Search results
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.
In 1962 the official aerobatic team of RAF became The Tigers from No. 74 Squadron. They were equipped with nine English Electric Lightning F. 1A aircraft and are the first team in the world to uses aircraft capable of reaching Mach 2 (twice as the speed of sound).
While flying the Hunter in 1960, the squadron was designated as the RAF's aerobatic squadron, with the name Blue Diamonds, a name the squadron carried on after tranferring to the Lightning. The squadron then re-equipped with Phantoms, before being disbanded on 1st July 1991.
- Hazy Beginnings
- Record Setters
- Lightning Display Teams
- Aerobatics by Central Flying School
It is unclear exactly when the first formation display took place but it was definitely at an aerial pageant at London's Hendon Aerodrome, sometime in the early 1920s or 1930s. A three-ship team of biplanes - either Hawker Furies, Gloster Gauntlets or Gloster Gladiators - performed there, flying a series of rolls and loops with their aircraft liter...
Seemingly turning into an inter-squadron rivalry, it became a trend for squadrons around the country to have their own aerial display teams. When No. 54 Squadron's Vampires were replaced with Hawker Hunters they formed a new display team called the Black Knights. In 1955 they flew a 4-aircraft formation, pilots dressed in all-black flying suits. Th...
In 1961 the Hunter was superseded as Britain's attack aircraft by the English Electric Lightning and in 1962 a team of them took over the mantle of showing off for the RAF from the Blue Diamonds. This team was named the Tigers, rather unimaginatively as it turned out since this was and is the nickname of their outfit at No. 74 Squadron as well. As ...
In 1964 the management decided that it would be easier and cheaper to draw the RAFs main display team from a training unit instead of operational squadrons. In that year the Central Flying School was charged with providing the main display team and did so using Jet Provosts in a team they called the Red Pelicans. Several other training units also p...
From 1963 the official aerobatic team of the Royal Air Force became the Firebirds which fly nine English Electric Lightning F.Mk 1A aircraft. In 1964 the Firebirds aerobatic display team was...
- 2 min
- 674
- Aviation videos archives part3 1950-1975
From 1963 the official aerobatic team of the Royal Air Force became the Firebirds which fly nine English Electric Lightning F.Mk 1A aircraft. The team was from No 56th Squadron at Wattisham, Suffolk as all planes were painted in the squadron's paint scheme in overall silver and red tail.
People also ask
Was the Lightning aerobatic?
Who made the BAC Lightning?
What aircraft lifted a lightning in 1987?
When did the Air Force use the Lightning?
In the 1960s, the squadron had their own aerobatic display team, 'The Firebirds', which consisted of nine English Electric Lightning F.1As, which participated at many airshows.
