The English Electric Lightning was a supersonic interceptor aircraft in service with the Royal Air Force between 1959 and 1988. It was the first British combat aircraft to fly at twice the speed of sound in 1958, when it was still a prototype. With a rate of climb of 20,000 ft/min (100 m/s), this warplane could hurtle skywards at an incredible speed to intercept any enemy intruder, such as a bomber.
The prototype of the Lightning, the P.1A, made its first flight on August 4, 1954. It was flown by test pilot Robert P. Beamont and it was escorted by a Canberra aircraft. It was a 33 minutes flight, which would be the start of a very long test program that was to last five years, involving several prototypes. Finally, it entered service with the British Royal Air Force on December 23, 1959, as the F.1A. A total of 337 aircraft would be built by English Electric, with the F.2, F.3, F.3A, T.5 (trainer), and F.6 being the most important variants.
Despite its high speed, it was a maneuverable and reliable aircraft that could also be used as a fighter. During the Cold War, British pilots frequently turned back Soviet reconnaissance aircraft heading for Great Britain's shores. In real combat situations, they would have fired the Firestreak air-to-air missiles on approaching bombers, sending them down in flames. In those days, few other fighters were as fast and formidable as this British aircraft.
Below, the famous British interceptor during the last stage of the flight test program. The bulge on aircraft belly is the fuel tank.
Technical Description
The English Electric Lightning was a single-seat, twin-engine supersonic monoplane. It had highly-swept mid-wing, with the leading edge angle having a sweepback of 60 degrees. Thus, the wing could also be classified as notched delta. The tail assembly horizontal plane was also swept back at same angle and was mounted low on fuselage. The tail vertical fin was set up on top of rear portion of fuselage. The rear wheels of landing gear folded up into wing.
The fuselage of the Lightning was of all-metal construction. Its engines layout was unique as they were mounted one on top of the other. These were Rolls-Royce Avon 302 afterburning turbojet engines, which produced 16,367 pounds of thrust. The air intake was located in the nose of aircraft, being fitted with an air cone. Although the aircraft was popular with pilots, the cockpit was fairly cramped.
Specifications (F.6)
Type: interceptor/fighter aircraft
Length: 16.84 m (55 feet, 3 inches)
Wing Span: 10.62 m (34 feet, 10 inches)
Wing Area: 35.31 m2 (380 square feet)
Height: 5.97 m (19 feet, 7 inches)
Power Plant: two 16,367-lb, Rolls-Royce Avon-302 turbojet engines.
Maximum Speed: Mach 2.3 (2,415 km/h, or 1,500 mph)
Range: 1,200 km (746 miles)
Service Ceiling: 16,500 m (54,134 feet)
Armament: two 30-mm ADEN cannons; two Firestreak heat-seeking missiles.
Below, the prototype P.1A, WG760, in flight in 1954.
The English Electric Lightning F.4 version.
Below, the F.6 version during a passover before touching down on airbase runway.
