Aviation Lightening meets Lightening

[andyglym]

92 Sdn RAF Gütersloh June 1967. One of 3 kites on QRA, fully tooled up and ready to go. Great pic..

 

[Pingu]

It ain't no heavyweight.

Nice pic of a Lightning

 

[Sean d]

Great pic pal, I grew up seeing these on a daily basis as they where based on RAF binbrook but you would know that anyway being ex RAF, they where bloody loud

 

[andyglym]

It ain't no heavyweight.

Nice pic of a Lightning

Great interceptor though and a rate of climb that makes the F16's look like a child's plane.

 

[andyglym]

Great pic pal, I grew up seeing these on a daily basis as they where based on RAF binbrook but you would know that anyway being ex RAF, they where bloody loud

Loud they are mate (used to come out to Gutetsloh in the 80's and make the F16 look like the poor relation), however, the Tornado is louder on a different scale and the Harrier is ear piercing high pitched loud. None of which compare to the VC10 Oh Lordy

 

[Sean d]

I remember when the F15s came to Lincolnshire and they pitted the old lightnings against them on exercise, I had a mate that was big into the Lightnings and we listened to them on radio, the yanks where loving it, whooping and kicking ass, the problem the lightnings had is that they where restricted as to how many Gs they could pull due to the old air frames

 

[andyglym]

I remember when the F15s came to Lincolnshire and they pitted the old lightnings against them on exercise, I had a mate that was big into the Lightnings and we listened to them on radio, the yanks where loving it, whooping and kicking ass, the problem the lightnings had is that they where restricted as to how many Gs they could pull due to the old air frames

Big annual exercise in Canada, aircraft spotted on radar, two USAF kites sent to intercept, found a lone Vulcan, oops, 4 Buccaneers under it's wings, literally! And the winner was ......

 

[Sean d]

Big annual exercise in Canada, aircraft spotted on radar, two USAF kites sent to intercept, found a lone Vulcan, oops, 4 Buccaneers under it's wings, literally! And the winner was ......

Love it pal

 

[Pingu]

Not sure if true, but someone once told me that the Lightning was one of only a handful of planes that could catch Concorde from a standing start. If true, that is mightily impressive.

 

[andyglym]

Not sure if true, but someone once told me that the Lightning was one of only a handful of planes that could catch Concorde from a standing start. If true, that is mightily impressive.

Wouldn't surprise me as it get up to full tilt pretty quick, probably run out of gas shortly afterwards though. I was told the Lightening could climb quicker than a Phantom could dive?

 

[Sean d]

Wouldn't surprise me as it get up to full tilt pretty quick, probably run out of gas shortly afterwards though. I was told the Lightening could climb quicker than a Phantom could dive?

There was lots of rumours around these parts about the ability of the Lightning, I believe it was a scramble aircraft and designed to get out very quick

 

[andyglym]

There was lots of rumours around these parts about the ability of the Lightning, I believe it was a scramble aircraft and designed to get out very quick

Yup. That's why it was at Gütersloh in the Cold War mate to quickly intercept the Warsaw Pact coming over the hill ...... in their gazillions.

Edit: if it wasn't leaking fuel, it was empty

 

[Redline]

Fabulous aircraft. Always looked forward in anticipation to seeing them at air shows as a kid.
The lightening reached Mach 2 a full 11 years before Concorde took to the air.
It had a climb rate of 50,000 feet/min. That's getting on for 10miles a minute! A rate still barely achieved by many modern aircraft.

Lightening on the other hand travels up to 220,000,000 miles/Hr.
The average lightening strike travels 3 miles, is over in less than 1/4 second and carries 30,000A.
No match really.

 

[hard top]

Lightening on the other hand travels up to 220,000,000 miles/Hr.
The average lightening strike travels 3 miles, is over in less than 1/4 second and carries 30,000A.
No match really.

Thank's proff ....

 

[Althulas]

Thank's proff ....

Where’s the dick button

 

[andyglym]

Fabulous aircraft. Always looked forward in anticipation to seeing them at air shows as a kid.
The lightening reached Mach 2 a full 11 years before Concorde took to the air.
It had a climb rate of 50,000 feet/min. That's getting on for 10miles a minute! A rate still barely achieved by many modern aircraft.

Lightening on the other hand travels up to 220,000,000 miles/Hr.
The average lightening strike travels 3 miles, is over in less than 1/4 second and carries 30,000A.
No match really.

That's fast

 

[Ianmc]

My uncle flew those in the 1960's, main issue was lack of endurance, around twenty minutes to get up, do the business and get down again.
Remember staying with them in MQs at Cranwell and visited the squadron crew room/dispersal. Fuelled my ambition to join the RAF from 8 years old.

 

[andyglym]

My uncle flew those in the 1960's, main issue was lack of endurance, around twenty minutes to get up, do the business and get down again.
Remember staying with them in MQs at Cranwell and visited the squadron crew room/dispersal. Fuelled my ambition to join the RAF from 8 years old.

He's a lucky man. Yeah, they didn't have the mpg of a VW UP to be fair.

 

[Redline]

Range of 800 or so miles.
The speed and power was achieved without afterburners too.
Despite the fact they were in service for 29 years, they never shot a single round in combat.

 

[lucky jim]

keep a look out for Bruntingthorpe open days you can see these things getting up take take off spread reheat & all also lots of other interesting aircraft great day out ... may be a good place to do a Z meet