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The English Electric Lightning is a British
fighter aircraft Fighter aircraft (early on also ''pursuit aircraft'') are military aircraft designed primarily for air-to-air combat. In military conflict, the role of fighter aircraft is to establish air supremacy, air superiority of the battlespace. Domina ...
that served as an
interceptor Interceptor may refer to: Arts and entertainment Film and television * ''The Interceptor'', a British drama series on BBC One * Interceptor (game show), ''Interceptor'' (game show), a British television game show that ran during 1989 * Interc ...
during the 1960s, the 1970s and into the late 1980s. It is capable of a top speed above Mach 2. The Lightning was designed, developed, and manufactured by
English Electric The English Electric Company Limited (EE) was a British industrial manufacturer formed after World War I by amalgamating five businesses which, during the war, made munitions, armaments and aeroplanes. It initially specialised in industrial el ...
. After EE merged with other aircraft manufacturers to form the
British Aircraft Corporation The British Aircraft Corporation (BAC) was a British aircraft manufacturer formed from the government-pressured merger of English Electric, English Electric Aviation Ltd., Vickers-Armstrongs, Vickers-Armstrongs (Aircraft), the Bristol Aeroplane ...
it was marketed as the BAC Lightning. It was operated by the
Royal Air Force The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the Air force, air and space force of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. It was formed towards the end of the World War I, First World War on 1 April 1918, on the merger of t ...
(RAF), the Kuwait Air Force (KAF), and the
Royal Saudi Air Force The Royal Saudi Air Force (RSAF; ) is the military aviation, aviation branch of the Armed Forces of Saudi Arabia, Saudi Arabian Armed Forces. The Royal Saudi Air Force currently has wings, squadrons, and a special forces unit dedicated to comba ...
(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 airfields of the British "
V bomber The "V bombers" were the Royal Air Force (RAF) aircraft during the 1950s and 1960s that comprised the Nuclear weapons and the United Kingdom, United Kingdom's strategic nuclear strike force known officially as the V force or Bomber Command Mai ...
" strategic nuclear forceNote: at the time, the V bombers carried Britain's
nuclear deterrent Nuclear strategy involves the development of doctrines and strategies for the production and use of nuclear weapons. As a sub-branch of military strategy, nuclear strategy attempts to match nuclear weapons as means to political ends. In addit ...
and thus were the likely first-strike targets of a
Soviet The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...
air attack on the UK. In addition to the Lightning, the last line of defence for the airfields was to be what became the Bristol Bloodhound guided missile.
from attack by anticipated future nuclear-armed supersonic Soviet
bombers A bomber is a military combat aircraft that utilizes air-to-ground weaponry to drop bombs, launch torpedoes, or deploy air-launched cruise missiles. There are two major classifications of bomber: strategic and tactical. Strategic bombing is ...
such as what emerged as the
Tupolev Tu-22 The Tupolev Tu-22 ( Air Standardization Coordinating Committee name: Blinder) was the first supersonic bomber to enter production in the Soviet Union. Manufactured by Tupolev, the Tu-22 entered service with Long-Range Aviation and Soviet Nav ...
"Blinder", but it was subsequently also required to intercept other
bomber A bomber is a military combat aircraft that utilizes air-to-ground weaponry to drop bombs, launch aerial torpedo, torpedoes, or deploy air-launched cruise missiles. There are two major classifications of bomber: strategic and tactical. Strateg ...
aircraft such as the Tupolev Tu-16 ("Badger") and the
Tupolev Tu-95 The Tupolev Tu-95 (; NATO reporting name: "Bear") is a large, four-engine turboprop-powered strategic bomber and missile platform. Maiden flight, First flown in 1952, the Tu-95 entered service with the Soviet Long Range Aviation, Long-Range Avia ...
("Bear"). The Lightning has exceptional
rate of climb In aeronautics, the rate of climb (RoC) is an aircraft's vertical speed, that is the positive or negative rate of altitude change with respect to time. In most ICAO member countries, even in otherwise metric countries, this is usually expressed ...
,
ceiling A ceiling is an overhead interior roof 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 can ...
, 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 Strategy, strategic purpose that is conducted using reconnaissance aircraft. The role of reconnaissance can fulfil a variety of requirements including Artillery observer, artillery spott ...
and ground-attack capability. Overwing fuel tank fittings were installed in the F6 variant and gave an extended range, but limited maximum speed to a reported . Following retirement by the RAF on 30 April 1988, many of the remaining aircraft became museum exhibits. Until 2009, three Lightnings were kept flying at Thunder City in
Cape Town Cape Town is the legislature, legislative capital city, capital of South Africa. It is the country's oldest city and the seat of the Parliament of South Africa. Cape Town is the country's List of municipalities in South Africa, 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 110,000 member ...
conferred on the Lightning its Engineering Heritage Award at a ceremony at
BAE Systems BAE Systems plc is a British Multinational corporation, multinational Aerospace industry, aerospace, military technology, military and information security company, based in London. It is the largest manufacturer in Britain as of 2017. It is ...
' (the successor to BAC)
Warton Aerodrome Warton Aerodrome is an airfield located in Warton village on the Fylde in Lancashire, England. It is west of Preston, Lancashire. The western end of the site adjoins the village of Freckleton. The airfield is a major assembly and testing ...
.


Development


Origins

The specification for the aircraft followed the cancellation of the Air Ministry's 1942 specification E.24/43 supersonic research aircraft which had resulted in the Miles M.52 programme. Teddy Petter, formerly chief designer at
Westland Aircraft Westland Aircraft was a British aircraft manufacturer located in Yeovil, Somerset. Formed as a separate company by separation from Petters Limited just before the start of the Second World War, Westland had been building aircraft since 1915. Du ...
, who had been hired by English Electric in 1944 to head an office to develop aircraft rather than just make other manufacturers' designs, 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 on 1 August 1939 by the Ministry of Supply Act 1939 ( 2 & 3 Geo. 6. c. 38) to co-ordinate the supply of equipment to all three British armed forces, headed by the Ministe ...
(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 Frederick Page leading the design and Ray Creasey responsible for the aerodynamics. By July 1948 their proposal incorporated the stacked engine configuration and a high-mounted tailplane. Designed for Mach 1.5, the wing leading edge was swept back 40° to keep it clear of the Mach cone. This proposal was submitted in November 1948, and in January 1949 the project was designated P.1 by English Electric. On 29 March 1949 the MoS granted approval to start a 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, taking many design cues from the CAC CA-23. 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 from English Electric, Page took over as design team leader for the P.1Darling 2000, pp. 8–10. and the running of EE design office. 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 aeros ...
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 in mid-1950. This was a low-speed research aircraft that could test sweep angles from 50 to 69 degrees and high or low tailplane positions. 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

From 1953 onward, the first three prototype aircraft were hand-built at
Samlesbury Aerodrome Samlesbury Aerodrome is a disused airfield at Balderstone, Lancashire, Balderstone near Samlesbury and Blackburn in the Ribble Valley district of Lancashire. The aerodrome is owned by defence company BAE Systems which uses the site for the manu ...
, where all Lightnings were built. These aircraft were given 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 d ...
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 Endurance (also related to sufferance, forbearance, resilience, constitution, fortitude, persistence, tenacity, steadfastness, perseverance, stamina, and hardiness) is the ability of an organism to exert itself and remain active for a ...
, 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 Inlet cones (sometimes called shock cones or inlet centerbodies) are a component of some supersonic aircraft and missiles. They are primarily used on ramjets, such as the D-21 Tagboard and Lockheed X-7. Some turbojet aircraft including the S ...
, variable nozzle reheat and provision for weapons systems integrated with the ADC 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 MOD Boscombe Down ' is the home of a military aircraft testing site, on the south-eastern outskirts of the town of Amesbury, Wiltshire, England. The site is managed by QinetiQ, the private defence company created as part of the breakup of the D ...
for pre-flight ground taxi trials; on the morning of 4 August 1954, ''WG760'', piloted by Roland Beamont, 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 elasticity (solid mechanics), elastic medium. More simply, the speed of sound is how fast vibrations travel. At , the speed of sound in a ...
during its third flight.Buttler 2000, p. 65. During its first flight, ''WG760'' had unknowingly exceeded , but due to
position error Position error is one of the errors affecting the systems in an aircraft for measuring airspeed and altitude. It is not practical or necessary for an aircraft to have an airspeed indicating system and an altitude indicating system that are exactly ...
the Mach meter only showed a maximum of . The occurrence was noticed during flight data analysis a few days later."Progress with the P.1"
''Flight'', 26 April 1957, p. 543.
While ''WG760'' had proven the P.1 design to be viable, it was limited to due to
directional stability Directional stability is the tendency of a vehicle or moving body to keep its orientation aligned with its direction of movement. When a car or an airplane gets turned a little relative to its direction of motion, it might correct itself, over-co ...
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 and civil aviation that existed from 1918 to 1964. It was under the political authority of the ...
learned of the
Tupolev Tu-22 The Tupolev Tu-22 ( Air Standardization Coordinating Committee name: Blinder) was the first supersonic bomber to enter production in the Soviet Union. Manufactured by Tupolev, the Tu-22 entered service with Long-Range Aviation and Soviet Nav ...
, expected to enter service in 1962. It could cruise for relatively long periods at 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 all-weather interceptor aircraft designed and produced by the Gloster Aircraft Company. It was operated by the Royal Air Force from the mid-1950s until the late 1960s and was the final aircraft design to b ...
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 fi ...
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 the 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 Union, Soviet high-flying nuclear-armed supersonic bombers. Discus ...
calling for a faster design to be armed with either an improved Firestreak 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 Duncan Edwin Duncan-Sandys, Baron Duncan-Sandys (; 24 January 1908 – 26 November 1987), was a British politician and minister in successive Conservative governments in the 1950s and 1960s. He was a son-in-law of Winston Churchill and played a ...
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 powered only during relatively brief periods—most of the flight is unpowered. Short-range ballistic missiles (SRBM) typic ...
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 Blue Envoy (a Rainbow Code name) was a British project to develop a ramjet-powered surface-to-air missile. It was tasked with countering supersonic bomber aircraft launching stand-off missiles, and thus had to have very long range and high-speed ...
". F.155 was cancelled on 29 March 1957 and Blue Envoy in April. To fill the immediate need for a supersonic interceptor, the 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 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 The Air Force Test Center (AFTC) is a development and test organization of the United States Air Force. It conducts research, development, test, and evaluation of aerospace systems from concept to deployment. It has test flown every aircraft in ...
, Andy Anderson and
Deke Slayton Donald Kent "Deke" Slayton (March 1, 1924 – June 13, 1993) was an American Air Force pilot, aeronautical engineer, test pilot, and one of the original NASA Mercury Seven astronauts. He went on to become NASA's first Chief of the Astronaut O ...
, were given the opportunity to familiarise themselves with the P.1B. Slayton, who was subsequently selected as one of the Mercury 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 RAE Farnborough, 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 Champagne (; ) is a sparkling wine originated and produced in the Champagne wine region of France under the rules of the appellation, which demand specific vineyard practices, sourcing of grapes exclusively from designated places within it, spe ...
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, reached Mach 2 for 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 extent varies depending on context. The concept of "the West" appeared in Europe in juxtaposition to "the East" and originally applied to the Western half of the ancient Mediterranean ...
an aircraft to reach Mach 2, the first one being the French
Dassault Mirage III The Dassault Mirage III () is a family of single/dual-seat, single-engine, fighter aircraft developed and manufactured by French aircraft company Dassault Aviation. It was the first Western European combat aircraft to exceed Mach 2 in horizont ...
just over a month earlier on 24 October 1958.


Production

The first operational Lightning, designated ''Lightning F.1'', was designed as an interceptor to defend the V Force airfields in conjunction with the "last ditch" Bristol Bloodhound missiles located either at the bomber airfield, e.g. at
RAF Marham Royal Air Force Marham, commonly abbreviated RAF Marham is a Royal Air Force station near the village of Marham in the 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 ' ...
, or at dedicated missile sites near to the airfield, e.g. at
RAF Woodhall Spa Royal Air Force Woodhall Spa, or more simply RAF Woodhall Spa, is a former Royal Air Force satellite station located north of Coningsby, Lincolnshire and southeast of Lincoln, England, Lincoln, Lincolnshire, England. History Constructed on ...
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 h ...
. 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
air-to-air missile An air-to-air missile (AAM) is a missile fired from an aircraft for the purpose of destroying another aircraft (including unmanned aircraft such as cruise missiles). AAMs are typically powered by one or more rocket motors, usually solid-fuel roc ...
s.Scott 2000, pp. 119–129. The
Ferranti Ferranti International PLC or simply Ferranti was a UK-based electrical engineering and equipment firm that operated for over a century, from 1885 until its bankruptcy in 1993. At its peak, Ferranti was a significant player in power grid system ...
AI.23 onboard radar provided
missile guidance Missile guidance refers to a variety of methods of guiding a missile or a guided bomb to its intended target. The missile's target accuracy is a critical factor for its effectiveness. Guidance systems improve missile accuracy by improving its P ...
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''. 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 is the part of the wing that first contacts the air;Crane, Dale: ''Dictionary of Aeronautical Terms, third edition'', page 305. Aviation Supplies & Academics, 1997. alternatively it is the foremost edge of an airfoil sectio ...
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 tanks on pylons 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 was the common English name for the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG) from its formation on 23 May 1949 until German reunification, its reunification with East Germany on 3 October 1990. It is sometimes known as the Bonn Republi ...
.


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 rocket pods each carrying eighteen 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 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 tank In aviation, a drop tank (external tank, wing tank or belly tank) is used to describe auxiliary fuel tanks externally carried by aircraft. A drop tank is expendable and often capable of being jettisoned. External tanks are commonplace on modern ...
s, with additional Matra JL-100 combined rocket and fuel pods (each containing 18 SNEB rockets and of fuel) or bombs being possible options. This could give a maximum ground attack weapons load for a developed export Lightning of six 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 or planform of a fixed-wing aircraft (including both glider (aircraft), gliders and powered aeroplanes) is its arrangement of lifting and related surfaces. Aircraft designs are often classified by their wing configuratio ...
, 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 modified during flight, swept back and then returned to its previous straight position. Because it allows the aircraft's shape to ...
, 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 naval warfare force of the United Kingdom. It is a component of His Majesty's Naval Service, and its officers hold their commissions from the King of the United Kingdom, King. Although warships were used by Kingdom ...
's existing
aircraft carrier An aircraft carrier is a warship that serves as a seagoing airbase, equipped with a full-length flight deck and hangar facilities for supporting, arming, deploying and recovering carrier-based aircraft, shipborne aircraft. Typically it is the ...
s'
carrier-based aircraft A carrier-based aircraft (also known as carrier-capable aircraft, carrier-borne aircraft, carrier aircraft or aeronaval aircraft) is a naval aircraft designed for operations from aircraft carriers. Carrier-based aircraft must be able to launch i ...
, 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 The Rolls-Royce Spey (company designations RB.163 and RB.168 and RB.183) is a low-bypass turbofan engine originally designed and manufactured by Rolls-Royce that has been in widespread service for over 40 years. A co-development version of the ...
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 (letter), delta (Δ). Although long studied, the delta wing did not find significant practical applications unti ...
, 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. 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 . 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 ; 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-lock 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

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 A head-up display, or heads-up display, also known as a HUD () or head-up guidance system (HGS), is any transparent display that presents data without requiring users to look away from their usual viewpoints. The origin of the name stems from a ...
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, Variometer, vertical speed, heading and much more other crucial inform ...
display arrangement, an Elliott Bros (London) Ltd auto-pilot, 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 ...
and VHF radios and a
datalink A data link is a means of telecommunications link, connecting one location to another for the purpose of transmitting and receiving digital information (data communication). It can also refer to a set of electronics assemblies, consisting of a t ...
. Unlike the previous generation of aircraft which used gaseous oxygen for lifesupport, the Lightning employed
liquid oxygen Liquid oxygen, sometimes abbreviated as LOX or LOXygen, is a clear cyan liquid form of dioxygen . It was used as the oxidizer in the first liquid-fueled rocket invented in 1926 by Robert H. Goddard, an application which is ongoing. Physical ...
-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 A drive shaft, driveshaft, driving shaft, tailshaft (Australian English), propeller shaft (prop shaft), or Cardan shaft (after Girolamo Cardano) is a component for transmitting mechanical power, torque, and rotation, usually used to connect ...
-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 brake is a mechanical device that inhibits motion by absorbing energy from a moving system. It is used for slowing or stopping a moving vehicle, wheel, axle, or to prevent its motion, most often accomplished by means of friction. Background ...
slowed the aircraft during landing. A
tailhook A tailhook, arresting hook, or arrester hook is a device attached to the empennage (rear) of some military fixed-wing aircraft. The hook is used to achieve rapid deceleration during routine landings aboard aircraft carrier flight decks at sea, ...
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, sufficient to generate adequate hydraulic power for the powered controls during flight. 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 scan Track-while-scan (TWS) is a mode of radar operation in which the radar allocates part of its power to tracking a target or targets (up to forty with modern radar) while part of its power is allocated to scanning. It is similar to but functions diff ...
ning 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'', formerly ''Flight'', 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", i ...
'', 21 March 1968
The Lightning possessed a remarkable
climb rate In aeronautics, the rate of climb (RoC) is an aircraft's vertical speed, that is the positive or negative rate of altitude change with respect to time. In most ICAO member countries, even in otherwise metric countries, this is usually expressed ...
. 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 before initiating a climb, stabilising at . This would yield a constant climb rate of approximately . Around the Lightning would reach and maintain this speed until reaching the
tropopause The tropopause is the atmospheric boundary that demarcates the lowest two layers of the atmosphere of Earth – the troposphere and stratosphere – which occurs approximately above the equatorial regions, and approximately above the polar regi ...
, 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. The official ceiling of the Lightning was kept secret. Low security RAF documents often stated "in excess of ". In September 1962,
RAF Fighter Command RAF Fighter Command was one of the commands of the Royal Air Force. It was formed in 1936 to allow more specialised control of fighter aircraft. It operated throughout the Second World War, winning fame during the Battle of Britain in 1940. The ...
organised interception trials on Lockheed U-2As at heights of around , which were temporarily based at
RAF Upper Heyford Royal Air Force Upper Heyford or more simply RAF Upper Heyford is a former Royal Air Force station located north-west of Bicester near the village of Upper Heyford, Oxfordshire, Upper Heyford, Oxfordshire, England. In the World War II, Second W ...
to monitor
Soviet The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...
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, Flight Lieutenant 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 Starfighter The Lockheed F-104 Starfighter is an American single-engine, supersonic interceptor. Created as a day fighter by Lockheed as one of the " Century Series" of fighter aircraft for the United States Air Force (USAF), it was developed into an ...
s from
Aalborg Aalborg or Ålborg ( , , ) is Denmark's List of cities and towns in Denmark, fourth largest urban settlement (behind Copenhagen, Aarhus, and Odense) with a population of 119,862 (1 July 2022) in the town proper and an Urban area, urban populati ...
. 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 the engines were "touchy" in terms of staying lit in the thin air, and "getting down to a more reasonable and sane altitude needed delicate handling." Carroll compared the Lightning and the McDonnell Douglas 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 The Century Series is a popular name for a group of US fighter aircraft representing models designated between F-100 and F-106 which went into full production. They included the first successful supersonic aircraft designs in the United State ...
" 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;''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 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 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 Fiberglass (American English) or fibreglass ( Commonwealth English) is a common type of fiber-reinforced plastic using glass fiber. The fibers may be randomly arranged, flattened into a sheet called a chopped strand mat, or woven into glass c ...
, 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, but if the speed was increased to at , the shock cone was exposed to higher temperatures 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 "aeroplane" and "acrobatics". Aerobatics are performed in aeroplanes and gl ...
.


Operational history


Royal Air Force

The first aircraft to enter service with the RAF, three pre-production P.1Bs, arrived at
RAF Coltishall Royal Air Force Coltishall more commonly known as RAF Coltishall is a former Royal Air Force List of former Royal Air Force stations, station located north-north-east of Norwich, in the England, English Counties of the United Kingdom, county ...
in
Norfolk Norfolk ( ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in England, located in East Anglia and officially part of the East of England region. It borders Lincolnshire and The Wash to the north-west, the North Sea to the north and eas ...
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 as a nucleus at RAF Tangmere. It also tested new fighter aircraft and equipment, a ...
, 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 or S/L) is a senior officer rank used by some air forces, with origins from the Royal Air Force. The rank is used by air forces of many countries that have historical British influence. Squadron leader is immediatel ...
John "Johnny" Howe at Coltishall from 11 July 1960.Lake 1997, pp. 43–44. This made the Lightning the second Western European-built
combat aircraft A military aircraft is any fixed-wing or rotary-wing aircraft that is operated by a legal or insurrectionary military of any type. Some military aircraft engage directly in aerial warfare, while others take on support roles: * Combat aircraft, ...
with true supersonic capability to enter service and the second fully supersonic aircraft to be deployed in Western Europe, the first one in both categories being the Swedish
Saab 35 Draken The Saab 35 Draken (; ''The Kite'', ambiguous with ''The Dragon'') is a Swedish interceptor aircraft, fighter-interceptor developed and manufactured by Saab AB, Svenska Aeroplan Aktiebolaget (Saab AB, SAAB) between 1955 and 1974. Development of ...
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 Wattisham or more simply RAF Wattisham was, between 1939 and 1993, the name of a Royal Air Force station located in East Anglia just outside the village of Wattisham, south of Stowmarket in Suffolk, England. During the Cold W ...
in Suffolk 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. An improved variant, the F.2 first flew on 11 July 1961Lake 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 and retire these types during the mid-1960s. A Lightning was tasked with shooting down a pilot-less Hawker Siddley Harrier over West Germany in 1972. The pilot had abandoned the Harrier which continued flying toward the
East German East Germany, officially known as the German Democratic Republic (GDR), was a country in Central Europe from its formation on 7 October 1949 until its reunification with West Germany (FRG) on 3 October 1990. Until 1989, it was generally vie ...
border; it was shot down to avoid a diplomatic incident. During
British Airways British Airways plc (BA) is the flag carrier of the United Kingdom. It is headquartered in London, England, near its main Airline hub, hub at Heathrow Airport. The airline is the second largest UK-based carrier, based on fleet size and pass ...
trials in April 1985,
Concorde Concorde () is a retired Anglo-French supersonic airliner jointly developed and manufactured by Sud Aviation and the British Aircraft Corporation (BAC). Studies started in 1954, and France and the United Kingdom signed a treaty establishin ...
was offered as a target to NATO fighters including F-15 Eagles,
F-16 Fighting Falcons The General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon is an American single-engine supersonic multirole fighter aircraft originally developed by General Dynamics for the United States Air Force (USAF). Designed as an air superiority day fighter, it e ...
,
Grumman F-14 Tomcat The Grumman F-14 Tomcat is an American carrier-capable supersonic aircraft, supersonic, twinjet, twin-engine, Tandem#Aviation, tandem two-seat, twin-tail, all-weather-capable variable-sweep wing fighter aircraft. The Tomcat was developed for t ...
s,
Dassault Mirage Mirage is a name given to several types of jet aircraft designed by the French company Dassault Aviation (formerly Avions Marcel Dassault), some of which were produced in different variants. Most were supersonic fighters with delta wings. The most ...
s, 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), formally the Treaty of Friendship, Co-operation and Mutual Assistance (TFCMA), was a Collective security#Collective defense, collective defense treaty signed in Warsaw, Polish People's Republic, Poland, between the Sovi ...
and
NATO The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO ; , OTAN), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental organization, intergovernmental Transnationalism, transnational military alliance of 32 Member states of NATO, member s ...
members, the Lightning's range and firepower shortcomings became increasingly apparent. The transfer of
McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II The McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II is an American tandem two-seat, twin-engine, all-weather, long-range supersonic jet interceptor and fighter-bomber that was developed by McDonnell Aircraft for the United States Navy.Swanborough and Bower ...
s 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 a British-French supersonic 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. As of 2025, the Jaguar remains in service with the ...
s in the ground attack role. The Lightning's direct replacement was the Panavia Tornado F3, an interceptor variant of the
Panavia Tornado The Panavia Tornado is a family of twin-engine, variable-sweep wing multi-role combat aircraft, jointly developed and manufactured by Italy, the United Kingdom and Germany. There are three primary #Variants, Tornado variants: the Tornado IDS ...
multi-role aircraft. 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. The last flight by RAF Lightnings was on 30 June 1988 with 2 aircraft flying to
Cranfield Airport Cranfield Airport is an airfield just outside the village of Cranfield, in Bedfordshire, England. It is south-west of Bedford and east of Milton Keynes. It was originally a Second World War aerodrome, RAF Cranfield. It is now used for busin ...
from RAF Binbrook.


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 The Tengah Air Base is a military airbase of the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) located in the Western Water Catchment, in the western part of Singapore. The air base is the most important airfield of the RSAF as it houses the maj ...
, Singapore to take over the air defence role from the Gloster Javelin 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 Royal Air Force Akrotiri, commonly abbreviated RAF Akrotiri (; ) is a large Royal Air Force (RAF) military airbase on the Mediterranean island of Cyprus. It is located in the Western Sovereign Base Area, one of two areas which comprise Akroti ...
, Cyprus to support the Near East Air Force and in 1967 No. 56 Squadron RAF moved from RAF Wattisham 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 in West Germany as part of
Royal Air Force Germany Royal Air Force Germany, commonly known as RAF Germany, and abbreviated RAFG, was a List of Royal Air Force commands, command of the Royal Air Force (RAF) and part of British Forces Germany (BFG). It consisted of units located in Germany, init ...
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

On 21 December 1965,
Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia, officially the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), is a country in West Asia. Located in the centre of the Middle East, it covers the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula and has a land area of about , making it the List of Asian countries ...
, keen to improve its air defences owing to the Saudi involvement in the
North Yemen Civil War The North Yemen civil war, also known as the 26 September revolution, was a civil war fought in North Yemen from 1962 to 1970 between partisans of the Kingdom of Yemen, Mutawakkilite Kingdom and supporters of the Yemen Arab Republic. The war ...
and the resultant air incursions into Saudi airspace by
Egypt Egypt ( , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a country spanning the Northeast Africa, northeast corner of Africa and Western Asia, southwest corner of Asia via the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to northe ...
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 The BAC 167 Strikemaster is a jet-powered training and light attack aircraft designed and produced by the British Aircraft Corporation. It was a development of the Hunting Jet Provost trainer, itself a jet engined version of the Percival Provo ...
trainers, while the contract also included new radar systems, American
Hawk Hawks are birds of prey of the family Accipitridae. They are very widely distributed and are found on all continents, except Antarctica. The subfamily Accipitrinae includes goshawks, sparrowhawks, sharp-shinned hawks, and others. This ...
surface-to-air missile A surface-to-air missile (SAM), also known as a ground-to-air missile (GTAM) or surface-to-air guided weapon (SAGW), is a missile designed to be launched from the ground or the sea to destroy aircraft or other missiles. It is one type of anti-ai ...
s 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 propulsion, 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 dev ...
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 in May 1967. The Lightnings and Hunters, flown by mercenary pilots, were deployed to
Khamis Mushait Khamis Mushayt or Khamis Mushait (, ' , locally: ) is a city in south-west Saudi Arabia, located east of Abha, the provincial seat of the Asir Province from the national capital of Riyadh. It is the capital of the Shahran tribe in the Asir regi ...
airfield near the Yemeni border, resulting in the curtailing of operations by the Egyptian Air Force over the Yemeni-Saudi border. During the Al-Wadiah War, RSAF Lightnings flown by Saudi and
Pakistan Air Force The Pakistan Air Force (PAF) (; ) is the aerial warfare branch of the Pakistan Armed Forces, tasked primarily with the aerial defence of Pakistan, with a secondary role of providing air support to the Pakistan Army and Pakistan Navy when re ...
pilots participated in the airstrikes on Yemeni militias after they captured a town in Saudi Arabia in 1969.
Kuwait Kuwait, officially the State of Kuwait, is a country in West Asia and the geopolitical region known as the Middle East. It is situated in the northern edge of the Arabian Peninsula at the head of the Persian Gulf, bordering Iraq to Iraq–Kuwait ...
ordered 14 Lightnings in December 1966; 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 (RA ...
that the Saudis used to keep their Lightnings operational, so serviceability was poor.Lake 1997, p. 59. 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, officially the People's Democratic Republic of Yemen, abbreviated to Democratic Yemen, was a country in South Arabia that existed in what is now southeast Yemen from 1967 until Yemeni unification, its unification with the Yemen A ...
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 th ...
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 by
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 Mirage III family. During the 1960s, Dassault commenced development of what would become t ...
s in 1977.Lake 1997, p. 62. The remaining aircraft were stored at
Kuwait International Airport Kuwait International Airport (, ) is an international airport located in the Farwaniya Governorate, Kuwait, south of the centre of Kuwait City, spread over an area of . As of 2024 it is the 11th busiest airport in the Middle East. It serves a ...
, and many were destroyed during the
Invasion of Kuwait The Iraqi invasion of Kuwait, codenamed Project 17, began on 2 August 1990 and marked the beginning of the Gulf War. After defeating the Kuwait, State of Kuwait on 4 August 1990, Ba'athist Iraq, Iraq went on to militarily occupy the country fo ...
by
Iraq Iraq, officially the Republic of Iraq, is a country in West Asia. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to Iraq–Saudi Arabia border, the south, Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq border, the east, the Persian Gulf and ...
in 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 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 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 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 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 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; not built.Buttler 2005, pp. 114–117.


Operators


Military operators

; * Kuwait Air Force operated both the F.53K (12) single-seat fighter and the T.55K (2) training version from 1968 to 1977. ; *
Royal Saudi Air Force The Royal Saudi Air Force (RSAF; ) is the military aviation, aviation branch of the Armed Forces of Saudi Arabia, Saudi Arabian Armed Forces. The Royal Saudi Air Force currently has wings, squadrons, and a special forces unit dedicated to comba ...
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 ; *
Royal Air Force The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the Air force, air and space force of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. It was formed towards the end of the World War I, First World War on 1 April 1918, on the merger of t ...
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' of No 56 Squadron from 1963 in red and silver. ; RAF Squadrons :* 5 Squadron formed at
RAF Binbrook Royal Air Force Binbrook or RAF Binbrook is a former Royal Air Force station located near Binbrook, Lincolnshire, England. The old domestic site (married quarters) has been renamed to become the village of Brookenby. RAF Binbrook was primaril ...
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 more simply RAF Leuchars is a former Royal Air Force 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 northe ...
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 (1966–1973) :* Lightning Training Flight (1975–1987) ; RAF Stations :*
RAF Akrotiri Royal Air Force Akrotiri, commonly abbreviated RAF Akrotiri (; ) is a large Royal Air Force (RAF) military airbase on the Mediterranean island of Cyprus. It is located in the Western Sovereign Base Area, one of two areas which comprise Akroti ...
:*
RAF Binbrook Royal Air Force Binbrook or RAF Binbrook is a former Royal Air Force station located near Binbrook, Lincolnshire, England. The old domestic site (married quarters) has been renamed to become the village of Brookenby. RAF Binbrook was primaril ...
:*
RAF Coltishall Royal Air Force Coltishall more commonly known as RAF Coltishall is a former Royal Air Force List of former Royal Air Force stations, station located north-north-east of Norwich, in the England, English Counties of the United Kingdom, county ...
:*
RAF Geilenkirchen Royal Air Force Geilenkirchen more commonly known as RAF Geilenkirchen is a former 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 squad ...
:* RAF Gütersloh :* RAF Leconfield :*
RAF Middleton St George RAF Middleton St George is a former Royal Air Force (RAF) and Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) Bomber Command station during the Second World War. It was located in County Durham, east of Darlington, England. The station's motto was ''Shield ...
:*
RAF Leuchars Royal Air Force Leuchars or more simply RAF Leuchars is a former Royal Air Force 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 northe ...
:*
RAF Tengah The Tengah Air Base is a military airbase of the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) located in the Western Water Catchment, in the western part of Singapore. The air base is the most important airfield of the RSAF as it houses the maj ...
:*
RAF Wattisham Royal Air Force Wattisham or more simply RAF Wattisham was, between 1939 and 1993, the name of a Royal Air Force station located in East Anglia just outside the village of Wattisham, south of Stowmarket in Suffolk, England. During the Cold W ...


Civil operators

; Thunder City, a private company based at
Cape Town International Airport Cape Town International Airport is the primary international airport serving the city of Cape Town, and is the List of South African airports by passenger movements, second-busiest airport in South Africa and List of busiest airports in Afric ...
, 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 The South African Air Force (SAAF) is the air warfare branch of South African National Defence Force, with its headquarters in Pretoria. The South African Air Force was established on 1 February 1920. The Air Force saw service in World War II a ...
Overberg Airshow held at AFB Overberg 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 Agu ...
on 14 November 2009."Fighter jet crashes at air show."
''News24.com'', 14 November 2009. Retrieved: 23 January 2010.
The Silver Falcons, 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. Th ...
after it was announced that the pilot had died in the crash. ; *
British Aerospace British Aerospace plc (BAe) was a British aircraft manufacturer, aircraft, munitions and defence-systems manufacturer that was formed in 1977. Its head office was at Warwick House in the Farnborough Aerospace Centre in Farnborough, Hampshire. ...
operated four ex-RAF F.6s as radar targets to aid development of the
Panavia Tornado ADV The Panavia Tornado Air Defence Variant (ADV) is a long-range, twin-engine swing-wing interceptor aircraft developed by the European Panavia Aircraft GmbH consortium. It was a specialised derivative of the multirole Panavia Tornado. Developm ...
's AI.24 Foxhunter radar from 1988 to 1992. ; *The Anglo-American Lightning Organisation, a group based at Stennis Airport,
Kiln, Mississippi Kiln is an Unincorporated area#United States, 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-Bil ...
, 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 The Empire Test Pilots' School (ETPS) is a British training school for test pilots and flight test engineers of fixed-wing and rotary-wing aircraft at MoD Boscombe Down in Wiltshire, England. It was established in 1943, the first of its type. ...
(ETPS) at
Boscombe Down MOD Boscombe Down ' is the home of a military aircraft testing site, on the south-eastern outskirts of the town of Amesbury, Wiltshire, England. The site is managed by QinetiQ, the private defence company created as part of the breakup of the D ...
in Wiltshire, UK.


Surviving aircraft

A complete list is availabl
here


Cyprus

;On display :* ''XS929'' Lightning F.6 at
RAF Akrotiri Royal Air Force Akrotiri, commonly abbreviated RAF Akrotiri (; ) is a large Royal Air Force (RAF) military airbase on the Mediterranean island of Cyprus. It is located in the Western Sovereign Base Area, one of two areas which comprise Akroti ...
, 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, Germany. :* ''XN730'' Lightning F.2A at the Militärhistorisches Museum Flugplatz Berlin-Gatow, 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 Kuwait International Airport (, ) is an international airport located in the Farwaniya Governorate, Kuwait, south of the centre of Kuwait City, spread over an area of . As of 2024 it is the 11th busiest airport in the Middle East. It serves a ...
. * Three Lightnings on stands at Al Jaber Air Base


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, 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 *"486" Lightning pylon-mounted on static display in a traffic circle outside the main gate of Prince Sultan Air Base in Al Kharj, Saudi Arabia. GPS 24.175664, 47.517913 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, Eastern Pro ...
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 Royal Air Force Museum Midlands, 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, Flixton, England :* ''XG337'' P1B/Lightning F.1 pre-production aircraft at the Royal Air Force Museum Midlands :* ''XM135'' Lightning F.1 at the
Imperial War Museum Duxford Imperial War Museum Duxford, also known as IWM Duxford or simply Duxford, is a branch of the Imperial War Museum near Duxford in Cambridgeshire, England. Duxford, Britain's largest aviation museum, houses exhibits, including nearly 200 aircraf ...
– flown by non-pilot Walter HoldenEllis 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 :* ''XN726'' Lightning F.2A cockpit section at the Boscombe Down Aviation Collection, Old Sarum Airfield, Wiltshire :* ''XN776'' Lightning F.2A at the National Museum of Flight, East Fortune, Scotland :* ''XP706'' Lightning F.3 at
South Yorkshire Aircraft Museum The South Yorkshire Aircraft Museum (SYAM) is a volunteer-led museum located at Lakeside in Doncaster, South Yorkshire, England. It occupies the former site of the Royal Air Force Station, RAF Doncaster. The museum occupies the last remaining o ...
, Doncaster, EnglandEllis 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 Peterhead (; , ) is a town in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. It is the council area's largest settlement, with a population of 19,060 at the 2022 Census for Scotland, 2022 Census. It is the largest fishing port in the United Kingdom for total landi ...
, ScotlandEllis 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 The Farnborough Air Sciences Trust (FAST) museum holds a collection of aircraft (actual and model), satellites, simulators, wind tunnel and Royal Aircraft Establishment-related material. It is based in Farnborough, Hampshire immediately adjacent ...
, Farnborough, EnglandEllis 2012, p. 66 :* ''XS456'' Lightning T.5 at the Skegness Water Leisure Park, LincolnshireEllis 2012, p. 137 :* ''XS458'' Lightning T.5 is in taxiable condition at
Cranfield Airport Cranfield Airport is an airfield just outside the village of Cranfield, in Bedfordshire, England. It is south-west of Bedford and east of Milton Keynes. It was originally a Second World War aerodrome, RAF Cranfield. It is now used for busin ...
,
Bedfordshire Bedfordshire (; abbreviated ''Beds'') is a Ceremonial County, ceremonial county in the East of England. It is bordered by Northamptonshire to the north, Cambridgeshire to the north-east, Hertfordshire to the south and the south-east, and Buckin ...
, England :* ''XS459'' Lightning T.5 at the Fenland and West Norfolk Aviation Museum,
Wisbech Wisbech ( ) is a market town, inland 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, bordering Norfolk and ...
, EnglandEllis 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 h ...
, 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 originally ...
, Leicestershire, EnglandEllis 2012, p. 91 :*''XR770'' Lightning F.6 at RAF Manston Museum, Kent, England :* ''XR771'' Lightning F.6 at the Midland Air Museum, 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 h ...
, LincolnshireEllis 2012, p. 132 :* ''XS903'' Lightning F.6 at the Yorkshire Air Museum, Elvington, England :* ''XS904'' 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 originally ...
, 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 Liskeard ( ; ) is an ancient stannary and market town in south-east Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. It is situated approximately 20 miles (32 km) west of Plymouth, west of the Devon border, and 12 miles (20 km) east of Bodmin. Th ...
, Cornwall, EnglandEllis 2012, p. 34 :* ''XS928'' Lightning F.6 at Warton Aerodrome, LancashireEllis 20012, p. 89 :* ''XS936'' Lightning F.6 at the
Royal Air Force Museum London The Royal Air Force Museum London (also commonly known as the RAF Museum) is located on the former Hendon Aerodrome, in North London's Borough of Barnet. It includes five buildings and hangars showing the history of aviation and the Royal Air ...
, EnglandEllis 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, EnglandEllis 2012, p. 221 :* ''ZF579'' Lightning F.53 in taxiable condition at Gatwick Aviation Museum,
Charlwood Charlwood is a village and civil parish in the Mole Valley district of Surrey, England. It is immediately north-west of London Gatwick Airport in West Sussex, close west of Horley and north of Crawley. The historic county boundary between Sur ...
, near Gatwick Airport, EnglandEllis 2012, p. 213 :* ''ZF580''/''XR768'' Lightning F.53 at Cornwall Aviation Heritage Centre, Newquay Airport,
Cornwall Cornwall (; or ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South West England. It is also one of the Celtic nations and the homeland of the Cornish people. The county is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, ...
, England. :* ''ZF583'' Lightning F.53 at the Solway Aviation Museum, Carlisle Airport Cumbria EnglandEllis 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, ScotlandEllis 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 the county of Norfolk, England, of which it is the county town. It lies by the River Wensum, about north-east of London, north of Ipswich and east of Peterborough. The population of the Norwich ...
, EnglandEllis 2012, p. 161 :* ''ZF594'' Lightning F.53 painted as ''XS933'' at the North East Land, Sea and Air Museums, Sunderland, EnglandEllis 2012, p. 170 :* ''ZF598'' Lightning T.55 as ''55–713'' at the Midland Air Museum, Coventry, England"Aircraft Listing."
''Midland Air Museum'', Retrieved: 18 January 2014.
:* ''XL629'' Lightning T.4 inside the main gate at
MoD Boscombe Down MOD Boscombe Down ' is the home of a military aircraft testing site, on the south-eastern outskirts of the town of Amesbury, Wiltshire, England. The site is managed by QinetiQ, the private defence company created as part of the breakup of the D ...
, Wiltshire, England ;Stored or under restoration :* ''XM172'' Lightning F.1A in a private collection at Spark Bridge, CumbriaEllis 2012, p. 39 :* ''XS416'' Lightning T.5 in a private collection at New York, LincolnshireEllis 2102, p. 136 :* ''XR724'' Lightning F.6 is in taxiable condition at the former
RAF Binbrook Royal Air Force Binbrook or RAF Binbrook is a former Royal Air Force station located near Binbrook, Lincolnshire, England. The old domestic site (married quarters) has been renamed to become the village of Brookenby. RAF Binbrook was primaril ...
, LincolnshireEllis 2012, p. 130 :* ''XR725'' Lightning F.6 in a private collection at Binbrook, LincolnshireEllis 2012, p. 129 :* ''ZF581'' Lightning F.53 Under restoration at the
Bentwaters Royal Air Force Bentwaters or more simply RAF Bentwaters, now known as Bentwaters Parks, is a former Royal Air Force station about northeast of London and east-northeast of Ipswich, near Woodbridge, Suffolk in England. Its name was taken fro ...
Cold War Museum,
Suffolk Suffolk ( ) is a ceremonial county in the East of England and East Anglia. It is bordered by Norfolk to the north, the North Sea to the east, Essex to the south, and Cambridgeshire to the west. Ipswich is the largest settlement and the county ...
, EnglandEllis 2012, p. 202


United States

;On display *''ZF593'' Lightning F.53 painted in 5 Squadron camouflage colours, on display at
Pima Air & Space Museum The Pima Air & Space Museum is an aerospace museum in Tucson, Arizona, US. It features a display of nearly 400 aircraft spread out over on a campus occupying . It has also been the home to the Arizona Aviation Hall of Fame since 1991. Overv ...
in
Tucson, Arizona Tucson (; ; ) is a city in Pima County, Arizona, United States, and its county seat. It is the second-most populous city in Arizona, behind Phoenix, Arizona, Phoenix, with a population of 542,630 in the 2020 United States census. The Tucson ...
. *''ZF597'' Lightning T.55 painted in RAF markings, on display at Olympic Flight Museum in
Olympia, Washington Olympia is the capital city of the U.S. state of Washington. It had a population of 55,605 at the 2020 census, making it the state of Washington's 23rd-most populous city. Olympia is the county seat of Thurston County, and the central city ...
. Around 2009/2010, the aircraft had moved from the Olympic Flight Museum, possibly to Stennis, Mississippi, where it was stripped for parts to help get XS422 back in the air. Not much of ZF597 was seen until the cockpit appeared on eBay in May 2019. It is unknown as to where the nose section is now and what the future holds for it. ;Stored or under restoration *''XS422'' Lightning T.5 painted in RAF markings, under restoration to fly at Stennis International Airport, 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 2020 census, the population was 46,053. 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'' set in 1910 ends with a flyover of six English Electric Lightnings. * British journalist and TV presenter
Jeremy Clarkson Jeremy Charles Robert Clarkson (born 11 April 1960) is an English television presenter, journalist, farmer, and author who specialises in Driving, motoring. He is best known for hosting the television programmes ''Top Gear (2002 TV series), T ...
borrowed a Lightning ( serial ''XM172'') which was temporarily placed in his garden and documented on Clarkson's 2001 television series ''
Speed 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 non-negative scalar quantity. Intro ...
''. * In a 2010 episode of the BBC TV programme ''
Wonders of the Solar System ''Wonders of the Solar System'' is a 2010 television series co-produced by the BBC and Science Channel, and hosted by physicist Brian Cox (physicist), Brian Cox. ''Wonders of the Solar System'' was first broadcast in the United Kingdom on BBC Tw ...
'', Professor Brian Cox had a Lightning (''XS451'') with civil registration in South Africa 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.


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. . * * * * Dunn, Bob. ''Colourful Career: The Life and Times of a Lightning''.
Air Enthusiast ''Air Enthusiast'' was a British, bi-monthly, aviation magazine, published by the Key Publishing group. Initially begun in 1974 as ''Air Enthusiast Quarterly'', the magazine was conceived as a historical adjunct to ''Air International'' magaz ...
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. . * * ''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 natural phenomenon consisting of electrostatic discharges occurring through the atmosphere between two electrically charged regions. One or both regions are within the atmosphere, with the second region sometimes occurring on ...
Mid-wing aircraft Twinjets 1950s British fighter aircraft Aircraft with retractable tricycle landing gear