoor district of Hampshire, England
** Farnborough (Main) railway station, a railw ...
, with the prototype XA847 having the name 'Lightning' freshly painted on the nose in front of the RAF Roundel, which almost covered it.
A bottle of
champagne was put beside the nose on a special smashing rig which allowed the bottle to safely be smashed against the side of the aircraft. The honor of smashing the bottle went to the
Chief of the Air Staff, Sir
Dermot Boyle
Marshal of the Royal Air Force Sir Dermot Alexander Boyle, (2 October 1904 – 5 May 1993) was a senior officer in the Royal Air Force. He served in the Second World War initially as a staff officer with the Advanced Air Striking Force in Reims ...
.
On 25 November 1958 the P.1B ''XA847'', piloted by
Roland Beamont
Wing Commander Roland Prosper "Bee" Beamont, (10 August 1920 – 19 November 2001) was a British fighter pilot for the Royal Air Force (RAF) and an experimental test pilot during and after the Second World War. He was the first British pilot to ...
, reached Mach 2 for the first time, the first time in a British aircraft.
This made it the second
Western Europe
Western Europe is the western region of Europe. The region's countries and territories vary depending on context.
The concept of "the West" appeared in Europe in juxtaposition to "the East" and originally applied to the ancient Mediterranean ...
an aircraft to reach Mach 2, the first one being the
French
French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to France
** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents
** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...
Dassault Mirage III just over a month earlier on 24 October 1958.
Production
The first operational Lightning,
designated
Designation (from Latin ''designatio'') is the process of determining an incumbent's successor. A candidate that won an election for example, is the ''designated'' holder of the office the candidate has been elected to, up until the candidate's i ...
''Lightning F.1'', was designed as an interceptor to defend the
V Force
V Force was a reconnaissance, intelligence-gathering and guerrilla organisation established by the British against Japanese forces during the Burma Campaign in World War II.
Establishment and organisation
In April 1942, when the Japanese drove t ...
airfields in conjunction with the "last ditch"
Bristol Bloodhound missiles located either at the bomber airfield, e.g. at
RAF Marham
RAF Marham is a Royal Air Force station and military airbase near the village of Marham in the English county of Norfolk, East Anglia.
It is home to No. 138 Expeditionary Air Wing (138 EAW) and, as such, is one of the RAF's "Main Operating ...
, or at dedicated missile sites near to the airfield, e.g. at
RAF Woodhall Spa near the 3-squadron Vulcan station
RAF Coningsby
Royal Air Force Coningsby or RAF Coningsby , is a Royal Air Force (RAF) station located south-west of Horncastle, and north-west of Boston, in the East Lindsey district of Lincolnshire, England. It is a Main Operating Base of the RAF and hom ...
. The bomber airfields along with the
dispersal airfields, would be the highest priority targets in the UK for enemy nuclear weapons. To best perform this intercept mission, emphasis was placed on rate-of-climb, acceleration, and speed, rather than
range
Range may refer to:
Geography
* Range (geographic), a chain of hills or mountains; a somewhat linear, complex mountainous or hilly area (cordillera, sierra)
** Mountain range, a group of mountains bordered by lowlands
* Range, a term used to i ...
– originally a radius of operation of from the V bomber airfields was specified – and endurance. It was equipped with two 30 mm ADEN cannon in front of the cockpit windscreen and an interchangeable fuselage weapons pack containing either an additional two ADEN cannon, 48 unguided air-to-air rockets, or two
de Havilland Firestreak
The de Havilland Firestreak is a British first-generation, passive infrared homing (heat seeking) air-to-air missile. It was developed by de Havilland Propellers (later Hawker Siddeley) in the early 1950s, entering service in 1957. It was the fir ...
air-to-air missile
The newest and the oldest member of Rafael's Python family of AAM for comparisons, Python-5 (displayed lower-front) and Shafrir-1 (upper-back)
An air-to-air missile (AAM) is a missile fired from an aircraft for the purpose of destroying a ...
s.
[Scott 2000, pp. 119–129.] The
Ferranti
Ferranti or Ferranti International plc was a UK electrical engineering and equipment firm that operated for over a century from 1885 until it went bankrupt in 1993. The company was once a constituent of the FTSE 100 Index.
The firm was known ...
AI.23 onboard radar provided
missile guidance and ranging, as well as search and track functions.
The next two Lightning variants, the ''Lightning F.1A'' and ''F.2'', incorporated relatively minor design changes; for the next variant, the ''Lightning F.3'', they were more extensive. The F.3 had higher thrust Rolls-Royce Avon 301R engines, a larger squared-off fin and strengthened inlet cone allowing a service clearance to (the F.1, F.1A and F.2 were limited to ).
[''Pilot's Notes, Lightning F.Mk.3''. Warton Aerodrome, UK: English Electric Technical Services, April 1965.] The A.I.23B radar and
Red Top missile offered a forward hemisphere attack capability and deletion of the nose cannon. The new engines and fin made the F.3 the highest performance Lightning yet, but with an even higher fuel consumption and resulting shorter range. The next variant, the ''Lightning F.6'', was already in development, but there was a need for an interim solution to partially address the F.3's shortcomings, the ''Interim F.Mk6''.
![English Electric Lightning F3, UK - Air Force AN1127832](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8b/English_Electric_Lightning_F3%2C_UK_-_Air_Force_AN1127832.jpg)
The Interim F.Mk6 introduced two improvements: a new, non-jettisonable, ventral fuel tank,
[''Pilot's Notes, Lightning F.Mk.6''. Warton Aerodrome, UK: English Electric Technical Services, September 1966.] and a new, kinked, conically cambered wing leading edge, incorporating a slightly larger
leading edge
The leading edge of an airfoil surface such as a wing is its foremost edge and is therefore the part which first meets the oncoming air.Crane, Dale: ''Dictionary of Aeronautical Terms, third edition'', page 305. Aviation Supplies & Academics, ...
fuel tank, raising the total usable internal fuel by . The conically cambered wing improved manoeuvrability, especially at higher altitudes, and the ventral tank nearly doubled available fuel. The increased fuel was welcome, but the lack of cannon armament was felt to be a deficiency. It was thought that cannon would be useful in a peacetime interception for firing warning shots to encourage an aircraft to change course or to land.
The ''Lightning F.6'' was originally nearly identical to the F.3A with the exception that it could carry two
ferry tank
A ferry tank is an auxiliary fuel container that is usually temporarily attached to a motorized device which it then supplies fuel. A ferry tank allows the range or endurance of the vehicle or aircraft to be extended. Ferry tanks are typically u ...
s on
pylons
Pylon may refer to:
Structures and boundaries
* Pylon (architecture), the gateway to the inner part of an Ancient Egyptian temple or Christian cathedral
* Pylon, a support tower structure for suspension bridges or highways
* Pylon, an orange mar ...
over the wings. These tanks were jettisonable in an emergency, and gave the F.6 a substantially improved deployment capability. There remained one glaring shortcoming: the lack of cannon. This was finally rectified in the form of a modified ventral tank with two ADEN cannon mounted in the front. The addition of the cannon and their ammunition decreased the tank's fuel capacity from .
The ''Lightning F.2A'' was an F.2 upgraded with the cambered wing, the squared fin, and the ventral tank. The F.2A retained the A.I.23 and Firestreak missile, the nose cannon, and the earlier Avon 211R engines.
[''Lightning F.Mk.2A Aircrew Manual''. Warton Aerodrome, UK: English Electric Technical Services, July 1968.] Although the F.2A lacked the thrust of the later Lightnings, it had the longest tactical range of all Lightning variants, and was used for low-altitude interception over
West Germany
West Germany is the colloquial term used to indicate the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG; german: Bundesrepublik Deutschland , BRD) between its formation on 23 May 1949 and the German reunification through the accession of East Germany on 3 O ...
.
Export and further developments
The ''Lightning F.53'', otherwise known as the ''Export Lightning'', was developed as a private venture by BAC. While the Lightning had originated as an interception aircraft, this version was to have a
multirole
A multirole combat aircraft (MRCA) is a combat aircraft intended to perform different roles in combat. These roles can include air to air combat, air support,
aerial bombing, reconnaissance, electronic warfare, and suppression of air defens ...
capability for quickly interchanging between interception, reconnaissance, and ground-attack duties.
[''Flight International'' 5 September 1968, p. 371.] The F.53 was based on the F.6 airframe and avionics, including the large ventral fuel tank, cambered wing and overwing pylons for drop tanks of the F.6, but incorporated an additional pair of hardpoints under the outer wing. These hardpoints could be fitted with pylons for
air-to-ground weaponry
Air-to-ground weaponry is aircraft ordnance used by combat aircraft to attack ground targets. The weapons include bombs, machine guns, autocannons, air-to-surface missiles, rockets, air-launched cruise missiles and grenade launchers.
See also
* ...
, including two bombs or four
SNEB
The SNEB rocket (french: Societe Nouvelle des Etablissements Edgar Brandt) is an unguided air-to-ground rocket projectile manufactured by the French company ''TDA Armements'', designed for launch by combat aircraft and helicopters. It is also kn ...
rocket pods each carrying 18 68 mm rockets. A gun pack carrying two ADEN cannons and 120 rounds each could replace the forward part of the ventral fuel tank.
[''Flight International'' 5 September 1968, pp. 372–373.] Alternative, interchangeable packs in the forward fuselage carried two Firestreak missiles, two Red Top missiles, twin retractable launchers for 44× rockets, or a
reconnaissance pod
Aerial reconnaissance is reconnaissance for a military or strategic purpose that is conducted using reconnaissance aircraft. The role of reconnaissance can fulfil a variety of requirements including artillery spotting, the collection of imagery ...
fitted with five 70 mm Type 360 Vinten cameras.
[''Flight International'' 5 September 1968, p. 373.]
BAC also proposed clearing the overwing hardpoints for carriage of weapons as well as
drop tanks, with additional Matra JL-100 combined rocket and fuel pods (each containing 18 SNEB rockets and of fuel) or 1000 lb (450 kg) bombs being possible options. This could give a maximum ground attack weapons load for a developed export Lightning of six 1000 lb (450 kg) bombs or 44 × rockets and 144 × 68 mm rockets.
[Gunston and Spick 1983, p. 67.][''Flight International'' 5 September 1968, pp. 372–373, 376.] The ''Lightning T.55'' was the export two-seat variant; unlike the RAF two-seaters, the T.55 was equipped for combat duties. The T.55 had a very similar fuselage to the T.5, while also using the wing and large ventral tank of the F.6.
The Export Lightning had all of the capability of the RAF's own Lightnings such as exceptional climb rate and agile manoeuvering. The Export Lightning also retained the difficulty of maintenance, and serviceability rates suffered. The F.53 was generally well regarded by its pilots, and its adaptation to multiple roles showed the skill of its designers.
[McLelland 2009, ]
In 1963, BAC Warton was working on the preliminary design of a two-seat Lightning development with a
variable-geometry wing
The wing configuration of a fixed-wing aircraft (including both gliders and powered aeroplanes) is its arrangement of lifting and related surfaces.
Aircraft designs are often classified by their wing configuration. For example, the Superma ...
, based on the Lightning T.5. In addition to the
variable-sweep wing
A variable-sweep wing, colloquially known as a "swing wing", is an airplane wing, or set of wings, that may be swept back and then returned to its original straight position during flight. It allows the aircraft's shape to be modified in fli ...
, which was to sweepback between 25 degrees and 60 degrees, the proposed design featured an extended ventral pack for greater fuel capacity, an enlarged dorsal fin fairing, an arrestor hook, and a revised inward-retracting undercarriage. The aircraft was designed to be compatible with the
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against F ...
's existing
aircraft carrier
An aircraft carrier is a warship that serves as a seagoing airbase, equipped with a full-length flight deck and facilities for carrying, arming, deploying, and recovering aircraft. Typically, it is the capital ship of a fleet, as it allows a ...
s'
carrier-based aircraft
Carrier-based aircraft, sometimes known as carrier-capable aircraft or carrier-borne aircraft, are naval aircraft designed for operations from aircraft carriers. They must be able to launch in a short distance and be sturdy enough to withstand ...
, the VG Lightning concept was revised into a land-based interceptor intended for the RAF the following year.
[Wood 1986, pp. 183–184.] Various alternative engines to the Avon were suggested, such as the newer
Rolls-Royce Spey engine. It is likely that the VG Lightning would have adopted a solid nose (by moving the air inlet to the sides or to upper fuselage) to install a larger, more capable radar.
Design
Overview
The Lightning had several distinctive design features, the primary being the twin-engine arrangement, notched
delta wing
A delta wing is a wing shaped in the form of a triangle. It is named for its similarity in shape to the Greek uppercase letter delta (Δ).
Although long studied, it did not find significant applications until the Jet Age, when it proved suitabl ...
, and low-mounted tailplane. The vertically stacked and longitudinally staggered engines were the solution devised by Petter to meet the conflicting requirements of minimising frontal area, providing undisturbed engine airflow across a wide speed range, and packaging two engines to provide sufficient thrust to meet performance goals. The unusual over/under configuration allowed for the thrust of two engines, with the
drag equivalent to only 1.5 engines mounted side-by-side, a reduction in drag of 25% over more conventional twin-engine installations. The engines were fed by a single nose inlet (with inlet cone), with the flow split vertically aft of the cockpit, and the nozzles tightly stacked, effectively tucking one engine behind the cockpit. The result was a low frontal area, an efficient inlet, and excellent single-engine handling with no problems of asymmetrical thrust. Because the engines were close together, an uncontained failure of one engine was likely to damage the other. If desired, an engine could be shut down in flight and the remaining engine run at a more efficient power setting which increased range or endurance; although this was rarely done operationally because there would be no hydraulic power if the remaining engine failed.
![EE Lightning F6 XS904 BQ (7173122840)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f6/EE_Lightning_F6_XS904_BQ_%287173122840%29.jpg)
Production aircraft were powered by various models of the Avon engine. This power-plant was initially rated as capable of generating of dry thrust, but when employing the four-stage afterburner this increased to a maximum thrust of . Later models of the Avon featured, in addition to increased thrust, a full-variable reheat arrangement. A special heat-reflecting paint containing gold was used to protect the aircraft's structure from the hot engine casing which could reach temperatures of 600 °C(1112F). Under optimum conditions, a well-equipped maintenance facility took four hours to perform an engine change so specialised ground test rigs were developed to speed up maintenance and remove the need to perform a full ground run of the engine after some maintenance tasks. The stacked engine configuration complicated maintenance work, and the leakage of fluid from the upper engine was a recurring
fire hazard.
[Scott 2000, pp. 98–99.] The fire risk was reduced, but not eliminated, following remedial work during development. For removal, the lower No.1 engine was removed from below the aircraft, after removal of the ventral tank and lower fuselage access panels, by lowering the engine down, while the upper No.2 engine was lifted out from above via removable sections in the fuselage top.
The fuselage was tightly packed, leaving no room for fuel tankage or main landing gear. While the notched delta wing lacked the volume of a standard delta wing, each wing contained a fairly conventional three-section main fuel tank and leading-edge tank, holding ;
[All fuel tank volumes are listed in Imperial gallons] the wing flaps also each contained a fuel tank and an additional was contained in a
fuel recuperator, bringing the aircraft's total internal fuel capacity to . The main landing gear was sandwiched outboard of the main tanks and aft of the leading edge tanks, with the flap fuel tanks behind.
[''Pilot's Notes, Lightning F Mk.1 and F Mk.1A''. Warton Aerodrome, UK: English Electric Technical Services, February 1962.] The long main gear legs retracted toward the wingtip, necessitating an exceptionally thin main tyre inflated to the high pressure of .
[''Lightning F Mk.6 Operating Data Manual''. Warton Aerodrome, UK: English Electric Technical Services, May 1977.] On landing the No. 1 engine was usually shut down when taxiing to save brake wear, as keeping both engines running at idle power was still sufficient to propel the Lightning to 80 mph if brakes were not used.
Dunlop Maxaret anti-skid brakes were fitted.
The Lightning fuel capacity was increased with a conformal ventral fuel tank. A rocket engine pack containing a
Napier Double Scorpion engine and of
high-test peroxide
High-test peroxide (HTP) is a highly concentrated (85 to 98%) solution of hydrogen peroxide, with the remainder consisting predominantly of water. In contact with a catalyst, it decomposes into a high-temperature mixture of steam and oxygen, with n ...
(HTP) to drive the rocket turbopump, and act as an oxidiser, was planned to be located in place of the ventral tank and would boost performance if non-afterburning engines were fitted. Fuel for the rocket would come from the aircraft fuel supply. The rocket engine option was cancelled in 1958 when it was established that performance with afterburning Avon engines was acceptable.
[Scott 2000, pp. 139–142.] The ventral store was routinely used as an extra fuel tank, holding of usable fuel.
On later variants of the Lightning, a ventral weapons pack could be installed to equip the aircraft alternatively with different armaments, including missiles, rockets, and cannons.
Avionics and systems
![English Electric Lightning F3, UK - Air Force AN2056574](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/ce/English_Electric_Lightning_F3%2C_UK_-_Air_Force_AN2056574.jpg)
Early versions of the Lightning were equipped with the Ferranti-developed AI.23
monopulse radar
Monopulse radar is a radar system that uses additional encoding of the radio signal to provide accurate directional information. The name refers to its ability to extract range and direction from a single signal pulse.
Monopulse radar avoids prob ...
, which was contained right at the front of the fuselage within an
inlet cone at the centre of the engine intake. Radar information was displayed on an early
head-up display and managed by onboard computers. The AI.23 supported several operational modes, which included autonomous search, automatic target tracking, and ranging for all weapons; the pilot attack sight provided
gyroscopically-derived lead angle and backup
stadiametric ranging for gun firing.
The radar and gunsight were collectively designated the AIRPASS, for "Airborne Interception Radar and Pilot Attack Sight System". The radar was successively upgraded with the introduction of more capable Lightning variants, such as to provide guidance for the Red Top missile.
The cockpit of the Lightning was designed to meet the RAF's ''OR946'' specification for tactical air navigation technology, and thus featured an integrated
flight instrument
Flight instruments are the instruments in the cockpit of an aircraft that provide the pilot with data about the flight situation of that aircraft, such as altitude, airspeed, vertical speed, heading and much more other crucial information in fli ...
display arrangement, an
Elliott Bros (London) Ltd auto-pilot
An autopilot is a system used to control the path of an aircraft, marine craft or spacecraft without requiring constant manual control by a human operator. Autopilots do not replace human operators. Instead, the autopilot assists the operator' ...
, a master reference gyroscopic reader, an auto-attack system, and an instrument landing system. Despite initial scepticism of the aircraft's centralised detection and warning system, the system proved its merits during the development program and was redeveloped for greater reliability. Communications included
UHF
Ultra high frequency (UHF) is the ITU designation for radio frequencies in the range between 300 megahertz (MHz) and 3 gigahertz (GHz), also known as the decimetre band as the wavelengths range from one meter to one tenth of a meter (on ...
and
VHF
Very high frequency (VHF) is the ITU designation for the range of radio frequency electromagnetic waves (radio waves) from 30 to 300 megahertz (MHz), with corresponding wavelengths of ten meters to one meter.
Frequencies immediately below VHF ...
radios and a
datalink. Unlike the previous generation of aircraft which used gaseous oxygen for lifesupport, the Lightning employed
liquid oxygen
Liquid oxygen—abbreviated LOx, LOX or Lox in the aerospace, submarine and gas industries—is the liquid form of molecular oxygen. It was used as the oxidizer in the first liquid-fueled rocket invented in 1926 by Robert H. Goddard, an applica ...
-based apparatus for the pilot; cockpit pressurisation and conditioning was maintained through
tappings from the engine compressors.
Electricity was provided via a bleed air-driven turbine housed in the rear fuselage, which drove an
AC alternator and
DC generator. This approach was unusual, since most aircraft used
driveshaft-driven generators/alternators for electrical energy. A 28V DC battery provided emergency backup power. Aviation author Kev Darling stated of the Lightning: "Never before had a fighter been so dependent upon electronics". Each engine was equipped with a pair of hydraulic pumps, one of which powered the flight-control systems and the other power for the undercarriage, flaps, and
airbrakes. Switchable hydraulic circuits were used for redundancy in the event of a leak or other failure. A combination of Dunlop Maxaret
anti-skid brakes on the main wheels and an
Irvin Air Chute braking parachute
A drogue parachute is a parachute designed for deployment from a rapidly-moving object. It can be used for various purposes, such as to decrease speed, to provide control and stability, or as a pilot parachute to deploy a larger parachute. V ...
slowed the aircraft during landing. A
tailhook was also fitted. Accumulators on the wheel brakes performed as backups to the hydraulics, providing minimal braking. Above a certain airspeed a stopped engine would 'windmill', that is, continue to be rotated by air flowing through it in a similar manner to a
ram air turbine
A ram air turbine (RAT) is a small wind turbine that is connected to a hydraulic pump, or electrical generator, installed in an aircraft and used as a power source. The RAT generates power from the airstream by ram pressure due to the speed of ...
, sufficient to generate adequate hydraulic power for the powered controls during flight.
![Lightnings of No 56 Squadron during Armament Practice Camp at Akrotiri](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/13/Lightnings_of_No_56_Squadron_during_Armament_Practice_Camp_at_Akrotiri._MOD_45133286.jpg)
Toward the end of its service, the Lightning was increasingly outclassed by newer fighters, mainly due to avionics and armament obsolescence. The radar had a limited range and no
track while scanning capability, and it could detect targets only in a narrow (40°) arc. While an automatic collision course attack system was developed and successfully demonstrated by English Electric, it was not adopted due to cost concerns.
[Jackson ''Air International'' June 1986, p. 283.][Lake 1997, pp. 51–52, 71–73.] Plans were mooted to supplement or replace the obsolete Red Top and Firestreak missiles with modern
AIM-9L Sidewinder missiles to help rectify some of the obsolescence, but these ambitions were not realised due to lack of funding.
[Lake 1997, pp. 86–87.] An alternative to the modernisation of existing aircraft would have been the development of more advanced variants; a proposed variable-sweep wing Lightning would have likely involved the adoption of a new powerplant and radar and was believed by BAC to significantly increase performance, but ultimately was not pursued.
Climb performance
Lightning, was designed...as an intercepter fighter. As such, it has probably the fastest rate-of-climb of any combat aircraft – ''Flight International
''Flight International'' is a monthly magazine focused on aerospace. Published in the United Kingdom and founded in 1909 as "A Journal devoted to the Interests, Practice, and Progress of Aerial Locomotion and Transport", it is the world's oldes ...
'', 21 March 1968
The Lightning possessed a remarkable
climb rate. It was famous for its ability to rapidly rotate from takeoff to climb almost vertically from the runway, though this did not yield the best time-to-altitude. The Lightning's trademark tail-stand manoeuvre exchanged airspeed for altitude; it could slow to near-stall speeds before commencing level flight. The Lightning's optimum climb profile required the use of afterburners during takeoff. Immediately after takeoff, the nose would be lowered for rapid acceleration to
IAS IAS may refer to:
Science
* Institute for Advanced Study, in Princeton, New Jersey, United States
* Image Analysis & Stereology, the official journal of the International Society for Stereology & Image Analysis.
* Iowa Archeological Society, Uni ...
before initiating a climb, stabilising at . This would yield a constant climb rate of approximately .
[The Lightning would increase forward velocity during the climb, the angle of the climb lessening from about 27 deg to 19 deg at .] Around the Lightning would reach and maintain this speed until reaching the
tropopause, on a standard day. If climbing further, pilots would accelerate to supersonic speed at the tropopause before resuming the climb.
A Lightning flying at optimum climb profile would reach in under three minutes.
![English Electric Lightning Ysterplaat Airshow-2006-09-23](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a5/English_Electric_Lightning_Ysterplaat_Airshow-2006-09-23.jpg)
The official ceiling of the Lightning was kept secret. Low security RAF documents often stated ''in excess of ''. In September 1962,
Fighter Command organised interception trials on
Lockheed U-2As at heights of around , which were temporarily based at
RAF Upper Heyford to monitor
Soviet
The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, ...
nuclear tests. Climb techniques and flight profiles were developed to put the Lightning into a suitable attack position. To avoid risking the U-2, the Lightning was not permitted any closer than and could not fly in front of the U-2. For the intercepts, four Lightning F1As conducted 18 solo sorties. The sorties proved that, under
GCI, successful intercepts could be made at up to . Due to sensitivity, details of these flights were deliberately avoided in the pilot log books.
In 1984, during a NATO exercise, Flt Lt Mike Hale intercepted a U-2 at a height which they had previously considered safe (thought to be ). Records show that Hale also climbed to in his Lightning F.3 ''XR749''. This was not sustained level flight but a ballistic climb, in which the pilot takes the aircraft to top speed and then puts the aircraft into a climb, exchanging speed for altitude. Hale also participated in time-to-height and acceleration trials against
Lockheed F-104 Starfighters from
Aalborg
Aalborg (, , ) is Denmark's fourth largest town (behind Copenhagen, Aarhus, and Odense) with a population of 119,862 (1 July 2022) in the town proper and an urban population of 143,598 (1 July 2022). As of 1 July 2022, the Municipality of Aalb ...
. He reports that the Lightnings won all races easily with the exception of the low-level supersonic acceleration, which was a "dead heat".
[Ross, Charles]
"Lightning vs Concorde"
''The Lightning Association''. October 2004. Retrieved: 9 August 2020. Lightning pilot and Chief Examiner Brian Carroll reported taking a Lightning F.53 up to over Saudi Arabia at which level "Earth curvature was visible and the sky was quite dark", noting that control-wise "
t was
T, or t, is the twentieth letter in the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in English is ''tee'' (pronounced ), plural ''tees''. It is deri ...
on a knife edge".
Carroll compared the Lightning and the
F-15C Eagle, having flown both aircraft, stating that: "Acceleration in both was impressive, you have all seen the Lightning leap away once brakes are released, the Eagle was almost as good, and climb speed was rapidly achieved. Takeoff roll is between , depending upon military or maximum afterburner-powered takeoff. The Lightning was quicker off the ground, reaching height in a horizontal distance of ". Chief test pilot for the Lightning Roland Beamont, who also flew most of the "
Century Series" US aircraft, stated his opinion that nothing at that time had the inherent stability, control, and docile handling characteristics of the Lightning throughout the full flight envelope. The turn performance and buffet boundaries of the Lightning were well in advance of anything known to him.
Aircraft performance
Early Lightning models, the F.1, F.1A, and F.2, had a maximum speed of at in an ICAO standard atmosphere, and IAS at lower altitudes.
[''Pilot's Notes, Lightning F Mk.2''. Warton Aerodrome, UK: English Electric Technical Services, November 1963.] Later models, the F.2A, F.3, F.3A, F.6, and F.53, had a maximum speed of at , and speeds up to indicated air speed for "operational necessity only".
[''Pilot's Notes, Lightning F.Mk.53''. Warton Aerodrome, UK: British Aircraft Corporation Ltd, December 1983.] A Lightning fitted with Avon 200-series engines, a ventral tank, and two Firestreak missiles had a maximum speed of on a
standard day The term standard day is used throughout meteorology, aviation, and other sciences and disciplines as a way of defining certain properties of the atmosphere in a manner which allows those who use our atmosphere to effectively calculate and communica ...
;
[''Lightning F Mks.1, 1A, 2 & T Mk.4 Aircraft Operating Data Manual''. Warton Aerodrome, UK: English Electric Technical Services, November 1975.] while a Lightning powered by the Avon 300-series engines, a ventral tank and two Red Top missiles had a maximum speed of Mach 2.0.
Directional stability decreased as speed increased, with vertical fin failure likely if
yaw was not correctly counteracted with rudder deflections. Imposed Mach limits during missile launches ensured adequate directional stability; later Lightning variants had a larger vertical fin, giving a greater stability margin at high speed.
[McLelland 2009, p. 41.]
It was not known whether the fixed centre-body intake, with a design point of Mach 1.7, would encounter intake buzz, a vibration caused by oscillation of the shock positions at different combinations of Mach number and engine air flow/rpm. A Lightning prototype was taken to Mach 2.0 to check for this instability but none was found. Service trials with the F.6 found intake buzz when engine speed was rapidly reduced at speeds above Mach 1.85 as well as when manoeuvring (increased 'g') at other supersonic speeds and engine thrust settings. The buzz caused no damage.
Thermal and structural limits were also present. Air is heated considerably when compressed by the passage of an aircraft at supersonic speeds. The airframe absorbs heat from the surrounding air, the inlet shock cone at the front of the aircraft becoming the hottest part. The shock cone was
fibreglass, necessary because the shock cone also served as a radar radome; a metal shock cone would have blocked the AI 23's radar emissions. The shock cone was eventually weakened due to the fatigue caused by the thermal cycles involved in regularly performing high-speed flights. At and , the heating conditions on the shock cone were similar to those at sea level and indicated airspeed,
[On a standard day, the temperature of the air at the tip of the shock cone (stagnation temperature) was at and . At sea level and indicated airspeed, this temperature was .] but if the speed was increased to at , the shock cone was exposed to higher temperatures
[At Mach 2.0, the stagnation temperature was .] than those at Mach 1.7. The shock cone was strengthened on the later Lightning F.2A, F.3, F.6, and F.53 models, thus allowing routine operation at up to Mach 2.0.
[McLelland 2009, p. 50.]
The small-fin variants could exceed Mach 1.7, but the stability limits and shock cone thermal and strength limits made such speeds risky. The large-fin variants, especially those equipped with Avon 300-series engines could safely reach Mach 2 and, given the right atmospheric conditions, might even achieve a few more tenths of a Mach. All Lightning variants had the excess thrust to slightly exceed indicated airspeed under certain conditions,
[''Lightning F Mk.53 & T Mk.55 Aircraft Operating Data Manual''. Warton Aerodrome, UK: British Aircraft Corporation Ltd, Preliminary.] and the service limit of was occasionally ignored. With the strengthened shock cone, the Lightning could safely approach its thrust limit, but fuel consumption at very high airspeeds was excessive and became a major limiting factor.
Handling characteristics
The Lightning was fully
aerobatic
Aerobatics is the practice of flying maneuvers involving aircraft attitudes that are not used in conventional passenger-carrying flights. The term is a portmanteau of "aerial" and "acrobatics". Aerobatics are performed in aeroplanes and glid ...
.
Operational history
Royal Air Force
![English Electric Lightning F1A, UK - Air Force AN0675731](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e0/English_Electric_Lightning_F1A%2C_UK_-_Air_Force_AN0675731.jpg)
The first aircraft to enter service with the RAF, three pre-production P.1Bs, arrived at
RAF Coltishall in
Norfolk
Norfolk () is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in East Anglia in England. It borders Lincolnshire to the north-west, Cambridgeshire to the west and south-west, and Suffolk to the south. Its northern and eastern boundaries are the No ...
on 23 December 1959, joining the Air Fighting Development Squadron (AFDS) of the
Central Fighter Establishment
The Central Fighter Establishment was a Royal Air Force formation that dealt with the development of fighter aircraft tactics which was formed on 4 September 1944 at RAF Wittering. It also tested new fighter aircraft and equipment, and with the ...
, where they were used to clear the Lightning for entry into service.
[Lake ''Air International'' January 2006, p. 64.][Lake 1997, p. 43.] The production Lightning F.1 entered service with the AFDS in May 1960, allowing the unit to take part in the air defence exercise "Yeoman" later that month. The Lightning F.1 entered frontline squadron service with
74 Squadron under the command of
Squadron Leader
Squadron leader (Sqn Ldr in the RAF ; SQNLDR in the RAAF and RNZAF; formerly sometimes S/L in all services) is a commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many countries which have historical British influence. It is also ...
John "Johnny" Howe at Coltishall from 11 July 1960.
[Lake 1997, pp. 43–44.] This made the Lightning the second
Western Europe
Western Europe is the western region of Europe. The region's countries and territories vary depending on context.
The concept of "the West" appeared in Europe in juxtaposition to "the East" and originally applied to the ancient Mediterranean ...
an-built
combat aircraft with true
supersonic
Supersonic speed is the speed of an object that exceeds the speed of sound ( Mach 1). For objects traveling in dry air of a temperature of 20 °C (68 °F) at sea level, this speed is approximately . Speeds greater than five times ...
capability to enter service and the second fully
supersonic aircraft
A supersonic aircraft is an aircraft capable of supersonic flight, that is, flying faster than the speed of sound (Mach number 1). Supersonic speed, Supersonic aircraft were developed in the second half of the twentieth century. Supersonic airc ...
to be deployed in
Western Europe
Western Europe is the western region of Europe. The region's countries and territories vary depending on context.
The concept of "the West" appeared in Europe in juxtaposition to "the East" and originally applied to the ancient Mediterranean ...
, the first one in both categories being the
Swedish
Swedish or ' may refer to:
Anything from or related to Sweden, a country in Northern Europe. Or, specifically:
* Swedish language, a North Germanic language spoken primarily in Sweden and Finland
** Swedish alphabet, the official alphabet used by ...
Saab 35 Draken on 8 March 1960 four months earlier.
The aircraft's radar and missiles proved to be effective and pilots reported that the Lightning was easy to fly. However, in the first few months of operation the aircraft's serviceability was extremely poor. This was due to the complexity of the aircraft systems and shortages of spares and ground support equipment. Even when the Lightning was not grounded by technical faults, the RAF initially struggled to get more than 20 flying hours per aircraft per month compared with the 40 flying hours that English Electric believed could be achieved with proper support.
[Lake 1997, pp. 44–45.] In spite of these concerns, within six months of the Lightning entering service, 74 Squadron was able to achieve 100 flying hours per aircraft.
In addition to its training and operational roles, 74 Squadron was appointed as the official Fighter Command aerobatic team for 1961, flying at air shows throughout the United Kingdom and Europe.
[Lake 1997, pp. 45, 95–96.] Deliveries of the slightly improved Lightning F.1A, with improved avionics and provision for an air-to-air refuelling probe, allowed two more squadrons,
56 and
111 Squadron, both based at
RAF Wattisham
Royal Air Force Station Wattisham or more simply RAF Wattisham is a former Royal Air Force station located in East Anglia just outside the village of Wattisham, south of Stowmarket in Suffolk, England. During the Cold War it was a major front- ...
to convert to the Lightning in 1960–1961.
The Lightning F.1 would only be ordered in limited numbers and serve for a short time; nonetheless, it was viewed as a significant step forward in Britain's air defence capabilities. Following their replacement from frontline duties by the introduction of successively improved variants of the Lightning, the remaining F.1 aircraft were employed by the Lightning Conversion Squadron.
![Lightning diamond](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/fc/Lightning_diamond.jpg)
An improved variant, the F.2 first flew on 11 July 1961
[Lake 1997, p. 48.] and entered service with
19 Squadron at the end of 1962 and
92 Squadron in early 1963. Conversion of these two squadrons was aided by the use of the two seat T.4 trainer, which entered service with the Lightning Conversion Squadron (later renamed
226 Operational Conversion Unit) in June 1962. While the OCU was the major user of the two seater, small numbers were also allocated to the front-line fighter squadrons.
[Lake ''Air International'' January 2006, p. 66.] More F.2s were produced than there were available squadron slots so later production aircraft were stored for years before being used operationally; some Lightning F.2s were converted to F.2a's. They had some of the improvements added to the F.6.
The F.3, with more powerful engines and the new
Red Top missile (but no cannon) was expected to be the definitive Lightning, and at one time it was planned to equip ten squadrons, with the remaining two squadrons retaining the F.2.
[Lake ''Air International'' February 2006, p. 64.] On 16 June 1962, the F.3 flew for the first time.
[Jackson ''Air International'' June 1988, p. 280.] It had a short operational life and was withdrawn from service early due to defence cutbacks and the introduction of the F.6, some of which were converted F.3s.
[Darling 2008, p. 95.]
The Lightning F.6 was a more capable and longer-range version of the F.3. It initially had no cannon, but installable gun packs were made available later. A few F.3s were upgraded to F.6s. Author Kev Darling suggests that decreasing British overseas defence commitments had led to those aircraft instead being prematurely withdrawn.
The introduction of the F.3 and F.6 allowed the RAF to progressively reequip squadrons operating aircraft such as the
Gloster Javelin
The Gloster Javelin is a twin-engined T-tailed delta-wing subsonic night and all-weather interceptor aircraft that served with Britain's Royal Air Force from the mid-1950s until the late 1960s. The last aircraft design to bear the Gloster name ...
and retire these types during the mid-1960s.
A Lightning was tasked with shooting down a pilot-less
Harrier over West Germany in 1972. The pilot had abandoned the Harrier which continued flying toward the
East German
East Germany, officially the German Democratic Republic (GDR; german: Deutsche Demokratische Republik, , DDR, ), was a country that existed from its creation on 7 October 1949 until its dissolution on 3 October 1990. In these years the state ...
border. It was shot down to avoid a diplomatic incident. During
British Airways
British Airways (BA) is the flag carrier airline of the United Kingdom. It is headquartered in London
London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a populati ...
trials in April 1985,
Concorde
The Aérospatiale/BAC Concorde () is a retired Franco-British supersonic airliner jointly developed and manufactured by Sud Aviation (later Aérospatiale) and the British Aircraft Corporation (BAC).
Studies started in 1954, and France an ...
was offered as a target to NATO fighters including F-15 Eagles,
F-16 Fighting Falcons,
F-14 Tomcats,
Mirages, and F-104 Starfighters – but only Lightning ''XR749'', flown by Mike Hale and described by him as "a very hot ship, even for a Lightning", managed to overtake Concorde on a stern conversion intercept.
During the 1960s, as strategic awareness increased and a multitude of alternative fighter designs were developed by
Warsaw Pact
The Warsaw Pact (WP) or Treaty of Warsaw, formally the Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation and Mutual Assistance, was a collective defense treaty signed in Warsaw, Poland, between the Soviet Union and seven other Eastern Bloc socialist republic ...
and
NATO
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO, ; french: Organisation du traité de l'Atlantique nord, ), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental military alliance between 30 member states – 28 European and two No ...
members, the Lightning's range and firepower shortcomings became increasingly apparent. The transfer of
McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom IIs from Royal Navy service enabled these much longer-ranged aircraft to be added to the RAF's interceptor force alongside those withdrawn from Germany as they were replaced by
SEPECAT Jaguar
The SEPECAT Jaguar is an Anglo-French jet attack aircraft originally used by the British Royal Air Force and the French Air Force in the close air support and nuclear strike role. It is still in service with the Indian Air Force.
Originall ...
s in the ground attack role.
The Lightning's direct replacement was the
Tornado F3
The Panavia Tornado Air Defence Variant (ADV) was a long-range, twin-engine interceptor version of the swing-wing Panavia Tornado. The aircraft's first flight was on 27 October 1979, and it entered service with the Royal Air Force (RAF) in 1986 ...
, an interceptor variant of the
Panavia Tornado
The Panavia Tornado is a family of twin-engine, variable-sweep wing multirole combat aircraft, jointly developed and manufactured by Italy, the United Kingdom and West Germany. There are three primary Tornado variants: the Tornado IDS (inter ...
. The Tornado featured several advantages over the Lightning, including a far larger weapons load and considerably more advanced avionics.
[Laming 1996, p. 97.] Lightnings were slowly phased out of service between 1974 and 1988. In their final years the airframes required considerable maintenance to keep them airworthy due to the sheer number of accumulated flight hours.
Fighter Command and Strike Command
The main Lightning role was the air defence of the United Kingdom and was operated at first as part of Fighter Command and then from 1968 with
No. 11 Group of Strike Command. At the formation of Strike Command nine Lightning squadrons were operational in the United Kingdom.
[Orbis 1985, pp. 146–153]
Far East Air Force
In 1967
No. 74 Squadron was moved to
RAF Tengah ''Tengah'' is an Indonesian and Malay word meaning "Central". It can be found in topography, e.g.
*Kalimantan Tengah
*Tengah Islands or Central Archipelago.
*Tengah, Singapore
*Tengah Air Base
The Tengah Air Base is a military airbase of th ...
, Singapore to take over the air defence role from the
Gloster Javelin
The Gloster Javelin is a twin-engined T-tailed delta-wing subsonic night and all-weather interceptor aircraft that served with Britain's Royal Air Force from the mid-1950s until the late 1960s. The last aircraft design to bear the Gloster name ...
equipped
60 Squadron. The squadron was disbanded in 1971 following the withdrawal of British forces from Singapore.
Near East Air Force
The Royal Air Force had detached Lightnings to
RAF Akrotiri
RAF Akrotiri ( el, Βασιλική Πολεμική Αεροπορία Ακρωτηρίου) is a large Royal Air Force base on the Mediterranean island of Cyprus. It is located in the Western Sovereign Base Area, one of two areas which compr ...
, Cyprus to support the
Near East Air Force
The former Royal Air Force Near East Air Force, more simply known as RAF Near East Air Force, was the Command organisation that controlled all Royal Air Force assets in the Eastern Mediterranean (the Near East).
History
The Command was originally ...
and in 1967
No. 56 Squadron RAF
Number 56 Squadron, nicknamed ''the Firebirds'' for their ability to always reappear intact regardless of the odds, is one of the oldest and most successful Squadron (aviation), squadrons of the Royal Air Force, with battle honours from many of ...
moved from
RAF Wattisham
Royal Air Force Station Wattisham or more simply RAF Wattisham is a former Royal Air Force station located in East Anglia just outside the village of Wattisham, south of Stowmarket in Suffolk, England. During the Cold War it was a major front- ...
with the Lightning F.3 to provide a permanent air defence force, it converted to the F.6 in 1971 and returned to the United Kingdom in 1975.
Royal Air Force Germany
In the early 1960s
No. 19 Squadron and
No. 92 Squadron with Lightning F.2s, moved from
RAF Leconfield to
RAF Gütersloh
Royal Air Force Gütersloh, more commonly known as RAF Gütersloh, was a Royal Air Force Germany military airfield, the nearest Royal Air Force airfield to the East/West German border, in the vicinity of the town of Gütersloh. It was const ...
in West Germany as part of
Royal Air Force Germany and operated in the low-level air defence role until disbanded in 1977 when the role was taken over by the Phantom FGR2.
Saudi Arabia and Kuwait
![EE Lightning T](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2b/EE_Lightning_T.55_55-714_RSAF_COLT_14.09.68_edited-3.jpg)
On 21 December 1965,
Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia, officially the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), is a country in Western Asia. It covers the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and has a land area of about , making it the fifth-largest country in Asia, the second-largest in the A ...
, keen to improve its air defences owing to the Saudi involvement in the
North Yemen Civil War and the resultant air incursions into Saudi airspace by
Egypt
Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transcontinental country spanning the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia via a land bridge formed by the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediter ...
ian forces supporting the Yemeni Republicans, placed a series of orders with Britain and the US to build a new integrated air defence system. BAC received orders for 34 multirole single-seat Lightning F.53s that could still retain very high performance and reasonable endurance, and six two-seat T.55 trainers, together with 25
BAC Strikemaster trainers, while the contract also included new radar systems, American
HAWK
Hawks are bird of prey, birds of prey of the family Accipitridae. They are widely distributed and are found on all continents except Antarctica.
* The subfamily Accipitrinae includes goshawks, sparrowhawks, sharp-shinned hawks and others. Th ...
surface-to-air missiles and training and support services.
To provide an urgent counter to air incursions, with Saudi towns near the border being bombed by Egyptian aircraft, an additional interim contract, called "Magic Carpet", was placed in March 1966 for the supply of six ex-RAF Lightnings (four F.2s and two T.4 trainers, redesignated F.52 and T.54 respectively), six
Hawker Hunter
The Hawker Hunter is a transonic British jet-powered fighter aircraft that was developed by Hawker Aircraft for the Royal Air Force (RAF) during the late 1940s and early 1950s. It was designed to take advantage of the newly developed Rolls-R ...
s, two air defence radars and a number of
Thunderbird surface-to-air missiles.
[Lake 1997, pp. 56–57.]["Punter" ''Air International'' October 1978, pp. 167–168.] The "Magic Carpet" Lightnings were delivered to Saudi Arabia in July 1966. One lost in an accident was later replaced (May 1967). The Lightnings and Hunters, flown by mercenary pilots, were deployed to
Khamis Mushait
Khamis Mushayt or Khamis Mushait ( ar, خميس مشيط, ') is a city in south-west Saudi Arabia, located east of Abha, the provincial seat of the 'Asir Province, 650 nautical miles from Dhahran and from the national capital of Riyadh. It is t ...
airfield near the Yemeni border, resulting in the curtailing of operations by the Egyptian Air Force over the Yemeni-Saudi border.
Afterwards during the
Al-Wadiah War RSAF Lightnings flown by Saudi &
Pakistani pilots participated in the airstrikes on Yemeni militias after they captured a town in Saudi Arabia in 1969.
Kuwait
Kuwait (; ar, الكويت ', or ), officially the State of Kuwait ( ar, دولة الكويت '), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated in the northern edge of Eastern Arabia at the tip of the Persian Gulf, bordering Iraq to the nort ...
ordered 14 Lightnings in December 1966, comprising 12 F.53Ks and two T.55Ks. The first Kuwait aircraft, a T.55K first flew on 24 May 1968 and deliveries to Kuwait started in December 1968.
[Ransom and Fairclough 1987, p. 259.] The Kuwaitis somewhat overestimated their ability to maintain such a complex aircraft, not adopting the extensive support from BAC and
Airwork Services
Airwork Limited, also referred to during its history as Airwork Services Limited, is a wholly owned subsidiary company of VT Group plc. It has a long and rich history in providing a variety of defence support services to the Royal Air Force (RAF ...
that the Saudis used to keep their Lightnings operational, so serviceability was poor.
[Lake 1997, p. 59.]
![EE Lightning F](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0e/EE_Lightning_F.53_418_G-AXEE_Kuw_LEB_07.06.69_edited-5.jpg)
Saudi Arabia officially received F.53 Lightnings in December 1967, although they were kept at Warton while trials and development continued and the first Saudi Lightnings to leave Warton were four T.55s delivered in early 1968 to the Royal Air Force 226 Operational Conversion Unit at RAF Coltishall, the four T.55s were used to train Saudi aircrew for the next 18 months.
[Ransom and Fairclough 1987, p. 258.] The new-build Lightnings were delivered under Operation "Magic Palm" between July 1968 and August 1969. Two Lightnings, a F.53 and a T.55 were destroyed in accidents prior to delivery, and were replaced by two additional aircraft, the last of which was delivered in June 1972.
[Jackson ''Air International'' June 1988, p. 282.] The multirole F.53s served in the ground-attack and reconnaissance roles as well as an air defence fighter, with Lightnings of No 6 Squadron RSAF carrying out ground-attack missions using rockets and bombs during a border dispute with
South Yemen
South Yemen ( ar, اليمن الجنوبي, al-Yaman al-Janubiyy), officially the People's Democratic Republic of Yemen (, ), also referred to as Democratic Yemen (, ) or Yemen (Aden) (, ), was a communist state that existed from 1967 to 19 ...
between December 1969 and May 1970. One F.53 (53–697) was shot down by Yemeni ground fire on 3 May 1970 during a reconnaissance mission, with the pilot ejecting successfully and being rescued by Saudi forces.
[Lake 1997, pp. 58, 100.] Saudi Arabia received
Northrop F-5
The Northrop F-5 is a family of supersonic light fighter aircraft initially designed as a privately funded project in the late 1950s by Northrop Corporation. There are two main models, the original F-5A and F-5B Freedom Fighter variants and t ...
E fighters from 1971, which resulted in the Lightnings relinquishing the ground-attack mission, concentrating on air defence, and to a lesser extent, reconnaissance.
[Lake 1997, p. 58.]
Kuwait's Lightnings did not have a long service career. After an unsuccessful attempt by the regime to sell them to Egypt in 1973, the last Lightnings were replaced with
Dassault Mirage F1
The Dassault Mirage F1 is a French fighter and attack aircraft designed and manufactured by Dassault Aviation. It was developed as a successor to the popular Mirage III family.
During the 1960s, Dassault commenced development of what would ...
s in 1977.
[Lake 1997, p. 62.] The remaining aircraft were stored at
Kuwait International Airport, many were destroyed during the
Invasion of Kuwait by
Iraq
Iraq,; ku, عێراق, translit=Êraq officially the Republic of Iraq, '; ku, کۆماری عێراق, translit=Komarî Êraq is a country in Western Asia. It is bordered by Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq ...
(August 1990).
Until 1982, Saudi Arabia's Lightnings were mainly operated by 2 and 6 Squadron RSAF (although a few were also used by 13 Squadron RSAF), but when 6 Squadron re-equipped with the F-15 Eagle then all the remaining aircraft were operated by 2 Squadron at Tabuk.
[Ransom and Fairclough 1987, p. 267.][Lake 1997, pp. 100–101.] In 1985 as part of the agreement to sell the Panavia Tornado to the RSAF, the 22 flyable Lightnings were traded in to British Aerospace and returned to Warton in January 1986.
While
BAe
BAE Systems plc (BAE) is a British multinational arms, security, and aerospace company based in London, England. It is the largest defence contractor in Europe, and ranked the seventh-largest in the world based on applicable 2021 revenues. ...
offered the ex-Saudi Lightnings to Austria and Nigeria, no sales were made, and the aircraft were eventually disposed of to museums.
[Lake 1997, p. 82.]
Variants
![English Electric Sea Lightning FAW](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/22/English_Electric_Sea_Lightning_FAW.1_top-view_silhouette.png)
;English Electric P.1A
:Single-seat supersonic research aircraft, two prototypes built and one static test airframe.
;English Electric P.1B
:Single-seat operational prototypes to meet Specification F23/49, three prototypes built, further 20 development aircraft ordered in February 1954. Type was officially named 'Lightning' in October 1958.
;Lightning F.1
:Development batch aircraft, single-seat fighters delivered from 1959, a total of 19 built (and one static test airframe). Nose-mounted twin 30 mm ADEN cannon, two
Firestreak missiles, VHF Radio and
Ferranti
Ferranti or Ferranti International plc was a UK electrical engineering and equipment firm that operated for over a century from 1885 until it went bankrupt in 1993. The company was once a constituent of the FTSE 100 Index.
The firm was known ...
AI-23 "AIRPASS" radar.
;Lightning F.1A
:Single-seat fighter, delivered in 1961. Featured Avon 210R engines, an inflight refuelling probe and UHF Radio; a total of 28 built.
;Lightning F.2
:Single-seat fighter (an improved variant of the F.1), delivered in 1962. A total of 44 built with 31 later modified to F.2A standard, five later modified to F.52 for export to Saudi Arabia.
;Lightning F.2A
:Single-seat fighter (F.2s upgraded to near F.6 standard); featuring Avon 211R engines, retained ADEN cannon and Firestreak (replaceable Firestreak pack swappable with ADEN Cannon Pack for a total of four ADEN Cannon), arrestor hook and enlarged Ventral Tank for two hours flight endurance. A total of 31 converted from F.2.
;Lightning F.3
:Single-seat fighter with upgraded AI-23B radar, Avon 301R engines, new
Red Top missiles, enlarged and clipped tailfin due to aerodynamics of carriage of Red Top, and deletion of ADEN cannon. A total of 70 built (at least nine were converted to F.6 standard).
;Lightning F.3A
:Single-seat fighter with extended range of 800 miles due to large ventral tank and new cambered wings. A total of 16 built, known also as an F.3 Interim version or F.6 Interim Version, 15 later modified to F.6 standard.
;Lightning T.4
:Two-seat side-by-side training version, based on the F.1A; two prototypes and 20 production built, two aircraft later converted to T.5 prototypes, two aircraft later converted to T.54.
;Lightning T.5
:Two-seat side-by-side training version, based on the F.3; 22 production aircraft built. One former RAF aircraft later converted to T.55 for Saudi Arabia.
;Lightning F.6
:Single-seat fighter (an improved longer-range variant of the F.3). It featured new wings with better efficiency and subsonic performance, overwing fuel tanks and a larger ventral fuel tank, reintroduction of 30 mm cannon (initially no cannon but later in the forward part of the ventral pack rather than in the nose), use of
Red Top missiles. A total of 39 built (also nine converted from F.3 and 15 from F.3A).
;Lightning F.7
:Proposed single-seat interceptor featuring
variable geometry wings, extended fuselage, relocated undercarriage, underwing hardpoints, cheek-mounted intakes, new radar, and use of the
Sparrow
Sparrow may refer to:
Birds
* Old World sparrows, family Passeridae
* New World sparrows, family Passerellidae
* two species in the Passerine family Estrildidae:
** Java sparrow
** Timor sparrow
* Hedge sparrow, also known as the dunnock or hedg ...
and
Skyflash AAMs. Never built.
;Lightning F.52
:Slightly modified ex-RAF F.2 single-seat fighters for export to Saudi Arabia (five converted).
;Lightning F.53
:Export version of the F.6 with pylons for bombs or unguided rocket pods, 44 × 2 in (50 mm), total of 46 built and one converted from F.6 (12 F.53Ks for the Kuwaiti Air Force, 34 F.53s for the Royal Saudi Arabian Air Force, one aircraft crashed before delivery).
;Lightning T.54
:Ex-RAF T.4 two-seat trainers supplied to Saudi Arabia (two converted).
;Lightning T.55
:Two-seat side-by-side training aircraft (export version of the T.5), eight built (six T.55s for the Royal Saudi Arabian Air Force, two T.55Ks for the Kuwaiti Air Force and one converted from T.5 that crashed before delivery).
;Sea Lightning FAW.1
:Proposed two-seat Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm carrier capable variant with
variable-geometry wing
The wing configuration of a fixed-wing aircraft (including both gliders and powered aeroplanes) is its arrangement of lifting and related surfaces.
Aircraft designs are often classified by their wing configuration. For example, the Superma ...
; not built.
[Buttler 2005, pp. 114–117.]
Operators
Military operators
;
*
Kuwait Air Force
The Kuwait Air Force ( ar, القوات الجوية الكويتية , al-Quwwat al-Jawwiya al-Kuwaitiya) is the air arm of the Armed Forces of Kuwait. The Air Force headquarters is located at Abdullah Al-Mubarak Air Base, with the remaining f ...
operated both the F.53K (12) single-seat fighter and the T.55K (2) training version from 1968 to 1977.
![Royal Saudi Air Force Lightning](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f7/Royal_Saudi_Air_Force_Lightning.jpg)
;
*
Royal Saudi Air Force operated the Lightning from 1967 to 1986.
**
2 Squadron operated the F.53 and T.55
**
6 Squadron operated the F.52 and F.53
**
13 Squadron operated the F.52, F.53 and T.55
**
RSAF Lightning Conversion Unit
![XP702-LightningF3-1980](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f7/XP702-LightningF3-1980.jpg)
;
*
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's air and space force. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) and ...
operated the Lightning from 1959 to 1988.
; RAF Aerial display teams
:* ''
The Tigers'' of No 74 Squadron. Lead RAF aerial display team from 1962 and first display team with Mach 2 aircraft.
:* ''
The Firebirds
The Firebirds are a British band, founded in 1981 by their former frontman John Plummer. The band now consists of four musicians; Jim Plummer, Dan Plummer, Richie Lorriman and Paul Willmott. The band has backed artists such as Jerry Lee Lewis ...
'' of No 56 Squadron from 1963 in red and silver.
; RAF Squadrons
:*
5 Squadron formed at
RAF Binbrook on 8 October 1965, operating the Lightning F.6 and T.5. A few F.1s, F.1As and F.3s were used as targets (and later for air display use) from 1971. The Squadron remained operational at Binbrook with the Lightning F.6 until 1987, disbanding on 31 December.
[Lake 1997, p. 93.]
:*
11 Squadron formed at
RAF Leuchars
Royal Air Force Leuchars or RAF Leuchars was a Royal Air Force (RAF) station located in Leuchars, Fife, on the east coast of Scotland. Throughout the Cold War and beyond, the station was home to fighter aircraft which policed northern UK airspac ...
in April 1967 with the Lightning F.6. It moved to RAF Binbrook in March 1972, receiving a few F.3s for target duties. It remained operational until 1988, disbanding on 30 April 1988.
:*
19 Squadron operated the F.2 and the F.2A (1962–1976)
:*
23 Squadron operated the F.3 and the F.6 (1964–1975)
:*
29 Squadron operated the F.3 (1967–1974)
:*
56 Squadron operated the F.1, F.1A, F.3 and the F.6 (1960–1976)
:*
65 Squadron operated as No. 226 OCU with the F.1, F.1A and the F.3 (1971–1974)
:*
74 Squadron operated the F.1, F.3 and the F.6 (1960–1971)
:*
92 Squadron operated the F.2 and the F.2A (1963–1977)
:*
111 Squadron operated the F.1A, F.3 and the F.6 (1961–1974)
:*
145 Squadron operated as No. 226 OCU with the F.1, F.1A and the F.3 (1963–1971)
:*
226 Operational Conversion Unit operated the F.1A, F.3, T.4 and the T.5 (1963–1974)
:*
Air Fighting Development Squadron
:*
Lightning Conversion Squadron (1960–1963)
; RAF Flights
:*
Binbrook Target Facilities Flight (1966–1973)
:*
Leuchars Target Facilities Flight (1966–1973)
:*
Wattisham Target Facilities Flight
Wattisham is a village and civil parish near to the town of Stowmarket in Suffolk, England. From the 2011 Census the population of the parish was 110, according to the ONS, included in the civil parish of Hitcham.
Wattisham Airfield
The villa ...
(1966–1973)
:*
Lightning Training Flight (1975–1987)
; RAF Stations
:*
RAF Akrotiri
RAF Akrotiri ( el, Βασιλική Πολεμική Αεροπορία Ακρωτηρίου) is a large Royal Air Force base on the Mediterranean island of Cyprus. It is located in the Western Sovereign Base Area, one of two areas which compr ...
:*
RAF Binbrook
:*
RAF Coltishall
:*
RAF Geilenkirchen
Royal Air Force Geilenkirchen, more commonly known as RAF Geilenkirchen, was a Royal Air Force station in the North Rhine-Westphalia region of Germany, built by the British who used the facility mainly as an airfield for RAF fighter squadrons ...
:*
RAF Gütersloh
Royal Air Force Gütersloh, more commonly known as RAF Gütersloh, was a Royal Air Force Germany military airfield, the nearest Royal Air Force airfield to the East/West German border, in the vicinity of the town of Gütersloh. It was const ...
:*
RAF Leconfield
:*
RAF Middleton St. George
RAF Middleton St George was a Royal Air Force (RAF) and Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) Bomber Command station during World War II. It was located in County Durham, five miles east of Darlington, England. The station's motto was ''Shield an ...
:*
RAF Leuchars
Royal Air Force Leuchars or RAF Leuchars was a Royal Air Force (RAF) station located in Leuchars, Fife, on the east coast of Scotland. Throughout the Cold War and beyond, the station was home to fighter aircraft which policed northern UK airspac ...
:*
RAF Tengah ''Tengah'' is an Indonesian and Malay word meaning "Central". It can be found in topography, e.g.
*Kalimantan Tengah
*Tengah Islands or Central Archipelago.
*Tengah, Singapore
*Tengah Air Base
The Tengah Air Base is a military airbase of th ...
:*
RAF Wattisham
Royal Air Force Station Wattisham or more simply RAF Wattisham is a former Royal Air Force station located in East Anglia just outside the village of Wattisham, south of Stowmarket in Suffolk, England. During the Cold War it was a major front- ...
Civil operators
;
Thunder City
Thunder City is an aircraft operating and maintenance company based at the Cape Town International Airport in Cape Town, South Africa. It was well known for owning the largest civilian collection of former military jet aircraft in the world. Thes ...
, a private company based at
Cape Town International Airport, South Africa operated one Lightning T.5 and two single-seat F.6es. The T.5 XS452, (civil registration ZU-BBD) flew again on 14 January 2014 after restoration and is currently the only airworthy example.
A Lightning T.5, XS451 (civil registration ZU-BEX) belonging to Thunder City crashed after developing mechanical problems during its display at the biennial
South African Air Force Overberg Airshow held at
AFB Overberg
Air Force Base Overberg is an airbase of the South African Air Force at Bredasdorp on the Overberg district of the Western Cape province and is the host of the 525 squadron and the Test Flight and Development Centre. It is placed under command ...
near
Bredasdorp
Bredasdorp is a town in the Southern Overberg region of the Western Cape, South Africa, and the main economic and service hub of that region. It lies on the northern edge of the Agulhas Plain, about south-east of Cape Town and north of Cape Agul ...
on 14 November 2009.
["Fighter jet crashes at air show."](_blank)
''News24.com'', 14 November 2009. Retrieved: 23 January 2010. The
Silver Falcons
The Silver Falcons is the aerobatic display team of the South African Air Force. Based at Air Force Base Langebaanweg near Cape Town, the Silver Falcons fly the Pilatus PC-7 Mk II, the basic trainer of the SA Air Force in a 5-ship routine. The ...
, the South African Air Force's official aerobatic team, flew a
missing man formation
The missing man formation is an aerial salute performed as part of a flypast of aircraft at a funeral or memorial event, typically in memory of a fallen pilot, a well-known military service member or veteran, or a well-known political figure. T ...
after it was announced that the pilot had died in the crash.
;
*
British Aerospace
British Aerospace plc (BAe) was a British aircraft, munitions and defence-systems manufacturer. Its head office was at Warwick House in the Farnborough Aerospace Centre in Farnborough, Hampshire. Formed in 1977, in 1999 it purchased Marconi ...
operated four ex-RAF F.6s as radar targets to aid development of the
Panavia Tornado ADV's
AI.24 Foxhunter radar from 1988 to 1992.
;
*The Anglo-American Lightning Organisation, a group based at Stennis Airport,
Kiln, Mississippi
Kiln (pronounced "Kill") is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Hancock County, Mississippi, United States. The town is located about northeast of New Orleans, Louisiana. It is part of the Gulfport-Biloxi Metropolit ...
, is returning EE Lightning T.5, XS422 to airworthy status. As of March 2021, the aircraft was capable of fast taxiing down a runway. The aircraft was formerly with the
Empire Test Pilots' School (ETPS) at
Boscombe Down in Wiltshire, UK.
Surviving aircraft
A complete list is availabl
here
Cyprus
;On display
:* ''XS929'' Lightning F.6 at
RAF Akrotiri
RAF Akrotiri ( el, Βασιλική Πολεμική Αεροπορία Ακρωτηρίου) is a large Royal Air Force base on the Mediterranean island of Cyprus. It is located in the Western Sovereign Base Area, one of two areas which compr ...
, Cyprus.
[Ellis 2012, p. app1]
France
;On display
:* ''XM178'' Lightning F.1A at Savigny-les-Beaune.
Germany
;On display
:* ''XN782'' Lightning F.2A at the
Flugausstellung Hermeskeil
The Flugausstellung Peter Junior, previously the Flugausstellung Hermeskeil, is a private aviation museum in the town of Hermeskeil in the German state of Rhineland-Palatinate.
The museum opened in July 1973 in several buildings with a covered a ...
, Germany.
Kuwait
;On display
*''53–418'' Lightning F.53 at the
Kuwait Science and Natural History Museum, Kuwait City. It can be seen from surrounding buildings and is located at .
* Lightning F.53 at the
Abdullah Al-Mubarak Air Base.
* Three Lightnings on stands at
Al Jaber Air Base
Ahmad al-Jaber Air Base is a Kuwait Air Force base that is home to 3 Kuwait Air Force F/A-18 C/D squadrons: 9 Squadron, 25 Squadron, and 61 Squadron. The base also has an area designated for operations by the U.S. Air Force and its allies.
H ...
Netherlands
;On display
:* ''XN784'' Lightning F.2A owned by PS Aero in Holland, on display at their facility in Baarlo.
Saudi Arabia
;On display
*''XN770'' Lightning F.52 at the
Royal Saudi Air Force Museum
The Royal Saudi Air Force Museum (or Saqr Al Jazeera Aviation Museum; ar, متحف صقر الجزيرة للطيران) is located on the East Ring Road of Riyadh between exits 10 and 11. A Lockheed L-1011 Tristar formerly operated by Saudia ...
, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
*''XM989'' Lightning T.54 at the main entrance to King Abdul-Aziz Air Base, Dhahran, Saudi Arabia.
*''55–716'' Lightning T.55 at the Royal Saudi Air Force Museum, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
*"227" Lightning Mark F.53 pylon-mounted on static display in a traffic circle outside the main gate of King Faisal Air Base in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia. GPS 28.387229, 36.594182
The following are on display but with no public access:
*''XG313'' Lightning F.1 at the VIP terminal on
King Abdulaziz Air Base
King Abdulaziz Air Base () , also known as Dhahran Air Base and formerly Dhahran International Airport, Dhahran Airport and Dhahran Airfield, is a Royal Saudi Air Force base located in Dhahran in the Eastern Province, Saudi Arabia. Located west ...
Dhahran, Saudi Arabia.
*''XN767'' Lightning F.52 pylon mounted at the Aeromedical centre on King Abdulaziz Air Base Dhahran, Saudi Arabia.
*Unidentified Lightning at entrance to Taif Heart Mall in downtown Taif, Saudi Arabia.
*"224" Lightning Mark F.53 on display at Royal Saudi Air Force, King Khalid Airbase in Khamis Mushyt, Saudi Arabia. GPS 18.260764, 42.795216
*Unidentified Lightning mounted in a static display on the Royal Saudi Air Force, King Khalid Airbase in Khamis Mushyt, Saudi Arabia. GPS 18.272086, 42.805935
*Unidentified Lightning on display in a small air park just inside the main gate of King Faisal Air Base in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia. GPS 28.380036, 36.605270
South Africa
;Stored or under restoration
*''ZU-BBD'' (former XS452) Lightning T.5 based at Cape Town under restoration to fly.
*''ZU-BEW'' (former XR773) Lightning F.6 stored in Cape Town under restoration to fly.
*''ZU-BEY'' (former XP693) Lightning F.6 stored in Cape Town under restoration to fly.
United Kingdom
;On display
:* ''WG760'', the first prototype P.1A at the
RAF Museum Cosford, England
:* ''WG763'', the second prototype P.1A at the
Museum of Science and Industry, Manchester, England
:* ''XG329'' P1B/Lightning F.1 pre-production aircraft at the
Norfolk & Suffolk Aviation Museum
The Norfolk and Suffolk Aviation Museum is a museum collection of aircraft and aviation-related artefacts, located near the former RAF Bungay airfield in Flixton in the north of the English county of Suffolk.
Details
First established in 19 ...
, Flixton, England
:* ''XG337'' P1B/Lightning F.1 pre-production aircraft at the RAF Museum Cosford
:* ''XM135'' Lightning F.1 at the
Imperial War Museum Duxford – flown by non-pilot
Walter Holden[Ellis 2012, p. 22]
:* ''XM173'' Lightning F.1A at Dyson Ltd. (on display in staff canteen), Malmesbury, Wiltshire.
:* ''XM192'' Lightning F.1A at Tattershall Thorpe, Lincolnshire, England
:* ''XN776'' Lightning F.2A at the
National Museum of Flight
The National Museum of Flight is Scotland's national aviation museum, at East Fortune Airfield, just south of the village of East Fortune, Scotland. It is one of the museums within National Museums Scotland. The museum is housed in the original ...
, East Fortune, Scotland
:* ''XP706'' Lightning F.3 at
South Yorkshire Aircraft Museum, Doncaster, England
[Ellis 2012, p. 278]
:* ''XP745'' Lightning F.3 at Vanguard Self Storage, Bristol, England
:* ''XR713'' Lightning F.3 owned by Lightning Preservation Group, Bruntingthorpe Aerodrome, Leicestershire
:* ''XR718'' Lightning F.3 owned by Anthony Harker, Over Dinsdale, Darlington, Durham.
:* ''XR749'' Lightning F.3 outside
Score Group's Integrated Valve and Gas Turbine Plant,
Peterhead, Scotland
[Ellis 2012, p. 294]
:* ''XS417'' Lightning T.5 at the
Newark Air Museum, Newark, England
:* ''XS420'' Lightning T.5 on loan to the
Farnborough Air Sciences Trust, Farnborough, England
[Ellis 2012, p. 66]
:* ''XS456'' Lightning T.5 at the Skegness Water Leisure Park, Lincolnshire
[Ellis 2012, p. 137]
:* ''XS458'' Lightning T.5 is in taxiable condition at
Cranfield Airport,
Bedfordshire
Bedfordshire (; abbreviated Beds) is a ceremonial county in the East of England. The county has been administered by three unitary authorities, Borough of Bedford, Central Bedfordshire and Borough of Luton, since Bedfordshire County Council wa ...
, England (taxi-able)
:* ''XS459'' Lightning T.5 at the Fenland and West Norfolk Aviation Museum,
Wisbech
Wisbech ( ) is a market town, inland Port of Wisbech, port and civil parish in the Fenland District, Fenland district in Cambridgeshire, England. In 2011 it had a population of 31,573. The town lies in the far north-east of Cambridgeshire, bord ...
, England
[Ellis 2012, p. 164]
:* ''XR753'' Lightning F.6 at
RAF Coningsby
Royal Air Force Coningsby or RAF Coningsby , is a Royal Air Force (RAF) station located south-west of Horncastle, and north-west of Boston, in the East Lindsey district of Lincolnshire, England. It is a Main Operating Base of the RAF and hom ...
, Lincolnshire
:* ''XR755'' Lightning F.6 near Callington, Cornwall.
:* ''XR728'' Lightning F.6 with LPG, in taxiable condition at
Bruntingthorpe Aerodrome
Bruntingthorpe Aerodrome and Proving Ground is a privately-owned former airport near the village of Bruntingthorpe, Leicestershire to the south of Leicester. It was opened as RAF Bruntingthorpe in 1942.
History
The aerodrome was origin ...
, Leicestershire, England
[Ellis 2012, p. 91]
:*''XR770'' Lightning F.6 ar RAF Manston Museum, Kent, England
:* ''XR771'' Lightning F.6 at the
Midland Air Museum
The Midland Air Museum (MAM) is situated just outside the village of Baginton in Warwickshire, England, and is adjacent to Coventry Airport. The museum includes the ''Sir Frank Whittle Jet Heritage Centre'' (named after the local aviation pione ...
, Coventry, England
:* ''XS897'' Lightning F.6 (painted as F.3 XP765) at
RAF Coningsby
Royal Air Force Coningsby or RAF Coningsby , is a Royal Air Force (RAF) station located south-west of Horncastle, and north-west of Boston, in the East Lindsey district of Lincolnshire, England. It is a Main Operating Base of the RAF and hom ...
, Lincolnshire
[Ellis 2012, p. 132]
:* ''XS903'' Lightning F.6 at the
Yorkshire Air Museum
The Yorkshire Air Museum & Allied Air Forces Memorial is an aviation museum in Elvington, York on the site of the former RAF Elvington airfield, a Second World War RAF Bomber Command station. The museum was founded, and first opened to the pub ...
, Elvington, England
:* ''XS904'' Lightning F.6 with LPG, in taxiable
Bruntingthorpe Aerodrome
Bruntingthorpe Aerodrome and Proving Ground is a privately-owned former airport near the village of Bruntingthorpe, Leicestershire to the south of Leicester. It was opened as RAF Bruntingthorpe in 1942.
History
The aerodrome was origin ...
, Leicestershire, England
:* ''XS919'' Lightning F.6 at Henstridge Airfield, Somerset, England
:* ''XS925'' Lightning F.6 stand mounted at Castle Motors on the A38 near
Liskeard, Cornwall, England
[Ellis 2012, p. 34]
:* ''XS928'' Lightning F.6 at Warton Aerodrome, Lancashire
[Ellis 20012, p. 89]
:* ''XS936'' Lightning F.6 at the
Royal Air Force Museum London, England
[Ellis 2012, p. 145]
:* ''ZF578'' Lightning F.53 as ''XR753'' at the
Tangmere Military Aviation Museum
The Tangmere Military Aviation Museum is a museum located on the former site of RAF Tangmere, West Sussex. The museum was opened in June 1982. Many aerospace exhibits covering the First World War to the Cold War are on display including fixed-w ...
, Tangmere, England
[Ellis 2012, p. 221]
:* ''ZF579'' Lightning F.53 in taxiable condition
Gatwick Aviation Museum
The Gatwick Aviation Museum is located in the village of Charlwood, in Surrey, United Kingdom on the boundary of Gatwick Airport.
History
Originally started in 1987 as a private collection by local businessman Peter Vallance, the museum became ...
,
Charlwood, near Gatwick Airport, England
[Ellis 2012, p. 213]
:* ''ZF580''/''XR768'' Lightning F.53 in preserved condition at Cornwall Aviation Heritage Centre,
Newquay Airport
Cornwall Airport Newquay is the main commercial airport for Cornwall, United Kingdom, located at Mawgan in Pydar, northeast of the town of Newquay on Cornwall's north coast. Its runway was operated by RAF St Mawgan before 2008, and is now o ...
,
Cornwall
Cornwall (; kw, Kernow ) is a historic county and ceremonial county in South West England. It is recognised as one of the Celtic nations, and is the homeland of the Cornish people. Cornwall is bordered to the north and west by the Atlantic ...
, England.
:* ''ZF583'' Lightning F.53 at the
Solway Aviation Museum
The Solway Aviation Museum is an independently-run aircraft museum located at Carlisle Lake District Airport in Cumbria.
It was closed during 2020 on account of the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2022 it is open every weekend from 1st April to 30th Octo ...
, Carlisle Airport Cumbria England
[Ellis 2012, p. 37]
:* ''ZF584'' Lightning F.53 at the
Dumfries and Galloway Aviation Museum
The Dumfries and Galloway Aviation Museum is a volunteer-operated aviation museum located in and around the World War II-era watch tower (control tower) at the former RAF Dumfries, located two miles north east of the centre of Dumfries, Scotla ...
, Dumfries, Scotland
[Ellis 2012, p. 285]
:* ''ZF588'' Lightning F.53 at the East Midlands Aeropark, Castle Donington, Derbyshire
:* ''ZF592'' Lightning F.53 as ''53–686'' at the
City of Norwich Aviation Museum
The City of Norwich Aviation Museum is a volunteer-run museum and charitable trust dedicated to the preservation of the aviation history of the county of Norfolk, England. The museum is located on the northern edge of Norwich International ...
,
Norwich
Norwich () is a cathedral city and district of Norfolk, England, of which it is the county town. Norwich is by the River Wensum, about north-east of London, north of Ipswich and east of Peterborough. As the seat of the See of Norwich, with ...
, England
[Ellis 2012, p. 161]
:* ''ZF594'' Lightning F.53 painted as ''XS933'' at the
North East Aircraft Museum
The North East Land, Sea and Air Museums (NELSAM), formerly the North East Aircraft Museum, is a volunteer-run aviation museum situated on the site of the former RAF Usworth/Sunderland Airport, between Washington and Sunderland, in Tyne and Wear ...
, Sunderland, England
[Ellis 2012, p. 170]
:* ''ZF598'' Lightning T.55 as ''55–713'' at the
Midland Air Museum
The Midland Air Museum (MAM) is situated just outside the village of Baginton in Warwickshire, England, and is adjacent to Coventry Airport. The museum includes the ''Sir Frank Whittle Jet Heritage Centre'' (named after the local aviation pione ...
, Coventry, England
["Aircraft Listing."](_blank)
''Midland Air Museum'', Retrieved: 18 January 2014.
:* ''XL629'' Lightning T.4 inside the main gate at
MoD Boscombe Down, Wiltshire, England
;Stored or under restoration
:* ''XM172'' Lightning F.1A in a private collection at Spark Bridge, Cumbria
[Ellis 2012, p. 39]
:* ''XS416'' Lightning T.5 in a private collection at New York, Lincolnshire
[Ellis 2102, p. 136]
:* ''XR724'' Lightning F.6 is in taxiable condition at the former
RAF Binbrook, Lincolnshire
[Ellis 2012, p. 130]
:* ''XR725'' Lightning F.6 in a private collection at Binbrook, Lincolnshire
[Ellis 2012, p. 129]
:* ''ZF581'' Lightning F.53 Under restoration at the
Bentwaters Cold War Museum,
Suffolk
Suffolk () is a ceremonial county of England in East Anglia. It borders Norfolk to the north, Cambridgeshire to the west and Essex to the south; the North Sea lies to the east. The county town is Ipswich; other important towns include Lowes ...
, England
[Ellis 2012, p. 202]
United States
;On display
*''ZF593'' Lightning F.53 painted in 5 Squadron camouflage colours, on display at
Pima Air & Space Museum in
Tucson, Arizona
, "(at the) base of the black ill
, nicknames = "The Old Pueblo", "Optics Valley", "America's biggest small town"
, image_map =
, mapsize = 260px
, map_caption = Interactive map ...
.
*''ZF597'' Lightning T.55 painted in RAF markings, on display at
Olympic Flight Museum
The Olympic Flight Museum is an aviation museum at the Olympia Airport in Olympia, Washington, USA. The museum has more than 10 vintage planes and helicopters on display, most of which are in airworthy condition. The museum also hosts the annual O ...
in
Olympia, Washington
Olympia is the capital of the U.S. state of Washington and the county seat and largest city of Thurston County. It is southwest of the state's most populous city, Seattle, and is a cultural center of the southern Puget Sound region.
European ...
.
;Stored or under restoration
*''XS422'' Lightning T.5 painted in RAF markings, under restoration to fly at
Stennis International Airport
Stennis International Airport is a public use airport in Hancock County, Mississippi, United States. Owned by the Hancock County Port and Harbor Commission, the airport is located eight nautical miles (15 km) northwest of the central b ...
, in
Hancock County, Mississippi
Hancock County is the southernmost county of the U.S. state of Mississippi and is named for Founding Father John Hancock. As of the 2010 census, the population was 43,929. Its county seat is Bay St. Louis.
Hancock County is part of the Gulfp ...
. (owned by the Anglo-American Lightning Organisation who also own the cockpit of ZF595 which is being used as a parts donor for XS422).
Specifications (Lightning F.6)
Notable appearances
* The 1965 period comedy film
Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines
''Those Magnificent Men in their Flying Machines; Or, How I Flew from London to Paris in 25 Hours and 11 Minutes'' is a 1965 British period comedy film that satirizes the early years of aviation. Directed and co-written by Ken Annakin, the film ...
set in 1910 ends with a flyover of six English Electric Lightnings.
* British journalist and TV presenter
Jeremy Clarkson borrowed a Lightning (
serial ''XM172'') which was temporarily placed in his garden and documented on Clarkson's 2001 television series ''
Speed
In everyday use and in kinematics, the speed (commonly referred to as ''v'') of an object is the magnitude of the change of its position over time or the magnitude of the change of its position per unit of time; it is thus a scalar quanti ...
''.
* In a 2010 episode of the BBC TV programme ''
Wonders of the Solar System'',
Professor Brian Cox had a South African Lightning (''XS451'') climb to a very high altitude, allowing Cox to show the curvature of the Earth and the relative dimensions of the atmosphere.
"Wonders of the Solar System – The Thin Blue Line."
''British Broadcasting Corporation'', Retrieved: 18 January 2013. This aircraft crashed in November 2009, a month after the episode was filmed, when it developed mechanical problems during an air show at South Africa's AFB Overberg
Air Force Base Overberg is an airbase of the South African Air Force at Bredasdorp on the Overberg district of the Western Cape province and is the host of the 525 squadron and the Test Flight and Development Centre. It is placed under command ...
.
See also
* Holden's Lightning flight – an inadvertent Lightning flight by a non-pilot engineer
Notes
References
Citations
Sources
*
*
* Beamont, Roland. ''Flying to the Limit''. Somerset, UK: Patrick Stevens Ltd, 1996. .
* Bowman, Martin W. ''English Electric Lightning''. Wiltshire, UK: The Crowood Press Ltd, 1997. .
* Buttler, Tony. ''British Secret Projects: Jet Fighters Since 1950''. Hinckley, UK: Midland Publishing, 2005. .
* Buttler, Tony. ''X-Planes of Europe II: Military Prototype Aircraft from the Golden Age 1946–1974''. Manchester, UK: Hikoki Publications, 2015.
* Darling, Kev. ''English Electric/British Aircraft Corporation Lightning Mks 1–6''. Lulu.com, 2008. .
* Darling, Kev. ''English Electric Lightning'' (Warbird Tech Series Vol. 28). North Branch, Minnesota: Specialty Press, 2000. .
*
*
* Dunn, Bob. ''Colourful Career: The Life and Times of a Lightning''. Air Enthusiast 115, January–February 2005, pp. 18–19.
*
* Gunston, Bill and Mike Spick. ''Modern Air Combat: Aircraft, Tactics and Weapons Employed in Aerial Warfare Today.'' London: Salamander Books, 1983. .
* Halpenny, Bruce Barrymore. '' English Electric/BAC Lightning''. Oxford, UK: Osprey Air Combat, 1984. .
* Jackson, Paul. "Lament for the Lightning". ''Air International'', Vol. 34, No. 6, June 1988, pp. 279–289, 307. .
* Lake, Jon. "Aircraft Profile – English Electric Lightning – Part One". ''Air International''. Vol. 70, No. 1, January 2006, pp. 64–66. .
* Lake, Jon. "Aircraft Profile – English Electric Lightning – Part Two". ''Air International''. Vol. 70, No. 2, February 2006, pp. 64–66. .
* Lake, Jon. "Aircraft Profile – English Electric Lightning – Part Three". ''Air International''. Vol. 70, No. 3, March 2006, pp. 64–66. .
* Lake, Jon. "English Electric Lightning". ''Wings of Fame'', Volume 7, 1997, pp. 36–101. . .
* Laming, Tim. ''Fight's On: Airborne with the Aggressors.'' Minneapolis, Minnesota: Zenith Imprint, 1996. .
* McLelland, Tim. ''English Electric Lightning: Britain's First and Last Supersonic Interceptor''. Surrey, UK: Ian Allan Publishing, 2009. .
"Multi-Mission Lightning"
''Flight International
''Flight International'' is a monthly magazine focused on aerospace. Published in the United Kingdom and founded in 1909 as "A Journal devoted to the Interests, Practice, and Progress of Aerial Locomotion and Transport", it is the world's oldes ...
'', 5 September 1968, pp. 371–378.
* ''The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Aircraft'' (Part Work 1982–1985). London: Orbis Publishing, 1985.
* Philpott, Bryan. ''English Electric/BAC Lightning''. Wellingborough, UK: Patrick Stevens Ltd, 1984. .
* "Punter, H". "An Arabian Magic Carpet". ''Air International
''AIR International'' is a British aviation magazine covering current defence aerospace and civil aviation topics. It has been in publication since 1971 and is currently published by Key Publishing Ltd.
History and profile
The magazine was fir ...
'', Vol. 15, No. 5, October 1978, pp. 167–172.
* Ransom, Stephen and Robert Fairclough. ''English Electric Aircraft and their Predecessors''. London: Putnam, 1987. .
* Scott, Stewart A. "English Electric Lightning, Volume One: Birth of the Legend." Peterborough, Cambridgeshire, UK: GMS Enterprises, 2000. .
* Williams, Anthony G. and Emmanuel Gustin. ''Flying Guns: The Modern Era''. Wiltshire, UK: Crowood Press, 2004. .
* Winchester, Jim, ed. "English Electric Lightning." ''Military Aircraft of the Cold War'' (The Aviation Factfile). Rochester, Kent, UK: The Grange plc., 2006. .
* Wood, Derek. ''Project Cancelled: The Disaster of Britain's Abandoned Aircraft Projects'' 2nd ed. London: Janes, 1986. .
Further reading
* Caygill, Peter. ''Lightning from the Cockpit: Flying the Supersonic Legend''. Barnsley, South Yorkshire, UK: Pen & Sword Books Ltd., 2004. .
External links
Anglo American Lightning Organisation, returning to flight XS422, the former ETPS Lightning at Stennis Airport, Kiln, Mississippi
The Lightning Association
Thunder City
{{Authority control
Lightning
Lightning is a naturally occurring electrostatic discharge during which two electric charge, electrically charged regions, both in the atmosphere or with one on the land, ground, temporarily neutralize themselves, causing the instantaneous ...
Mid-wing aircraft
Twinjets
1950s British fighter aircraft