A rich mans toys

[bob10]

https://youtu.be/c2BVsNdT0ec

[gromit]

Years ago when I lived in the UK a mate got on the 'tender list' for the disposal of the Lightnings.
We drove to an RAF base in Lincolnshire to view them. Problem was that to move them on the road you needed to remove the wings which was listed as a 400 hour job (from memory). Most had the wings removed with a demolition saw and ended up outside engineering companies etc.
There was an option where they would fly it to an airfield of your choice, they would then remove the engines, instruments & ejector seat but you had to pay the associated costs !

While at the base there was a 2 seater trainer taking off & landing, whether he was showing off because we were there looking to buy but he was taking off on full re-heat......
We parked outside and were bused in to look at the planes, most were like us there to have a sticky beak, some were serious buyers and one guy was looking at buying the base because that was being shut down !

I have a stack of photos somewhere of all these stripped out Lightnings and me looking considerably younger than I am now.

We didn't end up buying one but it was a fun day out.

Colin

[ramblingboy42]

never an attractive aeroplane......

[Hugh Jars]

I believe it still holds some world records. An amazing aeroplane for its time.

[cripesamighty]

A couple of snippets I remember from a book I read on Lightnings.

One pilot said he was always ahead of the aircraft - right up until he let go of the brakes on the runway....
(the comment was in regards to the heavy pilot workload!)


Another was a conversation overheard at a UK airshow where one of the flyable Lightnings did one of its spectacular zoom climbs on takeoff from the end of the runway.

The first comment was "big deal, an F-15 can do that".
The reply from another spectator was "yeah, but could the F-15 do that 50 years ago...."

[gromit]

Wasn't it the first plane that could almost climb vertically after takeoff.


I read somewhere that it was like being 'strapped to a rocket'. After looking round them close up there were the two jet engines in the body, no room for anything else so the fuel tanks were in the wings. The cockpit was above the air inlet and making a 2 seater (trainer) was a squeeze.


My mate who got onto the tender list did quote a figure for how many had gone down in the North Sea......all through mechanical failures.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_accidents_and_incidents_involving_the_Engl ish_Electric_Lightning


I don't think I have the negatives any longer and my scanner died but I'll have to get some of the photo's scanned so I can post them up.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_IKuTC0G1c0


Colin

[aquanaught]

I visited Thunder City many years ago. A great collection of jets and I recall being pretty much in awe of the Lightening. Didn't see any jets fly, but I was informed that Mike once went to play golf with his clubs strapped in the copilot's seat of his Mirage.