Lightning vs U-2 and Concord
 

This might interest some of you, surprised me:cool:

Brilliant, that’s from an era when we used to be able to make stuff !


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Manufactured by English Electric, there used to be one just inside the perimeter of Rochester Airfield, on (I think) a display pedestal.

I've also had the privilege of standing up close (touch the under carriage close) to a lightning, but I can't remember where.

At the time I worked for Plessey, and went to numerous Service Establishments / air fields / submarine bases etc.

When I saw 10 minute odd for the video clip, I thought I'd just have a quick look !!

I've never heard anybody talk of it's enormous altitude before, was it classified I wonder.

Those in the know did often repeat about flying an engine, with wings stuck on the sides.

Thank you,

Mike

I was stationed at Binbrook in 5 sqn when this happened. Great times.

Some of the Lightnings were just better than others, we had some that would never go unserviceable and others seemed to be always in pieces having repairs.

I suspect if they had better range we could have sold a lot more of them, 600 gallons might sound like a lot but they would drink that easily in an hour or less, on full power they could empty the tanks in 20 mins.

We used to joke we had more Lightnings at Doggerbank than at Binbrook.

The final airshow in 88 the pilots really showed what they could do. Seeing an aircraft come across the airfield at less than 100 feet and go vertical above you was incredible as you could feel the heat from the jet wash.

Sadly the only place to see them still flying in South Africa if you have the money.

I'm not sure if I am getting confused but if not.
There was a thing when concord was flying I think to or across the states the American Air Force wanted to practice interception. The pilot was advised. It went something like this :-
Air traffic control to concord pilot... he is 2 miles behind you
Air traffic control to concord pilot..... he is 5 miles behind you
Air traffic control to concord pilot.... he is 10 mile behind you

I hope I've got the right story or I'm going to be humiliated

macafee2

There is a Gentleman in Binbrook that has one on his front lawn, he is the chairman of the lightning association, we were admiring it from the roadside one day when he invited us in for a chat.

A great guy, and he owns a couple of border collies too ;)

Heres a view from google maps

There used to be one next to the A1, it was there for years 😎

Sent from my moto g(7) power using Tapatalk

That one got scrapped Ronnie (XN728) Following a long dispute between the scrapyard owner and the council.

We had some F15's visit Binbrook for an exercise. Some of there groundcrew came in to our hanger and were looking around the Lightnings. One asked me what were the holes for in the belly fuel tank. I told them those were the muzzles for the guns, he replied that cant be true, you cant put high calibre guns in a fuel tank. He them laughed and said OK don't tell me it is obviously top secret.

We kicked there a55, over 5 days the only thing they could beat us on was endurance and they could get a missile lock from a longer distance. Our valve radar could hold a lock on them longer and could even get multiple locks.

One of there F15's broke down, it took a dozen or more groundcrew to get the aircraft airworthy, the fault a leaking actuator. 4 Pipes and an electrical connection.

On History channel now, "Secrets in the sky" the untold story of the skunk work about the U2 etc

Sent from my moto g(7) power using Tapatalk