The English Electric Lightning was a twin engine supersonic interceptor of the cold war era. It had the ability to accelerate even while travelling vertically upwards, and had one of the highest service ceilings of any aircraft. It famously out-ran Concorde during trials, which had been offered as a target for F-16s, F-15s, F-14s, F-104 Starfighters and Mirages, none of which could catch up with Concorde. Only Lightning XR749 managed to overtake Concorde, barely escorting it for a few minutes.
Specifications
General Characteristics
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- Wingspan 27.6ft (8.4m)
- Length 32.3ft (9.8m)
- Height 14.1ft (4.3m)
- Empty Weight 16,176lbs (7,337kg)
- Loaded Weight 22,455lbs (10,185kg)
Performance
- Power/Weight Ratio 3.002
- Wing Loading 81.2lbs/ft2 (396.5kg/m2)
- Wing Area 276.5ft2 (25.7m2)
- Drag Points 3121
Parts
- Number of Parts 53
- Control Surfaces 7
- Performance Cost 372
