English Electric Lightning

The English Electric Lightning is a supersonic fighter aircraft of the Cold War era. It was designed, developed, and manufactured by English Electric, which was subsequently absorbed by the newly formed British Aircraft Corporation. It was then marketed as the BAC Lightning. The Lightning was the only all-British Mach 2 fighter aircraft. The Lightning was used by the Royal Air Force (RAF), Kuwait Air Force (KAF), and the Royal Saudi Air Force (RSAF). Although it was the RAF's primary interceptor for more than two decades, it was never required to attack another aircraft.

The Lightning is powered by two Rolls-Royce Avon turbojet engines in a unique staggered stacked installation in the fuselage. The Lightning was initially designed and developed as an interceptor to defend the V bomber airfields from attack by anticipated future nuclear-armed supersonic Soviet bombers such as what emerged as the Tupolev Tu-22, but it was subsequently also required to intercept other bomber aircraft such as the Tupolev Tu-16 and the Tupolev Tu-95. The Lightning has exceptional rate of climb, ceiling, and speed; pilots have described flying it as "being saddled to a skyrocket". This performance and the initially limited fuel supply made the Lightning a "fuel-critical" aircraft, meaning that its missions are dictated to a high degree by its limited range. Later developments provided greater range and speed along with aerial reconnaissance and ground-attack capability.

Following retirement in the late 1980s, many of the remaining aircraft became museum exhibits, and, until 2009, three Lightnings were kept flying at "Thunder City" in Cape Town, South Africa. In September 2008, the Institution of Mechanical Engineers conferred on the Lightning its "Engineering Heritage Award" at a ceremony at BAE Systems' site at Warton Aerodrome.

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 were built, and a further twenty development aircraft were ordered in February 1954. The type was officially named 'Lightning' in October 1958.
 * Lightning F.1: Development batch aircraft, single-seat fighters delivered from 1959, a total of nineteen were 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 refueling probe and UHF Radio; a total of twenty-eight were built.
 * Lightning F.2: Single-seat fighter (an improved variant of the F.1), delivered in 1962. A total of forty-four were built with thirty-one 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 thirty-one were converted from Lightning F.2s.
 * 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 seventy were 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 sixteen were built, known also as an F.3 Interim version or F.6 Interim Version, fifteen 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 thirty-nine were built (also nine converted from F.3 and fifteen 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/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.

Users

 * Kuwait
 * Kuwait Air Force
 * Saudi Arabia
 * Royal Saudi Air Force
 * United Kingdom
 * Royal Air Force