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The English Electric Lightning is a British fighter aircraft that served as an interceptor during the 1960s, the 1970s and into the late 1980s. It was capable of a top speed of above Mach 2. The Lightning was designed, developed, and manufactured by English Electric.
This is a list of accidents and incidents involving the English Electric Lightning twin-engined interceptor and multi-role fighter. The main operator of the Lightning was the Royal Air Force but it was also operated by the Royal Saudi Air Force and the Kuwait Air Force.
First flown by J.W.C. Squier 29-5-59 at English Electric, Samlesbury. Used throughout flying life by EE/BAC and de Havilland for Firestreak and Red Top air-to-air missile trials. Crashed on final approach to Hatfield, whilst involved in the Red Top AAM programme, on 13-9-62.
- 95K
- XG332
- BAC (British Aircraft Corporation)
- English Electric Lightning F1
The English Electric Lightning was developed to bring the RAF into the supersonic age. It was an aircraft that, even in its prototype stage, broke the sound barrier and very, very quickly as development increased it was able to fly at twice the speed of sound.
The English Electric Lightning (later BAC Lightning) was a supersonic fighter aircraft of the Cold War era, particularly remembered for its great speed and natural metal exterior. It was the only all-British Mach 2 fighter aircraft. Greatly renowned for its capabilities as an interceptor, RAF pilots described it as "being saddled to a skyrocket".
- 28,036lbs (12,717kg)
- 55.25ft (16.84m)
- 19.59ft (5.97m)
- 34.84ft (10.62m)
Dismal weather did little to dampen the proceedings, and some spectacular vapour effects were seen when the Lightnings went fast enough or pulled hard enough. In June 1988 the last Lightning in RAF service took off for the final time, destined for a private buyer.
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1 (pilot) Top speed: 1,500 mph (2,414 km/h) Range: 800 miles (1,287 km) Weapons: 2 x 30mm Aden cannon and 2 x Firestreak air-to-air missiles or 4 x 30mm Aden cannons. The English Electric Lightning aircraft in the Military Aviation hangar at the National Museum of Flight.
