Lightning FX

[Jack Bobson]

[size=8]Above: Lightning F7 of No. 74 Squadron - Royal Air Force[/size]

The English Electric Lightning first entered service with No. 74 Squadron of the RAF in 1960 and although it proved to be a successful point defence interceptor the end user asked English Electric to remedy the type's two biggest deficiencies – poor range and barely adequate radar performance.

With the creation of BAC in 1960 the former English Electric team at Warton continued with the steady progression of the basic type through the F2, F3 and F6 marks but the basic layout was rapidly approaching the limit of it's growth potential. A small study group at Warton were therefore asked to come up with a redesign to tackle the range and radar deficiencies with the project becoming known as the Lightning FX (extended range).

Their chosen design used a delta wing that would give greater wing area and greater integral fuel capacity whilst remaining thin enough for high supersonic performance. The study group quickly realised that the radar performance was limited by the small diameter available by the nose intake position and decided to adopt side-mounted semi-circular intakes to free up the nose area for a much larger radar dish.

The cancellation of TSR.2 in April 1965 left BAC reeling but a lifeline was given to them when the Lightning FX was selected for immediate development and production although this good news was tempered by the cancellation of the last 18 Lightning F6's. At the same time a programme of converting all F2's and all F3's to a common F6 standard was announced. The controversy surrounding all military aircraft programmes meant that a new name could not be selected for the new aircraft so the official designation of Lightning F7 was given although service pilots would refer to it as the 'Super Lightning'.

To power the Lightning F7 Rolls Royce was given a contract to develop a growth version of the Avon with modified engine accessories to avoid the staggered engine arrangement of the earlier marks and development progressed smoothly with the new Avon 320 engine being flown in the Vulcan test bed in 1966. In their production version these engines were rated at 12,000lbs dry thrust and 17,500lbs with reheat and the superb intake design and unique crossover ducting made for trouble free handling although specific fuel consumption was still higher than an equivalent modern turbofan. The powerplant and wing configuration meant that 'supercruise' was still possible but only in a clean configuration.  

In May 1965 Ferranti was asked to produce a new radar for the Lightning F7 but the timescale requested by the Air Ministry would mean that this would be little more than a scaled up A.I.23. Despite this Ferranti produced the superb A.I.25 radar which introduced a 30-inch dish size, a much extended detection range and increased automation to ease the pilot workload and this was test flown in a Canberra in early 1967.

Development progressed swiftly and the first prototype (XR752 a converted F6) was first flown on October 31st, 1969 with Roland Beaumont at the controls. This was followed by XR755 on December 24th and the two prototypes initially concentrated on airframe and engine development with the radar performing faultlessly in the test Canberra. XR755 would eventually be upgraded to full service standard but XR753 was destined to remain with BAC/British Aerospace as a test aircraft until 1983 with RB199's and 27mm Mauser cannon being tested as part of the Tornado programme.

Production commenced in late 1970 with No. 43 Squadron taking first delivery and re-forming in June 1971 based at Leuchars in Scotland. At this time No. 74 squadron were flying Lightning F6's but disbanded in Tengah in September 1971 and a new No. 74 squadron was immediately formed in October 1971 also at Leuchars to fly the F7.

In service the aircraft was not quite the sprightly performer that the earlier marks were but it was a much more effective interceptor especially at high altitude where the large wing area meant that it could actually out-turn the F6 although the pride of place on the notice board at RAF Gutersloh were pictures of silhouetted F7's caught by the gun-cameras of the F2A's of RAF Germany.

Production would eventually total 169 aircraft with the last being flown from Warton on February 28th 1974 and the type served with a total of eight UK based RAF squadrons (5,11, 23, 29, 43, 56, 74, 111) before being replaced by the Tornado F3 in the late 1980's.


[size=8]Above: Underside view showing 4 x Red Top 2 missiles.[/size]

[Eddie M.]

Very good looking start. I'm looking forward to, with much anticipation,
your progress on this bird.    B)
    Eddie

[Jack Bobson]

Another two photos added.



I've used a Matchbox 1/72 scale Lightning F6 fuselage and filed away the tailplane fairings and filled the resultant gaps. I had two spare dorsal humps from 1/48 scale Mig-21's and these were cut to create open air intakes and superglued onto the fuselage as they had to bend a bit to take the shape. To help then some of the cable ducts had to be carved away as well and some 1/72 scale bombs were used to create the intake shockcones.



With side intakes then a big radar could be used and the spares box had a long departed Foxbat nose cone that was razor-sawed down to fit and glued on with just a slight downwards angle.

The wings come from a 1/48 scale Mig 21 and needed the locating tabs cut off and a bit of whittling away to fit the curve of the intakes. Pylons have come from an Italeri F-111 and the missile shoes from a 20-year old Hasegawa set.



I'm sticking with the DSG scheme and will just break it up a bit with a paler radome or possibly a black radome and I'm sticking 4 (white painted) Red Tops on it although a BVR radar guided missile would be a better payload.

[lancer]

Damm that is a nice looking bird Jack.

[Dork the kit slayer]

Very interesting....I like the look of this. Looking forward to more.  

[Radish]

This is going to be good....VERY good!  

[GTX]

Ditto on earlier comments - awaiting patiently for more pics.

Regards,

Greg

[Gary]

Super cool mate!

[John Howling Mouse]

Your Super Lightning is Super Cool, Jack, er, Alf.  

I'm confused!  

But it looks great----you make it look easy!      

[Jack Bobson]

Thanks for the comments although I don't think you'd be quite so complementary if you saw it in the flesh as it's a bit of a lash up! However, it does give an impression of what could have been a useful long-range vesion of the Lightning and I know I'm safe from JMN's here!

Decals tonight!

[NARSES2]

I like that Jack, but shouldn't we give her a new name, maybe EE Thunder ? It's just she's such a major change from the Lightning ?

Chris

[cthulhu77]

very, very cool looking jet, wonderful job on the marriage of fuselage and wings!

[The Rat]

Doh!

Smacks forehead and stamps foot... "Why didn't I think of that?!" (No doubt mirroring the reactions of several other readers)

     

[Jack Bobson]

Tiger Squadron decals on and I'm going to varnish and add the Red Tops this evening. Thanks for your very kind comments. As I mentioned earlier, it was a bit of a quick kit bash and has a few little problems which my photos seem to be hiding!!

[Brian da Basher]

Nice looking bird there Jack, very sharp! Welcome to the asylum!

Brian da Basher