Rightly titled 'Britain's First and Only Supersonic Fighter', the English Electric (later BAC) Lightning is and was an aircraft like no other. Typical of many British designs, its layout was unique with its twin afterburning Avon engines sitting one atop the other in an airframe that just looks like it means business. It was designed as a point defense interceptor and as such was quite a capable aircraft, protecting the skies over the UK for over 25 years. However, this design also had a few drawbacks in lack of decent range that required the original aircraft to sprout a belly bulge that held extra fuel. A bit later, over wing fuel tanks were part of the package as was the need to perform in-flight refuelling for missions that lasted a longer period of time.

The Lightning has been correctly defined as an aircraft that suffered from chronic underdevelopment as there were a constant stream of fixes and upgrades required to keep the relatively small fleet of planes in the air. The only export successes were to Saudi Arabia, the only country to use the aircraft in combat, and Kuwait, where many of the technicians and pilots were ex-RAF.

In his book on the aircraft, author Tim McLellan takes us through the somewhat troublesome development period of the aircraft, through its initial deployment and on through the plane's operational career. This includes sections on what it was like to fly and maintain the aircraft as well as some of the mishaps that involved the Lightning. There is a section on the aircraft in its final years that includes the small fleet of extant aircraft that are kept flying in South Africa by Thunder City operations and its use by the Kuwaiti and Saudi air forces. As you would hope, there is a large appendix section that includes the initial outfitting of RAF Lightning squadrons and a brief history of every Lightning built by serial number.

I'd be remiss if I didn't mention what is probably the books strong suit and that is the huge number of excellent color and B&W photographs that are throughout the book. Not only are some of these very large, but interspersed are pages of full color profiles of the Lightning in various camouflage schemes with various units.

In all, it makes it one of the best books on the subject I have read. If your interest lies with this aircraft, then it is a book you simply must have.

November 2009

Review book courtesy of Specialty Press, where you can order your copy of this and many other superb aviation and modeling books. Visit their website at the link above or call them at 1-800-895-4585

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