RAF Lightning fighter jet fired up after 18 years in Lincolnshire
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c5yer1den1go
Posted by terahurts
RAF Lightning fighter jet fired up after 18 years in Lincolnshire
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c5yer1den1go
Posted by terahurts
13 Comments
It’s interesting how fast it is compared to modern aircraft.
fantastic plane, basically a jet propelled alloy tube. It can break the sound barrier during a VERTICAL climb
Battery surely would have been flat. Must’ve used jump cables.
Really fascinating jet, with loads of cool history behind it.
I know it’s not for everyone, but for those interested there’s a 90 min podcast chat with Ian Black, a retired RAF pilot, who flew the Lightning [here](https://open.spotify.com/episode/3Iv8DQUh2oVFIaKw6qVHDm?si=vJzOG0MWT6aOkUWeMMBK8w)
Fantastic!
Have seen a few Lightnings and other jets that were in running condition which used to display fast-taxiing at a museum only a few years ago, which was incredible (*Even more so* was having a Handley Paige Victor fast-taxi right infront of…). Such a shame that whole thing had to shut down because the owner of the land they were using decided *selling more cars* was more important than maintaining an irreplaceable part of british aviation history, but I think those still do engine startups too in their new space.
An absolute beast.
[English Electric Lightning Take Off](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_CDLbokf9sg)
So they can get it flying right?
Right?
^Let ^a ^man ^dream.
Basically a seat slapped on two engines. Would love to see one fly again.
This is an enormous achievement for the Lightning Association.
Things have really turned around for them this last few years after what seemed like a long period of inactivity. And it now seems that Binbrook is once again becoming a home for Lightning preservation.
My dad used to work on those!
Told me stories of lying inside them doing his college homework.
Awesome planes!
I’d be pretty fired up too if I was stuck in Lincolnshire for 18 years.
Lord Hardthrasher has a video paean to the Lightning: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pCQbBfie3ZA
Love Cold War jets, technology was there to have one aircraft do one thing well. True multi role was a bit of a lie
But the lightening, its role was to climb as fast as bloody possible and intercept Russian bombers.
An aircraft designed for one job, and we got a super sonic tube with some poor blood strapped to the front.