English Electric Lightning leaves its mark - Nov 2009

[WildGoose]

Did anyone hear about this at the time?

I remember reading about a company called Thunder City in South Africa a few years ago, that you could pay lots of money to go and fly in an English Electric lightning.

They had the last four serviceable flying aircraft in the world down there.

Was in WH Smiths today, and saw a magazine that mentioned the end of Thunder City. I didn't buy it, but just googled and it seems one of their pilots was killed last year at an airshow flying a display in one of the twin seater Lightnings.

[Kickstart]

Hi

Read a couple of articles on this. Not sure it is there wishful thinking but it seems that they are going to keep the aircraft in flying condition with a possibility to restart operations when economic conditions improve.

Think I read that someone in the USA is starting up doing similar flight experiences in a Skyhawk and a Phantom.

All the best

Keith
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[Itchy]

You can do the same in Moscow in a Mig29 or a SU27MK it costs 12000Euro for 25 minutes.
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[sniff6]

The end of another great british aircraft..

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5hLvufAknW8
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[Stelmer]

[stinkwheel]

I wonder what the hell happened to prevent him ejecting.

That aircraft has a Mk4 Martin Baker ejector seat. It is vanishingly rare for a MB ejector seat to fail to work.

I do remember my Grandad telling me years ago that there were oddities on the ejector firing mechanism on the Lightnings. He was a Chief Tec. in the RAF and said one of his aircrew managed to fire one while fiddling with the electrics. The airman lost his arm, the aircraft was U/S for a long time, the HAS needed a new roof and one of the ground crew was seriously hauled over the coals for failing to install the safety lockout pins after the aircraft landed.

This suggests that the bang seat was somehow tied into the aircraft electrics, something Martain Baker conciously do not do, the seats are usually self-contained and entirely mechanical in operation.

I also remember him telling me they once had a lightning crash under full power with hydraulic failure following a "bump and run" landing in Germany. In that case the pilot could have ejected but opted to stay with it, managing to inch it over the married quarters (which is where it would have gone at a significant percentage of the speed of sound had he ejected) before going into a hill nose first. My mum was a pupil in the base school at the time and remembers hearing what she describes as the loudest bang she's ever heard. A brave man!
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“Rule one: Always stick around for one more drink. That's when things happen. That's when you find out everything you want to know.”
I did the 2010 Round Britain Rally on my 350 Bullet. 89 landmarks, 3 months, 9,500 miles.

[stinkwheel]

[WildGoose]

Found this, haven't read it yet.

https://www.caa.co.za/resource%20center/accidents%20&%20incid/reports/2009/ZU-BEX.pdf


Agreed about the Martin Baker ejection seat (extremely good bits of kit), it was completely independant on the Harrier. Though it was linked to MDC on the canopy that would blow a fraction of a second before launching the seat through it. Though the seat would go through the canopy anyway, just might give the pilot a bit more of a headache.

We learned about it thoroughly, though I have long forgotten the details. We weren't allowed to touch a thing on it, short of making sure the safety pins were in place before going anywhere near it. Had to make sure the pilot left it reasonably safe for us to go clambering around on. Had to send (ask politely, sir) one or two back to make it safe every so often .

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[Frost]

Such high performance aircraft need to much time skill and resources to keep them working completely. It would be pretty easy to think of something that's been unused as still being okay and overlook replacing it.

Now a flight in a Mig-29 has the potential to render most of your bones useless should the pilot wish it

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uHAXZy6ujtQ

Want one.

[carlosthejack...]

Lightning is my second all time favourite after the A-10. Talk about polar opposites.

The DC3 is my favourite prop, with the Herc coming a close second...
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[Ed Case]

The EE Lightning came out in the early 50s, it was basically two gigantic jet motors on top of each other. Instructions were given to pilots not to attempt a near or vertical climb too early in the flight as the thrust could blow large pieces of tarmac out of the runway !. There's one on permanent display at the RAF Museum Cosford near Wolverhampton.

[Whosthedaddy]

[Bendy]

[Mister James]

Without doubt the coolest jets EVER! My Airfix model of the GE-L was my prize possession as a kid.
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>Bazza Wow. Eyes like a shithouse rat, you...

[Bendy]

Always watch out for Lightnings when photographing your tractor...

https://dl.dropbox.com/u/9843879/118sqnpic205.jpg

[panrider_uk]

I used to go up on my moped to watch the lightnings from RAF Binbrook's crash gate 3 when I were a lad

Mark
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Current bikes: Honda ST1100 Pan European. Moto Guzzi V85 TT Travel

[stinkwheel]

Unidentified soviet aircraft. Adjust heading one-eight-zero degrees and GTFO
https://www.acig.org/artman/uploads/bh04.jpg
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“Rule one: Always stick around for one more drink. That's when things happen. That's when you find out everything you want to know.”
I did the 2010 Round Britain Rally on my 350 Bullet. 89 landmarks, 3 months, 9,500 miles.

[Mister James]

ALL YOUR BEARZ ARE BELONG TO US!
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>Soultrader Mister James, I bet you are a copper
>Bazza Wow. Eyes like a shithouse rat, you...

[Kickstart]

[stinkwheel]

[Kickstart]

Hi

Possible that demonstrated why some components are meant to be replaced at a certain age (and then found to be no longer available).

All the best

Keith
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Traxpics, track day and racing photographs - Bimota Forum - Bike performance / thrust graphs for choosing gearing

[Blau Zedong]

I went to the last Lightning show at Binbrook in 1987, the sight of the things getting upto takeoff speed and then going vertical in what seemed like an instant has stayed with me ever since. They are quite prang-worthy though...search around the internets and there's a site which lists the service histories for each aircraft by registration, the amount lost on takeoff and landing is quite sobering.
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[Frost]

[twostroketit]

Going in the lightning would fulfill a dream for me .

What a plane! One caught and passed a Concorde once in level flight.
I could go on for hours...
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sup up your beer and collect your fags

[garyd]

There is one in a car breakers yard at side of A1 near Newark,yours for £400
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