The first true supersonic fighter of purely British origin, English Electric’s Lightning was also the last such type, as the UK subsequently turned to international projects for its fighter programs.
Variants:
F.1: First Lightning to see operational use, the F.1, like all members of the family, was short-legged and intended as a short-range interceptor, capable of rapidly climbing to meet incoming Soviet bombers. Basic armament was a pair of 30mm Adens, but a fuselage pack could carry an additional pair of cannon, or two DH Firestreak AAMs.
F.3: First of the second-generation Lightnings, the F.3 was easily distinguishable by virtue of its larger, square-topped vertical tail, which had been tested on P.1Bs. The F.3 was quite a bit more powerful than its predecessors, with Avon 301s and the more sophisticated Mk.23B AIRPASS radar. The more effective Red Top IR-guided AAM was also fitted. A pair of airframes started as F.2s were finished to the new standard, these flying in 1962, with production aircraft arriving with No.74 Squadron in the spring of 1964.
F.3A: Revised kinked leading edge that both improved high altitude maneuverability and accommodated more fuel; fixed 680-gallon ventral tank.
F.6: Last new-build version for the RAF; based on the F.3A but with the capability to carry a pair of overwing tanks. The ventral tank was later retrofitted to carry a pair of Adens, albeit at the loss of some fuel.
Advanced Proposals
As the basic P.1 was still taking shape, the RAF was looking forward to the day when speeds in excess of Mach 2 would be necessary to deal with Soviet supersonic bombers, and English Electric put forth a number of proposals under the P.6 designation to meet the ER.134T specification for a Mach 2 research aircraft, with several of these being influenced by the P.1. The P.6/1 would have mated a Lightning type tail and wings to a fuselage with a single Rolls-Royce RB.106R engine, while the P.6/2 would have a pair of Sapphire SA.7s stacked in the style of the Lightning. Neither of these were to be built, but the Lightning would again form the basis for a similar aircraft to meet the F.155T requirement for an operational, AAM-armed fighter to counter fast, high altitude threats; the P.8 would have been an enlarged single seater, powered by a pair of RB.126s.
Even into the early 1960s, developed versions of the Lightning were looked at, including a much redesigned naval version with T.5 style side by side seating, variable geometry outer wings, a solid radar nose, and lateral fuselage intakes.
Bibliography:
3-view profile: English Electric P.1A (2nd prototype) Flight 7 October 1955 p.582
Photo: P.1B XA847 in flight Aviation Week September 23, 1957 front cover
“Making the P.1 Wing” Flight 10 January 1958 Includes a two-page P.1 cutaway drawing.
Photos of F.1 XG329 and T.4 XL628 Flight 2 September 1960 p.337
Pictures (2): “Wing, Belly Tank Modified for Lightning Mk.3 AW&ST September 7, 1964 p.30
“Lightning Punch! Unsurpassed ’round the clock’ air defense for Britain” Royal Air Force Flying Review May 1961 Includes a 4-view and a colorized photo of XM140 and XM155 in flight.
Photo: T.55 55-410 for Kuwait Air Pictorial August 1968 p.276
Photo: close-in color shot of a beautiful F.6 on the strength of No.11 Squadron Meccano Magazine May 1970 front cover
Photo: Lightning T.5 XS422 of the Empire Test Pilot School. Air International October 1983 p.177
Photo: close-up of a pair of Lightnings armed with Firestreaks and Red Tops, respectively. Air International February 1987 p.76
Paul Jackson “Lament for the Lightning” Air International June 1988. A look back at the RAF’s last all-British fighter, at the twilight of its career. Includes three-views of the F. Mk.2 and Mk.6, side views of the F Mk.3, T Mk.4 and T Mk.5 trainers, and a large cutaway of the F.6.
Dennis J. Calvert “From Frontline to Warbird” Warbirds International July/August 1989. The final days of the Lightning in RAF service.
"Lightnings to fly in the USA!" FlyPast February 1998 p.11 Photo of T.5 XS422
Hugh Trevor “Lightning Cockpit” FlyPast December 1998 Restoration of XS932’s cockpit and a list of other preserved forward fuselages.
Photos: Frontal shot of T.4 XL628, P.1B XA847 with modified tail, XG310, F.2 XN723, F.3 XP697, F.3 XN725 with overwing tanks Aeroplane Monthly December 1998
“Lightning Refurbished” F.3 XR713 FlyPast January 1999 p.11
Photo: walk-around detail shots of F.1 XM135 and F.6 XS925 Scale Aviation Modeller June 1999
F.6 scale 3-view plans Aero Magazine October 2003
“Another Lightning Flies” Aeroplane October 2006 p.8 F.6 XP693/ZU-BEY
Paul Lucas “Going Grey Part 3” Airfix Model World #15 An excellent article depicting the camo schemes applied to Lightnings in the last years of their service.
Peter Johnson “Twin Tub” Airfix Model World #16 The 1/72 Lightning T.4 from Whirlykits as aircraft XM971 of 226 OCU/145 Squadron markings.
Review: Revell 1/72 Lightning F Mk 6 Scale Aviation Modeller April 2008
Review: Lightning F.2A/F.6 in 1/72 from Trumpeter Skymodel 21/09 p.66
“Lightning roll-out” FlyPast February 2012 p.6 F.6 XS897
Hans Pennick "Lightning Strikes" Airfix Model World February 2011 Building a 1/48 camouflaged Saudi F.53
Mark Davies “Small Scale Skyrocket” Military Illustrated Modeller March 2014 p.56-57 Preview of the Airfix 1/72 Lightning F.2A
John "Tigger" Wilkes "Doubling Up" Converting Trumpeter's 1/32 Lightning to a T.5 AIR Modeller 28
