Royal Air Force Lightning

Superb value aviation limited edition prints of the Lightning F6 of 5 squadron and Lightning F1A of 111 squadron by aviation artist Keith Woodcock and Michael Rondot available from Cranston Fine Arts

English Electric (later BAC) Lightning. Originally designed by W F Petter (the designer of the Canberra) The first Lighting Prototype was first flown on the 4th August 1954 by Wing Commander R P Beamont at Boscombe Down. The second prototype P1A, The name of Lightning was not used until 1958) (WG763) was shown at the Farnborough show in September 1955. The Third prototype was flown in April 1957 and was the first British aircraft ever to fly at Mach 2 on the 25th November 1958 The first production aircraft made its first flight on 3rd November 1959 and entered operational service with the RAF on the 29th June 1960with |NO. 74 squadron based at Coltishall. The F1 was followed shortly after by the F1A which had been modified to carry a in-flight refueling probe. The Lightning F2 entered service in December 1962 with no 19 and 92 squadrons. a total of 44 aircraft F2 were built. The F3 came into service between 1964 and 1966 with Fighter Command squadrons, re engined with the Roll's Royce Avon 301 turbojets. The Lightning T Mk 5 was a training version Lightning a total of 22 were built between August 1964 and December 1966. The BAC Lighting F MK 6 was the last variant of the lightning, base don the F3, this was the last single seat fighter and served the |Royal Air Force for 20 years. First Flown on 17th April 1964, and a total of 55 F6 saw service with the Royal Air Force, and the last Lightning F6 was produced in August 1967. A Total of 278 lightning's of all marks were delivered. In 1974 the Phantom aircraft began replacing the aging Lightning's, but 2 F6 remained in service up to 1988 with Strike Command until finally being replaced with Tornado's

Specifications for MK1 to 4: Made by English Electrc Aviation Ltd at Preston and Samlesbury Lancashire, designated P1B, All Weather single seat Fighter. Max Speed: Mach 2.1 (1390 mph) at 36,000 feet Ceiling 55,000 feet

Armament: Two 30mm Aden guns and Two Firestreak infra red AAM's.

Specificaitons for MK 6: Made by English Electrc Aviation Ltd at Preston Lancashire, designated P1B, All Weather single seat Fighter. Max Speed: Mach 2.27 (1500 mph) at 40,000 feet Ceiling 55,000 feet Range: 800 miles

Portrait of Power by Keith Woodcock Lightning F6's of 5 squadron taking off from Binbrook in the 1970's. This squadron first flew the Lightning (an earlier mark) in October 1965. It was the first truly supersonic fighter to see service with the RAF and was the mainstay of Britain's air defence during the cold war. Finally replaced by the Tornado F3 in 1988.

BAC LightningCentury of Aviation Series No3 by Keith Woodcock The last purely British fighter aircraft to be used by the Royal Air Force, the Lightning offered a truly massive performance advantage over existing equipment when it was introduced into squadron service in 1960, achieving level flight speed of around, 1400mph. The prototype known as the P1 had flown in 1954 but production aircraft were not available until 1959, a long gestation period but perhaps understandable with such an advanced machine with many untried, new features. The painting shows an F1A of 111 squadron taking off from its base at Wattisham. The remarque drawing shows an aircraft of 56 squadron 'Firebirds' in 1963 when they were the official RAF aerobatics team for that year. 337 Lightning's were produced, serving with nine squadrons of the Royal Air Force before being supersede by the Phantom and Tornado.

Cruising by Robert Tomlin After a practice scramble, a Lightning F1A of 56 Squadron RAF The Firebirds, makes a gentle turn over the famous Langdale Pikes in the Lake District in preparation for a steady cruise back to base.
Thunder & Lightnings by Gerald Coulson A pair of English Electric Lightning F3s of 111 squadron depart. Reheat selected, they accelerate rapidly to blast off, cascading spray from a rain-soaked runway. This is the classic interceptor, with superb handling qualities and unmatched climb-to-height performance. The Lightning is the only British-designed and built fighter capable of achieving twice the speed of sound. The RAF took delivery in 1960 and they remained in front-line service until phased out in 1988. The last of the classic single-seat fighters, the Lightning enters the hall of fame alongside the Camel, Fury, Hurricane and Spitfire. The artist was once able to fly a two-seat version- Lightning T5- at just over 1000mph- which he describes as an unforgettable experience.
Lightning Thunder by Michael Rondot A No. 19 Squadron Lightning F2A on take-off. Of all the classic fighters to have served with the RAF since the 1950s, no other aircraft had the raw power and breathtaking performance of the Lightning, and of all the variants the F2A was considered to be the best.
Lightning by Michael Rondot A 50th Anniversary tribute to the English Electric Lightning.
Lightning Legend by Michael Rondot No other jet fighter has been more sorely missed since the Lightning retired from RAF service and the Counter Aviation Authority (CAA) set about keeping surviving examples grounded. However, not all old fighters die, and some Lightning's did not fade away either. They lived on because there were people willing to spend time and fortunes lavishing TLC on them until 1999, against all odds and officialdom, Lightning's are back in the sky. The return of the lightning is celebrated in Michael Rondots portrayal of a Lightning T5 in the markings of No.226 OCU/145 Squadron taking off in full reheat for a maximum performance rotation climbout. This outrageous display of scorching performance is just one of the heady delights of the overpowered Lightning. It is an aircraft of which legends are made. Stories abound about this special aircraft and the pilots who flew it but none were more deserving of legendary status than the test pilots who first flew the Lightning.