The Men Who Flew the English Electric Lightning

Author: Martin W Bowman
Publisher: Pen and Sword
ISBN: 1526705664
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 531

Book Description
The early 1950s were a boom time for British aviation. The lessons of six years of war had been learned and much of the research into jet engines, radar and aerodynamics had begun to reach fruition. In Britain, jet engine technology led the world, while wartime developments into swept wing design in Germany and their transonic research program were used to give western design teams a quantum leap in aircraft technology. At English Electric, 'Teddy' Petter's design team were keen to capitalize on the success of their Canberra jet bomber and rose to the challenge of providing a high speed interceptor for the RAF. Martin W. Bowman describes the career of the Lightning in detail using first-hand accounts of what it was like to fly and service this thoroughbred. Illustrated with over 200 color and b/w photographs, appendices listing Lightning squadrons, production totals, individual aircraft histories and with the first in-depth analysis into why a third of all Lightnings were lost, The Men Who Flew the English Electric Lightning is a fine record of the last truly great all-British fighter.

Thunder And Lightnings

Author: Jan Mark
Publisher: Penguin UK
ISBN: 0141361867
Category : Juvenile Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 190

Book Description
When Andrew's family moves house, he strikes up an unexpected friendship with his neighbour Victor. There isn't a thing Victor doesn't know about the RAF planes flying overhead and the two boys are soon busy tracking their movements. Then Andrew discovers that Victor's beloved Lightnings are due to be scrapped... Thunder and Lightnings won the Carnegie Medal in 1976.

English Electric P1 Lightning

Author: Roland Beamont
Publisher:
ISBN: 9780711014718
Category : ABC Lightning (Fighter plane)
Languages : da
Pages : 128

Book Description
Englands første supersoniske luftforsvarsjager kom til verden omkring det tidspunkt, den engelske regering erklærede, at det bemandede flys dage var talte. Forfatteren, der varetog prøveflyvningerne, fortæller om flyets 35 år lange historie.

English Electric/BAC Lightning Manual

Author: Ian Black
Publisher: Haynes Publishing UK
ISBN: 9780857337689
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 0

Book Description
Enjoying continuous frontline service with the RAF for nearly 30 years, the supersonic English Electric Lightning jet was the Spitfire of its era and the last of a special breed of fighter aircraft: single-seat, all-British, magnificently overpowered and possessing delightful handling qualities. During its lifetime it became the favourite mount for jet fighter pilots and thrilled the crowds at countless air displays with its spectacular speed and awesome performance. Former Lightning pilot Ian Black brings a level of level of insight into operating the Lightning that is second to none.

Bottled Lightning

Author: Seth Fletcher
Publisher: Hill and Wang
ISBN: 1429922915
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 274

Book Description
Lithium batteries may hold the key to an environmentally sustainable, oil-independent future. From electric cars to a "smart" power grid that can actually store electricity, letting us harness the powers of the sun and the wind and use them when we need them, lithium—a metal half as dense as water, found primarily in some of the most uninhabitable places on earth—has the potential to set us on a path toward a low-carbon energy economy. In Bottled Lightning, the science reporter Seth Fletcher takes us on a fascinating journey, from the salt flats of Bolivia to the labs of MIT and Stanford, from the turmoil at GM to cutting-edge lithium-ion battery start-ups, introducing us to the key players and ideas in an industry with the power to reshape the world. Lithium is the thread that ties together many key stories of our time: the environmental movement; the American auto industry, staking its revival on the electrification of cars and trucks; the struggle between first-world countries in need of natural resources and the impoverished countries where those resources are found; and the overwhelming popularity of the portable, Internet-connected gadgets that are changing the way we communicate. With nearly limitless possibilities, the promise of lithium offers new hope to a foundering American economy desperately searching for a green-tech boom to revive it.

Lightning from the Cockpit

Author: Peter Caygill
Publisher: Pen and Sword
ISBN: 1781594287
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 228

Book Description
Vivid firsthand accounts from aviators who flew this renowned supersonic interceptor fighter. The English Electric Lightning was the only single-seat supersonic interceptor fighter designed and manufactured in the UK. It saw service with the RAF in the sixties and seventies and gained a worthy reputation for its speed—in excess of Mach 2—and phenomenal rate of climb. It was, however, not entirely reliable, and over fifty were lost during its operational career. In this book, the author has gathered together 16 personal accounts of what it was like to fly the Lightning, thrilling stories that convey the immense brute power of the machine and also its many pitfalls. To see a Lightning take off and climb vertically until it vanishes into the sky is one of the most spectacular sights in aviation, and these enthralling accounts put you right there in the cockpit.

English Electric Lightning

Author: Stewart Scott
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781870384780
Category : BAC Lightning (Jet fighter plane)
Languages : en
Pages : 345

Book Description

British Secret Projects

Author: Tony Buttler
Publisher: Voyageur Press (MN)
ISBN: 9781857800951
Category : Aircraft
Languages : en
Pages : 0

Book Description
A large number of fighter projects have been drawn by British companies over the last fifty years, but very few have turned into hardware, and very little has been published about these fascinating "might-have-beens". This book makes extensive use of previously unpublished, primary-source material-much recently declassified. It gives an insight into a secret world where the public has had little idea of what was going on, while at the same time presenting a coherent nationwide picture of fighter development and evolution. Particular emphasis is placed on tender design competitions and some of the events that led to certain aircraft either being canceled or produced. Some of the many and varied types included are the Hawker P.1103/P.1136/P.1121 series, and the Fairey "Delta III". The book includes many illustrations, plus specially commissioned renditions of "might-have-been" types in contemporary markings.

The English Electric Lightning

Author: Martin W. Bowman
Publisher: Pen and Sword
ISBN: 1526705583
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 153

Book Description
A photo-packed history of this Cold War-era supersonic fighter aircraft. The early 1950s were a boom time for British aviation. The lessons of six years of war had been learned, and much of the research into jet engines, radar, and aerodynamics had begun to reach fruition. In Britain, jet engine technology led the world while wartime developments into swept-wing design in Germany and their transonic research program were used to give western design teams a quantum leap in aircraft technology. The English Electric Lightning emerged at this time. This supersonic fighter aircraft of the Cold War era is perhaps best remembered for its amazing takeoff performance, its exceptional rate of climb, and its immense speed. Here, Martin Bowman takes us on a photographic journey, illustrating the various landmarks of the Lightning's impressive operational history.

The English Electric Lightning Story

Author: Martin W. Bowman
Publisher:
ISBN: 9780752450803
Category : BAC Lightning (Fighter plane)
Languages : en
Pages : 128

Book Description
Perhaps the most famous aircraft to come from English Electric, the unique design of the Lightning originated in a proposal in 1947. The prototype first flew in 1954 and in August of that year it became the first British aircraft to break the sound barrier in level flight. By 1968 when production ceased, 339 Lightnings had been built. It was the standard British fighter for over twenty years and was used by both the Kuwait and Saudi Arabian Air Forces. In 1971 the RAF Lightning squadrons began disbanding one by one and the Lightning phased out until the last one left front line service in 1988. Built for the Cold War, they lasted almost until the fall of the Berlin Wall.Lightnings are hugely popular preserved aircraft today, on display in museums throughout Britain, the USA and other parts of the world. The Lightning can be seen roaring to life at Bruntingthorpe and in South Africa several still fly regularly. Time has been kind to the Lightning and its design is still sleek and purposeful. While it will never be used in anger again, the many preserved examples remain to remind us of the part played by the Lightning in the Cold War.Martin W. Bowman is the author of over 100 books on military and commercial aviation as well as photographic books on a variety of subjects. He has participated in German and USAFE air/land and night air/drop missions on C-160 and C-130 Hercules aircraft, and is a frequent contributor to aviation jornal in Great Britain, the USA and Australia. In 1999 he was appointed an official researcher for DERA.