English Electric Lightning?
Discussion
There was a very good article about flying Lightnings by an ex-Lightning pilot in Aircraft Illustrated last year. It was quite revealing.
The aircraft was lovely to fly but, by the 1980s, dreadfully crude in cpmparison to some of its potential oponents. And, as ever, its main Achilles Heel was woeful endurance.
The aircraft was lovely to fly but, by the 1980s, dreadfully crude in cpmparison to some of its potential oponents. And, as ever, its main Achilles Heel was woeful endurance.
Eric Mc said:
.............. And, as ever, its main Achilles Heel was woeful endurance.
That's not really true, as the Lightning was designed as an interceptor e.g. detect Russian bombers on ground radar, Lightnings rapidly scramble from there bases ,intercept & launch missiles & return to base, endurance not required. Of course in later years they were used to patrol the north sea (endurance required !),so to criticize it for having a limitation in a role it was not designed for is a bit unfair for such a fantastic aircraft
I wasn't being unfair or opinionated - just stating a fact.
I am well aware that the Lightning was designed as a simple, point interceptor (as were other fighters of its era - the Lockheed F-104 Starfighter, the MiG-21 etc). Like them, as the years progressed, the Lightning was asked to do different tasks to which it had originally been designed and, like them, it found lack of fuel capacity to be a serious problem. A number of solutions were tried such as large belly tanks and overwing pylon mounted tanks which did help a bit.
It was still an awesome beast to watch in action at airshows though.
I am well aware that the Lightning was designed as a simple, point interceptor (as were other fighters of its era - the Lockheed F-104 Starfighter, the MiG-21 etc). Like them, as the years progressed, the Lightning was asked to do different tasks to which it had originally been designed and, like them, it found lack of fuel capacity to be a serious problem. A number of solutions were tried such as large belly tanks and overwing pylon mounted tanks which did help a bit.
It was still an awesome beast to watch in action at airshows though.
There is a guy on www.ww2aircraft.com (sites down atm 
), ask in the aviation videos section, you will need to be a member (free) and logged in to see the videos though.
Or if your too lazy I can ask, some people there have massive collections of material.
), ask in the aviation videos section, you will need to be a member (free) and logged in to see the videos though. Or if your too lazy I can ask, some people there have massive collections of material.
www.nodarkroom.co.uk/videos.htm
www.incredible-adventures.com/video/capetown.ram
>> Edited by djfish on Thursday 26th January 12:14
www.incredible-adventures.com/video/capetown.ram
>> Edited by djfish on Thursday 26th January 12:14
Rob-C said:
Anyone got a copy of that amazing photo of the Lightning in a vertical dive, about to go in, with the pilot ejecting at the last possible second?
IIRC in the foreground there's a bloke sat on a tractor watching it all happen right in front of him?
Several around:
www.pprune.org/forums/showthread.php?t=113616&highlight=lightning
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