English Electric / BAC Lightning

English Electric / BAC Lightning History

British Electric Lightning was an amazing feat of engineering for the British. It is the first (and only) Mach 2 capable platform ever developed for the island nation, itself the fastest British fighter jet ever, the last aircraft designed solely by British Airways, the first The aircraft that developed the design directly were the Pilot Input, the first aircraft to use "supercruise" (supersonic flight without the use of an afterburner) and the first RAF platform with an integrated weapons system for automatic missile launch . At the time of its creation, the Lightning formed a formidable deterrent to Soviet bombing raids in the region and provided the RAF with a formidable interceptor.

One of the most powerful fighter jets of the Cold War, the British Lightning has found a special place in the hearts of fliers and admirers of the genre around the world.

In postwar Europe, the victors were very surprised by the state of the art in German turbojet and wind tunnel technology, and recovered these data as quickly as possible. Already at the forefront of jet technology, the British started using the Gloucester Meteor at the end of the war. If the war continued beyond 1945, this straight-wing twin-engine platform would undoubtedly compete with the German Messerschmitt twin-engine swept-wing system. In fact, air-to-air combat will never happen, but will continue to dabble in jet development. Similar designs were evaluated, rebuilt and tried by Americans and Soviets following the German research path.

The British, on the other hand, already had a solid concept of high-speed flight, but their efforts only had a blueprint for success. German research is advanced enough to find more powerful engines as well as swept wing designs.

20 pre-production models completed in September 1959, differing from the P.1B prototype brother by the use of a modified vertical fin to compensate for aerodynamic changes due to the incorporation of the associated Firestreak missile in the lower front of the machine body. The production F. Mk 1 Lightnings were first launched on October 29, 1959.

Deliveries began in December 1959 and the system finally reached its first air group on 29 June 1960 to RAF 74th Squadron at Coltishall. The 74th Squadron became the sole operator of the production F. Mk 1.

Production Lightnings showcases a hull that maintains a clean and slender shape throughout and is almost entirely covered in a bare silver finish. The wings are heavily swept-back, mid-mounted monoplane components, starting aft of the cockpit and passing through the center of the fuselage.

The cockpit is designed to maintain a good forward orientation and sits fairly high, giving the pilot good visibility from all angles. The dashboard of the original P.1 model was relatively cluster-less, but this has largely been changed by the F.Mk 6 model.

The pilot sits in a glass cockpit, which consists of a main body section and a three-part windshield. The nose is designed with a cone protruding from the air intake, giving the Lightning another unique feature.

The fin has a very sharp and relatively small fin, and the fin - also with high swing - is mounted low on the rear of the fuselage. The air brakes are placed above and in front of the rear window and in front of/under the vertical rear wing.

One of the Lightning's most striking design elements is its signature stacked engines, which are more apparent when viewing the aircraft from the rear. Another key feature is the addition of a bulging ventral tank in the evolving lightning formation.

The landing gear is a conventional configuration, with two single-wheel main gear and one single-wheel nose gear. As the nose gear retracts the nose forward, the main gear retracts out to their respective wings. An aerial refueling probe was later added, placing the system on the port side under the wing.

The radar system is housed in the nose damping cone mounted in the air intake. The flight control system is driven purely hydraulically and is supported by a cross coupling in the event of a failure.

The system controls the tail, rudder, flaps and ailerons, which are basically mounted on the wingtips of the aircraft. All in all, Blitz displayed a (though definitely British) Cold War beauty that many other world attempts at the time lacked.

Final production lightning power - the F. Mk 6 model - comes from a pair of Rolls-Royce Avon 301R series afterburning engines producing 13,220 lbf dry thrust and up to 16,360 lbf at full afterburner . Top speed is recorded at an impressive Mach 2.27 (about 1,500 miles per hour). While range has always been a shortcoming of the fuel-guzzling Lightning range, the plane still has a range of 800 miles and a ferry range of up to 1,560 miles.

The climb reached a staggering 50,000 feet per minutea feat far ahead of its contemporaries and rarely reached by even the most modern fighter designs.

Weapons are in many ways a limitation of the entire Lightning series. Considering the type was designed to be an interceptor from the start, this is an acceptable disadvantage. 2 x 30mm ADEN guns are the lightning standard for most production years. The system gained six hardpoints, but two were most commonly used for "flying wing" fuel tanks. Two more were added to the front of the fuselage, limited to the placement of air-to-air missiles.

The two underwing hardpoints may also be suitable for air-to-air weapons, but unguided missiles could also be used instead. Other Lightning forms may have a limited number of conventionally dropped bombs, as well as additional fuel tanks under the wings. Reconnaissance Lightnings uses a ventral camera bag for 5 x Vinteen 360 70mm cameras.

Air-to-air missile weapons were first de Havilland's Blue Jay infrared-guided missiles, later the Firestreak, but later the Hawker Siddeley Red Top missile.

Lightning comes in several different forms, including a single-seat fighter and a two-seat trainer model. The P.1A represented the first prototypes, two of which were produced with static test airframes.

The P. 1B turned into three working prototypes, generating at least 20 lightning bolts before production. Fighters are all identified by the use of an "F" in their name.

The F. Mk 1 was the first single-seat production Blitz. Deliveries began in 1960, with a total of 19 production examples. A single example was again delivered as a static test fuselage for further evaluation. Power comes from two Rolls-Royce Avon 200R series engines. Includes VHF radio and 2 x standard 30mm ADEN machine guns for close range work.

Additional weapons are a pair of Firestreak air-to-air missiles, while radar control is provided by a Ferranti-branded AI-23 AIRPASS radar system. Realizing the value of the system it just purchased, Fighter Command has now updated its type classification from short-range day fighter to night/all-weather fighter.

The F. Mk 1A followed, a series of aircraft now produced under the British Aircraft Corporation (BAC) name. Although produced again as a single-seat fighter, this Lightning was equipped with a pair of Avon 210R series engines and an aerial refueling probe to accommodate the type's inherently short range (45 minutes flight time on the F. Mk 1 model).

The UHF radio now replaces the original VHF unit and resolves the internal electrical system issues. Production saw 24 (28 by some sources) F. Mk 1A examples first delivered to 56th Squadron in December 1960 and 111st Squadron in 1961.

Eventually, this long-range lightning model was deployed in Germany, Cyprus and Malta.

The F. Mk 2 appears as an improved production model of the F. Mk 1. These new models feature improved electronics, steerable front wheels, a liquid oxygen breathing system, improved avionics with autopilot and a variable afterburner system compared to the original four-stage approach. The single-seat fighter first flew on July 11, 1961, with 44 production prototypes delivered from November 1962.

No. 19 Squadron was the first to receive this type, followed by No. 92 Squadron in April 1963.

The F. Mk 2A followed, with twin Avon 211R engines. The 30mm Ayton artillery armament can be augmented with two more guns via the ventral pack. The ventral fuel tank has also been increased, as has the vertical rib area with square cut edges. The main wing is designed with a curved leading edge. 31 F. Mk 2 models converted to F. Mk 2A standard.

Many Lightning pilots call this brand the best in the Lightning collection.

The F. Mk 3 model - another single-seat development - features an upgraded AI-23B radar system, liquid oxygen breathing system, advanced AIRPASS system and "wing" fuel tanks. Power comes from 2 Avon 301R series engines with 13,500 pounds of dry boost and 16,360 pounds of boosted afterburning power. All 30mm Aydon artillery systems were removed, while Firestreak missiles were discarded in favor of the more advanced Red Top missiles. The Red Top missile provides all-round engagement, but has limited frontal mass, compared to the tail-hunting line of fire.

The inclusion of larger Red Tops also forces an overhaul of the vertical tail's aerodynamics by adding a larger surface area and a squared-off top edge. At least 62 (some sources give 70) F. Mk 3 models were produced and formed mounts for 23rd, 29th, 56th, 74th and 111st Squadrons.

The F. Mk 3A had a similar design, but with increased range due to enlarged belly tanks and curved wings. The F.Mk 3A is essentially related to the development of the upcoming F.Mk 6 - the ultimate lightning bolt. F. Mk 3 Model Production ended with 16 F. Mk 3A models.

A 1957 initiative by Secretary of Defense Duncan Sandys to halt or limit the development of manned fighter jets was eventually scrapped. Therefore, funds can be used to develop and further develop new and existing systems to their full potential. The Lightning system is one of them, and its engineers are now working on improving the platform to increase power, range and lethality. The new modified design includes a new wing with a curved leading edge, increased fuel capacity, and the reintegration of the twin 30mm ADEN cannon into the ventral gun station as part of the enlarged ventral fuel tank.

The F.Mk 6 became the final production Lightning, basically based on the F.Mk 3 - sometimes referred to as the F.Mk 3A - a model with better range (now able to achieve an impressive 2 without fuel Hours of flight time) . Zeit) New wing design, including changes and additions between the production F. Mk 2 and F. Mk 2A models. Surprisingly, these changes had little effect on overall performance. A total of 39 F. Mk 6 production models appeared.

Nine modifications were made to the existing F.Mk 3 model (known as the F.Mk 6 (provisional), which did not offer upper wing fuel tanks or the new AI-23S radar system) and 15 more modifications to the existing F.Mk 3A type. The F. Mk 6 first flew on June 16, 1965. Later that year, No.

5 Squadron was the first lucky recipient, a modified F. Mk 6, and the full production F. Mk 6 model arrived at No. 74 Squadron in August 1966. The F. Mk 6 also continued to serve in seasons 11, 23 and 56.

Blitz trainer is also provided. Instructors identify students and instructors by their side-by-side cockpit seats, complete with dual controls.

The trainer version was made by English Electric out of necessity, as initial Lightning pilot training was conducted using a two-seater Hawker Hunter aircraft with an experienced Lightning pilot as an instructor. Externally, the systems retain their lightning-quick qualities, and despite the cockpit overhaul, the Trainer Lightnings retain impressive performance figures. Trainer versions can also be converted back to their single-seat, battle-ready form if desired.

Trainers are identified by using a "T" in their name.

The T. Mk 4 is based on the F. Mk 1A production fighter, but has a second trainer cockpit and dual controls arranged side by side. Two prototypes appeared first, followed by 18 (20 by some sources) production examples. The first prototype crashed into the Irish Sea during a test flight due to a collapsed tail.

The second prototype performed better and completed the testing program.

Two T. Mk 4 trainers were eventually converted as prototypes for the improved T. Mk 5 trainer. The T. Mk 5 first flew on July 17, 1964, based on the production F. Mk 3 fighter. The T. Mk 5 was delivered to 226 OCUs, and a total of 22 prototypes were eventually built.