BAC (English Electric) Lightning Scale Models

The English Electric Lightning is a fighter aircraft that served as an interceptor during the 1960s, the 1970s and into the late 1980s. It remains the only UK-designed-and-built fighter capable of Mach 2. The Lightning was designed, developed, and manufactured by English Electric, which was later absorbed by the newly-formed British Aircraft Corporation. Later the type was marketed as the BAC Lightning. It was operated by the Royal Air Force (RAF), the Kuwait Air Force (KAF) and the Royal Saudi Air Force (RSAF).

Specifications (Lightning F.6)

General characteristics

Crew: 1 (2 in T Mk.4 and T Mk.5)
Length: 55 ft 3 in (16.84 m)
Wingspan: 34 ft 10 in (10.62 m)
Height: 19 ft 7 in (5.97 m)
Wing area: 474.5 sq ft (44.08 m2)
Empty weight: 27,759 lb (12,591 kg)
Max takeoff weight: 45,750 lb (20,752 kg)
Powerplant: 2 × Rolls-Royce Avon 301R afterburning turbojet engines, 12,690 lbf (56.4 kN) thrust each dry, 16,360 lbf (72.8 kN) with afterburner

Performance

Maximum speed: Mach 2.27 (1,500 mph+ at 40,000 ft)
Range: 738 nmi (849 mi, 1,367 km)
Combat range: 135 nmi (155 mi, 250 km) supersonic intercept radius
Ferry range: 800 nmi (920 mi, 1,500 km) internals ; 1,100 nmi (1,300 mi; 2,000 km)
Service ceiling: 60,000 ft (18,000 m)
Zoom ceiling: 70,000 ft (21,000 m)
Rate of climb: 50,000 ft/min (250 m/s)
Wing loading: 67 lb/sq ft (330 kg/m2)
Thrust/weight: 1.15 (empty)

Armament

Guns: 2× 30 mm (1.181 in) ADEN cannon
Hardpoints: 2 × forward fuselage for mounting air-to-air missiles, 2 × overwing pylon stations for 260 imp gal (310 US gal; 1,200 l) ferry tanks with provisions to carry combinations of:
Missiles: 2 De Havilland Firestreak or 2 × Hawker Siddeley Red Top