E.E. Lightning and the Deal of the Century

[TallEng]

How the E.E. Lightning came to win the deal of the Century:
(All of this has been copied and adjusted (slightly)from Wikipedia) so it must be true
Now read on....
The German Air Force was looking for a foreign-designed multi-role combat aircraft to operate in support of a missile defense system. The Lockheed Starfighter was hot favorite to win this major order until the Lockheed bribery scandal broke, which caused caused considerable political controversy in West Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and Japan. The final nail in the coffin for the Starfighter for the Germans was the comment by Erich Hartmann, the world's top-scoring fighter ace,  commander of one of Germany's first jet fighter-equipped squadrons who deemed the F-104 to be an unsafe aircraft with poor handling characteristics for aerial combat. To the dismay of his superiors, Hartmann judged the fighter unfit for Luftwaffe use. This gave The English Electric sales team the chance they needed,
The Lightning was presented and reworked to convert it into an all-weather ground-attack, reconnaissance, and interceptor aircraft. This was chosen over the Grumman F11F Super Tiger, Lockheed F104 Starfighter and Northrop N-156. The aircraft found a new market with other NATO countries, and eventually a total of 2,578 of all variants of the Lightning were built in the U.K. and abroad for various nations. The Rolls-Royce Avon engine was retained but built under license in Europe, Canada, and Japan. The E.E. Lightning now entered a development phase to further extend its range and armament options with the model letters  "G" denoting "Germany", the lead country for this version, while "S" indicated the improved "Sparrow" version for Italy. On 26 January 1966, the AMI chose the definitive Lightning F-2A(I)S as their future fighter, designed to carry AIM-7 Sparrow missiles on the belly tank pylons, two further underwing pylons able to carry 2 sidewinders or bombs on dual racks and finally two over wing pylons plumbed for fuel tanks or various bombs/missiles. The Lightning F-2A(I)S-ASA (Aggiornamento Sistemi d'Arma), developed in 1986, introduced a Fiar Setter radar, with 'look-down' capability and compatibility with the Selenia Aspide missile. AIM-9Ls were then used as the main armament, replacing the previous "B" and "F" version of this missile, One AIM-7 was usually carried on each belly tank pylon. In total, 147 of the F-2A(I)S airframes were converted to ASA standard at an expense of around 600 billion lire, the last ASA model was delivered in the early 1990s.

And now the model



Bigger fuel tank for Extra fuel ( because a Lightning is a thirsty beast)



New missile location to carry the heavier Sparrow (230 Kgs as against Red Top's 154 Kgs)





And excitable Mediterranean owner.
Just awaiting U/C and some more decals....

Regards
Keith

[McColm]

Wow!
I always thought that the Lightning should have been armed with Sparrow and Sidewinder missiles. Conformal fuel tanks and a bigger wing. Got a T54 in the stash.

[Hobbes]

Interesting idea. Are you going to build more of them for other airforces?

[eatthis]

Wow!
I always thought that the Lightning should have been armed with Sparrow and Sidewinder missiles. Conformal fuel tanks and a bigger wing. Got a T54 in the stash.

why would it need a bigger wing fella?

this is a great idea im looking forward to this build

[TallEng]

Interesting idea. Are you going to build more of them for other airforces?

Oh i dunno
I have one more Airfix F2A Lightning that I had ear marked for 80Sqn in Hong Kong
But I'm really tempted to do a Belgian machine in the three tone Vietnam scheme,
Or a JASDF machine.....
Luckily (possibly) I'm on holiday next week in the UK so maybe I can pick up some more Lightnings 

Regards
Keith

[Captain Canada]

"Gonna tell ya a true story, only the names have been changed, to protect the guilty"

Nice build so far....love the idea !

[comrade harps]

Like it. A lot. Keep it coming.

[McColm]

Wow!
I always thought that the Lightning should have been armed with Sparrow and Sidewinder missiles. Conformal fuel tanks and a bigger wing. Got a T54 in the stash.

why would it need a bigger wing fella?

this is a great idea im looking forward to this build

Well I went to the Bournemouth Air Show when I was in the Royal Auxiliary Air Force. I was a steward,well on the Saturday it rained, the wing doesn't keep you dry. Got dried off by the reverse thrust from a C-130. Now if it had a bigger wing I'd be dry. Don't stand under the F-104, that's even worse.

[eatthis]

 

[Weaver]

Nice job - love the Sparrow conversion. 

Well I went to the Bournemouth Air Show when I was in the Royal Auxiliary Air Force. I was a steward,well on the Saturday it rained, the wing doesn't keep you dry. Got dried off by the reverse thrust from a C-130. Now if it had a bigger wing I'd be dry. Don't stand under the F-104, that's even worse.

Sbhould have gone to the Woodford air show - Vulcan.......

[rickshaw]

Wow!
I always thought that the Lightning should have been armed with Sparrow and Sidewinder missiles. Conformal fuel tanks and a bigger wing. Got a T54 in the stash.

why would it need a bigger wing fella?

this is a great idea im looking forward to this build

Well I went to the Bournemouth Air Show when I was in the Royal Auxiliary Air Force. I was a steward,well on the Saturday it rained, the wing doesn't keep you dry. Got dried off by the reverse thrust from a C-130. Now if it had a bigger wing I'd be dry. Don't stand under the F-104, that's even worse.

Are you the size of a Hobbit?  I didn't think anybody else could stand under the wing of an F-104...

[PR19_Kit]

Are you the size of a Hobbit?  I didn't think anybody else could stand under the wing of an F-104...

You'd cut your own HEAD off trying it on those razor sharp leading edges!

[TallEng]

Right I'm in England and the Hunt for Lightnings can begin or not
But before we left, I managed to finish the Lightning, so I thought you lot might
Like to see the result

Lightning F-2A(I)S "The Last Fighter," MM5936, 21˚ Stormo, 53˚ Gruppo.













Regards
Keith

[Old Wombat]

Nice one! Love the scheme!

[Devilfish]

I love well whiffed Lightnings. 

I did, and would love to do again, an RAF F7.  Blue Fox radar, sidewinders and Sky Flash, frameless canopy, RB199s (it was a few years ago...)