English Electric Lightning

Tearly 1950s were a boom time for British aviation. The lessons of six years of war had been learned and much of the research into jet engines, radar and aerodynamics had begun to reach fruition. In Britain, jet engine technology led the world, while wartime developments into swept wing design in Germany and their transonic research programme were used to give western design teams a quantum leap in aircraft technology.
At English Electric, 'Teddy' Petter's design team were keen to capitalize on the success of their Canberra jet bomber and rose to the challenge of providing a high speed interceptor for the RAF. The 1949 specification F.23/49 called for two supersonic research aircraft with potential for development into a fighter, to investigate
supersonic speed for military aircraft. The resulting P.1 prototype became the first British aircraft to exceed Mach 1 in level flight, on its third flight in 11 August 1954.
The success of the P.1 led to an order for a developed version capable of carrying homing missiles.
On 25 November 1958, the aptly-named Lightning became the first British aircraft to fly in excess of Mach 2.
Entering operational service on 29 June 1960, the Lightning, armed with two air-to-air missiles and guns, provided a quick reaction to incoming threats throughout the Cold War with its superb rate of climb, high ceiling and very high speed. Popular with crews, it was a true 'pilot's aeroplane'.
Martin W Bowman describes the career of the Lightning in detail using first hand accounts of what it was like to fly and service this thoroughbred. Illustrated with over 170 photographs, many previously unpublished, and with appendices listing Lightning squadrons, production totals, individual aircraft histories and with the first in-depth analysis into why a third of all Lightnings were lost, English Electric Lightning is a fine record to the last truly great all-British fighter.


by Martin Bowman
Published by Crowood 1997 1st edition. 188pp profusely illustrated, some colour, index, appendices, bibliography. 23x29 mint, including d/j.






Note:
"Long" descriptions, where shown, may have been taken from the book's dust jacket notes, and as such are relevant to the date of publication (e.g. any references to "previously unpublished photographs" etc.) and not the present.

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