Tuesday, May 9, 2023

Skyward Bound

 


9 comments:

  1. Pretty capable aircraft that doesn’t get much attention. Intercepted a U-2 at altitude during an exercise in the 80s above ‘FL60’. Recorded ‘zoom climbs’ to over 85k feet.

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  2. what is it please

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  3. English Electric Lightning

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  4. English Electric Lightning

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  5. My best mate was an engine tech on Lightnings in the RAF. The thin wings could only hold very skinny tires and it landed very fast. Tires had to be changed every 3 landings. If you had fired both your missiles and there was a Russian nuclear bomber remaining the pilot was taught to slave the autopilot to the radar and eject just before the collision.
    This pic has me puzzled. The missiles are missing the main fins and I've never seen that squadron tail before.
    Al_in_Ottawa

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    1. Not sure of the fin flash, but the missiles are probably captive trainers. No motor, no warhead, but all the electronics. The bottom engine was harder to change than the top one.

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  6. Quick to altitude, very short combat legs, and could only do a climb like that stripped and bare.

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  7. I read a pilot's tale some years ago that he did a full afterburner takeoff, climb with subsequent landing and used a full load of fuel in about 10 minutes (or something like that). The early versions were very short ranged

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    1. And later versions were merely short-ranged without overwing ferry tanks.

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