What can /k/ tell me about the English Electric Lightning? Was it based, or shit?
>>29784074
It was a good point defense interceptor.
But PD interceptors were quickly obsolete.
I give her a 7/10, would be fast as balls with again.
>>29784272
Is it true that it probably had the best climb rate of any jet?
>>29784379
The only NATO jet that ever managed to intercept Concorde.
>>29784427
Story?
>>29784437
Concorde used to troll Nato airforce bases when it was doing loops of the north sea after maintainance, nothing ever managed to intercept it tail on except the lightning
>>29784074
What a weird fucking wing.
>>29786519
I was thinking the same thing. I've never seen the jet from that angle... it was weird all over, but damn was it an awesome jet.
It was fucking based as shit, by all accounts a great all aircraft in every way. It was an interceptor though so the limited range meant it wasn't very versatile.
The last great in house British designed fighter.
>>29784272
>interceptors
>pointless
>>29787248
>>29784074
Great jet for its era. Problems were as follows:
Obsolete avionics, and a government that didn't want to invest in it due to "something better" coming along any day. Truthfully, it was a good jet, but it was not an amazing jet. Even with modernized avionics, it still does not carry a ton of munitions, and its aerodynamics were sorta antiquated.
Biggest strike against it is that the engine over engine configuration does not allow for a lifting body.
>>29784074
Mach 2 in 1955 and at 50,000 ft a minute it still out climbs most modern aircraft. I think the F15 and mig 31 are the only two production Aircraft that climb faster.
It had a very advanced armament for its time, combining ir missiles with radar and twin ADEN cannons for backup.
It had short legs but it was intended to defend areas from bombers much like a SAM would do today.
Up until they stopped flying they were probably one of the most impressive aircraft at airshows.
>>29787267
Tornado is fully the equal of the F-15, F-14 and MiG-25/31
>>29788235
> I think the F15 and mig 31 are the only two production Aircraft that climb faster.
F-15 climb rate isn't that special anymor. It's only what, 254 m/s?
Typhoon is pulling >315 m/s these days. A bunch of other 4.5th gens are around 300 as well.
Lightning's climb rate isn't that big these days, but the fact it did it in nineteen fucking fifty five is whats so astounding.
>>29788294
Tornado is an awesome multi role aircraft but i wouldn't say it was the equal to the F15
>>29788297
I think it used to run out of fuel really fast.
>>29788294
>Tornado is fully the equal of the F-15
>>29788294
The Tornado ADV was a specific designed interceptor aircraft and doesn't have a real counterpart in the USA.
The other Tornado variants are fighter-bombers designed around the concept to deliever a lot of fuck yous at low-altitude - again there was no counterpart in the USA.
>>29788297
modern jets are crazy fast
>>29788571
except the F-35
Though that's supposed to be more a bomber than fighter.
>>29788588
Except the F-35 wasnt built to be crazy fast.
>>29788595
That's a problem for many nations. So they are forced to fill that capacities gap with own domestic programs.
>>29788571
not faster than 60s jets
>>29788836
Significantly faster than 60s jets.
>>29788852
>bunch
no
educate yourself kid
>>29788852
mig 25
You dumb fuck
>>29788235
Can confirm airshow prowess. Saw the EE Lightning back in the day. It's party piece was a vertical climb with both tail-pieces aglow.
I was impressed. I was 8 at the time.
>>29788494
IIRC, the low level concept was thrashed to breaking point in Iraq 1.
The US had the right idea.
>>29788364
That's tuebojet engine inherent weakness
at the time of its introduction, the Lightning was the record-breaker in terms of performance capability pretty much across the board. Nothing, anywhere, came close.
incidentally, its also one of the few jets that was capable of reaching the U2's altitude in a ballistic climb - and it managed to embarrass the US in the early '60s by doing a mach 2 interception of then still-classified SR71 over the North Sea. Apparently resulting the the SR71's pilots having to open up the throttles to scoot away, after the Lightning pretty much appeared off one wing without any warning.
There was only one major flaw in the Lightning, for its date of introduction (its avionics became obsolete later in its service life) and that was it has a fuel consumption so bad that apparently on full military afterburner, you could visibly see the fuel gauges moving down, it was drinking so fast.
Of course, it became obsolete by the 80's. there'a rather good story of a 1vs1, Flt Lt Chris Allan in a Lightning against Captain De Vos Herman of the Belgian Air Force in an F-16:
>"After 5-6 minutes in full 'burner (I'd just air-to-air refuelled), pulling and pushing into +6/-2G maneouvres, I allowed myself the thought that I was doing better than OK against Herman's high-tech American hot rod. Then it happened. Herman suddenly zocked onto my six, taking enough film for a couple of Hollywood movies. Back on the ground, I asked 'Fox' (Herman's nickname) "What did you do? - I mean, you came from nowhere." Fox replied, "Oh, I was finding it a bit difficult, so I decided to use my afterburner..."
Perhaps that, more than anything is telling, of how much technology has moved on since 1955. the lightning was incredible for its time, but what we have now is far greater.
>>29789280
because low level interception was designed for a very specific threat.
Tornado F3 was designed to fly hundreds of miles into the north sea, just above sea level in a heavy ECM environment, it would then fire skyflash up into large Russian bombers that were naked against the open sky.
It had a huge loiter time, a very good radar that could be networked with other aircraft in the area and it had excellent acceleration.
There was and is no other aircraft like it becuse it was sesigned to be used in avery specific way.
fortunately it was never needed as a fighter so it tends to be forgotten about.
Fortunately its ground attack brother has been deployed on operations more or less constantly since it was introduced, it'll be a sad day when GR4 gets replaced with lightning II.
>>29789280
Low level concept was never trashed.
