The British fighter that could exceed Mach 1 in a vertical climb
The English Electric Lightning is a twin-engine, sweep-wing, single-seat, supersonic fighter. Developed to bring the RAF into the supersonic age, the aircraft was able to fly at twice the speed of sound. The Lightning was an incredible leap forward in performance and technology. In fact, it had such a power to weight ratio that it could stand on its tail and exceed the speed of sound in a vertical climb.
Our Lightning on display at IWM Duxford, XM135, is particularly interesting. In 1966 Wing Commander Walter 'Taffy' Holden accidentally took to the sky in this aircraft without a canopy, radio, usable ejector seat or any jet flying experience. In this episode of Duxford in Depth, Liam Shaw takes a detailed look at the Lightning's design, development, armament and service history as well as 'Taffy' Holden's incredible story.
Join us for an all day event exploring the legacy of fighter aircraft and the lives of those who fly them. Former pilots Paul Tremelling and Mike Sutton will discuss their experiences flying the Harrier and the Typhoon, plus a chance to ask them your questions and a book signing. Book now: bit.ly/3N7Yk3e
Visit IWM Duxford: bit.ly/visit-duxford
See the full list of archive films used in this video, available for licensing and downloading: film.iwmcollections.org.uk/c/...
Find out more about our Lightning XM135: www.iwm.org.uk/collections/it...
Fighter Command - IWM Photo Collection book: shop.iwm.org.uk/p/29014/Fight...
Creative Commons Attributions:
English Electric Lightning F.53 418 of the Kuwait Air Force at Paris Le Bourget in 1969 by RuthAS. CC BY 3.0 creativecommons.org/licenses/...
English Electric Lightning T.55 55-714 of the Royal Saudi Air Force at RAF Coltishall in 1968 by RuthAS. CC BY 3.0 creativecommons.org/licenses/...
My favourite story is of a lightning instructor taking up a student pilot. When they got to altitude, he turned to the student and said: "As you can see, the only reason the Lightning has wings is to keep the navigation lights apart".
Absolutely my favourite KZhead comment of the week 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻
Sounds like something a British engineer would do What do you mean the wings are superfluous? Yes......
Curious if the instructor was sitting in the lap of the student or vice versa, being a single seater....
@Jeff Clark I believe the instructor could be swapped out for an obsolete wing with minimal change in flight profile
@@jeffclark5268 in the T4 trainer (EE designation P.11) they actually sat side by side
"Supersonic English Electric Lightning" is maybe the most 60's phrase it is possible to say.
It does sound like the name of a psychedelic band
@@mattburland8105 a song by King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard at least.
Could've just been called a Fast Charge UK Thunderbolt p'raps
What *isn't* in this video is that Taffy was (very understandably) extremely shaken by his impromptu solo in the Lightning & went to see the medics on the base, who gave him a couple of tranquillisers to steady him up. Having returned home, his wife asked him how his day had been, to which he replied that it had been a little more exciting than he'd planned & he was expecting to hear from a senior officer in due course. This summons duly arrived & he had to attend an interview with the Air Vice-Marshal in London. During this interview, it became apparent that the A V-M was sympathetic to Taffy's plight & asked Taffy if he agreed that he shouldn't have -taken off- (edit: "done the test") Taffy of course agreed & bearing in mind that the only damage to the Lightning was a scrubbed-off drogue 'chute on landing (the reason he had taken the full length of the runway to stop) & excessive wear to the brakes, no action was taken. The interview then concluded with a convivial chat. Many years later, Taffy (now in his 80s) paid a visit to Duxford with a group & was reunited with the Lightning he'd had an exciting & impromptu flight in all those years ago. Strangely, no-one could locate an access ladder so that Taffy could sit in the cockpit once again..... kzhead.info/sun/krVmZaWLf6x8poE/bejne.html. is a link to a YT video of that visit.
Hahaha, I bet he changed his underpants after thst😜😜😜. Imagine if he would have had a skinful under his belt,,, chatting to some girl at the bar,,,, then asking her if she would like to have a spin in a lightning,,, well done Taffy😜😜😜😜
In the likely event KZhead policy changes and the link is broken, search for this title: _Wing Commander Taffy Holden reunited with Lightning XM135_
Taffy was more than shaken up apparently, and had stress problems. Mind you anyone who went through that would be stressed.
@@andyrbush I had read somewhere that he suffered from PTSD and flashbacks for a long time after that but I had no proof of it.
@@stephenphillip5656 I spoke to him once and he told me exactly that.
My father was a lightning mechanic, and described it as a jet engine with a jockey on top.
TWO jet engines ( ;
Who asked?
@@CryMore17 shush
@@Li-W no.
@@CryMore17 🤓
I love the comment the base commander Fred Hazelwood made on learning that Taff was alone in the airborne Lightning “ My God, has he gone mad”. So very British.
Hahahahaha😂😂😂😂😂
We brits are a bit mad but in a good way!
Very British indeed 😂 So is Taffy's response to the officer just after stepping out of a plane that took him for a involuntary ride: "I'm terribly sorry sir"... Only a Brit would be that polite after what he just had been through. 😁
A cynic might suggest the response these days might be: "Oh god the Health & Safety report will be thicker than an old telephone directory ..... He has completed the diversity training updates hasn't he - *and* used the correct personal pronouns when swearing at that Transport Comet".
😂🤣😅
I was at RAF station as a cadet in the ATC. Lightnings were stationed there. On a perfectly clear day we watched a Lightning take off. At the end of the runway it went vertical and stayed that way until we could hear it but not see it. Unforgetable.
Binbrook was it? I too was a cadet in the ATC. Stayed there for a week
And now Eurofighter Typhoons (I do wish they'd stop recyling names) do exactly the same thing when they display. Excellence continues.
Exactly the same for me at RAF Coltishall in August 1970. I was sitting terrified atop a blast wall 25 feet high - as cadets we had to climb over it as an exercise. Aircraft had afterburners on, vertical climb until out of sight in a clear blue sky. Wow.
@@petethevan I suffered the same torture on those bloody blast walls, but it was a great camp. I was in 493 squadron.
to what altitude it could go like that? :D
Greetings from America. Wow. Former Prop pilot gets in state- of- the-art supersonic jet and manages to survive flying it. Hats off to y'all Brits. You produce some really gutsy guys and gals.
We believe its the US Navy Flyers who coined the adage 'Skill & Luck are both vital............ but if you *have* to chose one ....... chose lucky'.
Gals? Lol.
Thanks for that Freind ,much appreciated from England 🏴
Terrorist USA.... The United States of Global Terrorism. And the people cheer their president and chant USA USA USA, just like the Nazi's. Every other country on earth who knew what their country was doing, (supplying, recruiting, arming, training terrorists) who've slaughtered hundreds of thousands of innocent people, would all be out on the streets in the millions protesting it stops! There is, without question, something seriously wrong with these American people. In 2015. Russia exposed the USA to the American people, and the entire world, for supporting terrorists in Syria, and that forced the USA, to admit to the whole world, that they had recruited - Trained - Armed - Supplied - Protected - Paid - and used, brutal terrorists, the “Free Syria Army”, (sorry I forgot, today, the Americans like the term “moderate head chopping fake rebels”), it's only terrorists to the rest of this world, ...my mistake. But not one American, has ever condemned it. Not one has done the right thing, and stood up against it, or even protested against it, as every other society on earth, would be doing, if any of our governments were forced to admit what the USA admitted. Far from seeing anyone of them protest against it, what is the reality, what do we really see? We see millions of Americans cheering their criminal presidents, and we see millions of Americans chanting USA USA USA, (just like Nazi's today). And we have never seen a single American, stand up against it. 2018, Teresa May announces British strikes on Syria, within 3 hours, literally hundreds of thousands of people are stood outside Parliament protesting against it. 2018, Emmanuel Macron announces French strikes on Syria, later that evening in Paris, hundreds of thousands of people are protesting against it. 2015, Russia exposes the USA to the American people and the entire world for supporting and supplying terrorists in Syria, and still, 6 years later, not one American has even condemned it, let alone protested against it! The only society we've ever seen do this before in modern history, not even protest against their own government's criminal murder and killing of innocent people (once the people found out), was indeed Nazi Germany 1933-1945, and that's the only time in modern history the people of any society have done what these American people are today. The truth is, something that seems to be forgotten today, but what was the most asked question after WW2, a question asked all the way into the early 1980s? "Why did the German people do nothing"? What's worse, is, we can understand today, why the German people did what they did, they were starving to death with the harshness of the Versailles treaty, and dying in large numbers during the great depression, so quite naturally, they'd of supported absolutely anything that offered them hope! These Americans have no such excuse. This is one of the biggest problems facing us all in this world today, the American people themselves, don't know or understand right from wrong any more! Yet it's not difficult? The (people) of any society only ever need to remember, the easiest way to figure out the right from the wrong, (in any likely oncoming war scenario), is to ask yourself what you'd be fighting for, because the answer to that question, should be showing you whose right, and whose wrong. These Yanks only need to ask themselves if, the USA went to war today, against either Russia or China, what would they be fighting for?, then ask themselves what the Russians or Chinese would be fighting for?, and they'd come to find, that both the Russians and the Chinese would be fighting for their freedom, and their own country's freedom, while the Americans, will only be fighting for (attempted American tyranny), and that's no different from Nazi Tyranny! How Ironic!. This is what they're all, in effect, supporting today, and if they really can't see that, well, all I can say to that, is, the Nazi was just like that, they couldn't see it either! They'll be seen by history, as the Axis powers, (trying for American Tyranny) over the rest of the world, while the rest of the world will be seen as the allied powers, fighting against attempted American tyranny, and fighting for their own freedom. That's the truth today, and that's also the reality today. Truth will always out, and that truth today is... The American people, themselves, are at fault, it's up to them to demand their government stops all of this? Nobody else can do that, only they can! But the problem we all have, is, that none of these uneducated cowards will do a thing. Get lost USA. Great Britain, Russia, Ukraine, Germany, France, Spain, Sweden, Austria, Netherlands, Belgium, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Romania, Estonia, Finland, Lithuania, Bulgaria, Greece, Slovakia, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Luxembourg, Malta, Poland, Portugal, Slovenia & The World.
Rolling down the runway throttles open wide see the mighty Phantom sway from side to side airborne again without a blip It's just one more aborted trip but we're pressing on regardless for the wg cdrs AFC Went to early briefing climbed into the Kite opened up the throttles and roared into the night leaving the flare path far behind It's dark outside, but we don't mind cos we're pressing on regardless for the wg cdr's AFC Rolling down the runway throttle open wide see the mighty Falcon sway from side to side airborne again with just 9 G I wish I had a nav with me (!) but we're pressing on regardless for the wg cdr's AFC Rolling down the runway throttles open wide see the mighty Jaguar sway from side to side airborne again, but only just It's not much fun with F*** all thrust but we're pressing on regardless for the wg cdr's AFC GIVE ME BUCCANEERS! They're British through and through The Banana Jet The Best we've had yet We are the last of the few. Don't give me the Jaguar Unless you refer to the car The car is a groundhog The aircraft is half frog Don't give me the Jaguar. Give me Buccaneers They're British through and through The Banana Jet The Best we've had yet We are the last of the few. Don't give me the Harrier jump jet You haven't convinced me yet Jets that fly backwards Are soon to be knackered Don't give me the Harrier jump jet Well… Not just yet... Give me Buccaneers... They're British through and through The Banana Jet The Best we've had yet We are the last of the few. Don't give me this computer crap It's no way to tackle a SAP It's OK for Dicks, Germans and Spicks But Gentleman always carry a map! Give me Buccaneers... They're British through and through The Banana Jet The Best we've had yet We are the last of the few. Don't give me Air Traffic Control They live in a bloody great hole… They scream, and they shout, then F**k you about Don't give me Air Traffic Control. Give me Buccaneers... They're British through and through The Banana Jet The Best we've had yet We are the last of the few. Don't give me the F-104 It's only a ground loving whore It goes in a turn, flick, spin and burn Don't give me the F-104. Give me Buccaneers They're British through and through The Banana Jet The Best we've had yet WE ARE THE LAST OF THE FEW!
My Grandad worked for English Electric as an engineer his whole working life. He helped design and build this plane. It was his funeral yesterday. He was a true legend and will be missed.
Thanks to your grandad and his colleagues who built this world class fighter interceptor. An unbelievable plane with truly impressive performance and flight characteristics.
I love the English Electric Lightning, it was an absolute British icon of the Cold War, up there with the BAC Tsr.2 and the Saunders Roe Sr-53
As a kid I lived 10 maybe 15 miles from where they were building & testing them over at Warton & Freckleton, so they were a regular sight overhead. I thought they were the most wonderful things, spent all my pocket money buying Airfix kit Lighnings at Woolies (I think they were somthing like 1s 6d) and ended up with maybe 10 models in all.
The Lightning was so much more important than those other two.
The TSR2 ended up being designed to do everything from ground attack to a fighter via a bomber and ended up not being very good at any of them though a lot of the technology ended up in Concorde - even the aviation electronic boxes look similar but no doubt different functionality. The SR-53 was a one shot interceptor - a bit like a guided missile but with the addition of a pilot to carry out the interception and return the aircraft to base.
@@Twirlyhead Only because they were cancelled.
I would kill to have the tsr2 on a videogame like warthunder.
Excellent documentary, a real taster, well presented, good use of stock footage, not trying to appeal to any particular group such as old plane buffs or teenage gamers so appeals to everyone Good work
Many thanks!
My uncle was stationed at Coltishall and worked on the Lightnings there in the 1970s. We went over to stay on holiday one year and he got permission for us to go into the hangars and take a look around. My favourite memory to this day was of climbing up the ladder to take a peek into the cockpit. I was about 8 years old at the time (1974) and absolutely gobsmacked. What a wonderful experience and what a wonderful plane. British design and engineering at its best. 😀
Taffy Holden's story is the stuff of aviation legend.
Any fast jet pilot named Taffy is an OG ass kicking machine 💪 🇬🇧 beware the Hun in the sun ☀
Never heard of the chap. Not a household name in the Colonies (The Chinese one West of you aka USA)
A lighten pilot said to me once. "It's 2 bloody great engines with a couple of wings and a seat strapped to them" One of the greatest sights I've ever seen was the final Diamond 9 out of Binbrook the day they left for good.
I remember them as a child growing up in NE England. I do remember one particular day I saw something most unusual - at that time on that day I was in a prominent position in the area and could see all around for miles. As usual, the sound of a fast approaching aircraft could be heard and it was past in no time. This Lightning was 90 degrees out from the runway approaches for Newcastle Airport and very low. I watched at the plane flew into the distance, slightly weaving as it went on its way. I watched that Lightning pass between the two taller chimneys of the now demolished Blyth Power Stating and head away up the Northumberland coastline. I still think of that day and scan through my thinking and what I witnessed. Perhaps the angles were wrong and it appeared to do it - that type of thinking. Nope! Time and time again I remember seeing it clearly with my own eyes. Crazy low, silly fast and deafeningly loud while leaving a dark plume as it traveled between those two chimneys! I was lucky. I got to see the V Bombers, the Lightnings, I had my chest vibrated by the roar of angry jet engines, I had my chats with friends interrupted for minutes from engine noise. Wonderful days!
Jack King. Aircraft from Acklington air force base, I presume? I lived in Whitley Bay and we used to go to the air shows there in the (?) early sixties (maybe late fifties). I sat in the cockpit of a Lightning at one of those air shows - I still have the photograph somewhere. I also saw the famous 'Lightning vertical climb' displayed there; even though I was a nipper at the time I still remember it well.
I miss those days. I lived near Scampton in the Vulcan era.
This reminds me of when I used to live a mile or two north of Longhorsley, not so far from Blyth, in the late Seventies. There were a lot of complaints, generally, at the time of RAF low flying, and their line was we don't go lower than two hundred feet. There was a hillock with a couple of trees on it, and two Jaguars would regularly go through the narrow gap at below tree top height at incredible speed!
An absolute legend of an aircraft
Totally. But a curious title for the video as it never explained *why* it was "Britain's last home-designed, supersonic fighter" OK so some clod though missiles solved everything ..... but as they didn't that's not *why* . And who designed the Tornado & Eurofiighter if not Britain in a consortium?
It is a miracle that such a limited capability aircraft saw service for so long.
@@Farweasel good question.
@@Farweasel It's quite easy...the answer is in the line you quote.Design for the Tornado and Typhoon also involved the other countries involved not a single country on it's own.
@@neiloflongbeck5705 It was purely an interceptor, did what it said on the tin very well.
"I was right with it until I let the handbrake off"...there is a beauty about the English language that allows for a succinctness of expression one doesn't find in other languages! An excellent video about one of our greatest aircraft, by the way.
Well the English language is a blend of 2 languages where the French speaking conquerors of the Saxons actually had to compromise with the recalcitrant locals and the alternative words from each could be used for subtle variations of meaning. Many European languages were almost completely Latinised. Also messy declensions and gender were dropped as neither side could remember each others rules freeing up the language from this sort of excess baggage. In the same way an import word in German is I believe declined as neuter and I would rather learn the periodic table than the matrices of German definite and indefinite articles. Mark Twain said he would rather decline a beer than a German adjective. English well used is a beautiful language but comprehension now is very sloppy as phrase order is important . You have to work out what was meant more often from what was said nowadays. It is an amazing aircraft by the way.
Hope many languages do you know? Not to distract from the beauty but I know 3 and English is easily the least succinct of the group.
My first Airfix model, way ahead of its time aircraft back when British built was a mark of quality.
I remember being posted to Cyprus in 84 and being dicked for airfield guard. About 0600 two Lightnings took off, one went totally vertical and the other went totally horizontal over the sea. It was a sight and sound to behold.
I'll always remember as a child hearing/feeling the tremendous roar and thunder of a BAC Lightning doing a tail stand climb at Teeside Airport airshow in the 1970's.
Please, it's spelt Teesside...
It's written: 1970s. You may be thinking of the apostrophe in '70s
The thrill of seeing these beautiful aircraft in my skies as a kid, will always stay with me . . .
We used to take holidays in Cardigan Bay, RAF Aberporth had a couple of these, this was the mid-1980s. They came in low over the Bay and then punched it - vertical, full reheat. My God, the visceral roar and the sheer majesty of it. I will never forget it. An incredible plane, hot ship, and one of a very few NATO planes that could intercept Concorde on an aft approach, and also meet and greet a U2.
Colorful description. Almost as good as being there.
I worked at Royal Aircraft Establishment Aberporth in the eighties. Must have missed them?
We used to holiday at Kidwelly and watch the RAF bomb and machine gun an island out in the bay while eating ice cream on the beach. This was in the late 70s. Happy days.
A fantastic plane I have great memories of the lightning at air shows, I always love that Taffy Holden story he is a legend, I love Duxford I wish I lived there.
Awesome vid on one of my favourite aircraft of all time. All that archive footage was absolutely excellent, hadnt seen most of it before.
Englezi su imali uvek jedne od boljih aviona, prestizni i savrseni modeli aviona. Zahvaljujem se za jako dobar video, svaka cast!Napred Englezi!
Thanks for clarifying the Nene engine issue. You guys have a tradition on this wing surface loading rate area stability priority I've always admired. Wonderful workmanship on the fighter!
My uncle Joe served in the RAF for 30 years as a maintenance engineer (electrical). His favourite planes were the de Havilland Mosquito, Lightning and the Canberra. A lot of this was based on how easy they were to maintain and accessibility of the wires and cables.
Far and away the best video I have seen on this channel. More like this please.
I can Remember some years ago I was standing a good distance behind a Lighting at Fairford, ready for take off, well the pilot opened up the throttle, and hit the afterburner, I can tell you I have had an experience like, the noise was tremendous ,but the vibration in my stomach was unbelievable, I will never forget that day. Truly a great airplane, also nice video.👍👍👍👍
00
I was at Fairford in 1987 to see what i think was the Lightnings last public display. awesome.
As a US citizen that spent many of my early years in the UK, I was always faceted by the Lightning. I remember them breaking the sound barrier to see if the Concorde was feasible, Not over homies. On a clear day I heard a boom that shook the house. I went outside, and saw nothing. In the news later that day, I found that it was testing supersonic flight over London.
I remember that as well - I was at school on the edge of London.
One of this country's biggest problems, today, is none of these younger Brits know or understand our real history at all, ask anyone over the age of 52, to tell you all about WW2, and it will be a completely different account to all those under the age of 52. And it's because, in 1986, the British government decided to change the British education system. It saw the very good, O'Level, and CSE standard, just done away with, and replaced with this excuse of an education, they call GCSE's. What we saw happen was, we saw our own government change what we were once taught, and they employed the USA's propaganda version of history and their comical lies and propaganda accounts of WW2. They also decided to rubbish much of our own real history. And it was done with a purpose and a reason, it was purposely done to dumb down our own population. They couldn't have any of us being proud of our own true history, (as we'd lost our Empire in WW2), we became nothing but a vassal/puppet state of the USA after WW2, and we've remained a puppet state ever since WW2. They couldn't have well-educated British calling the USA out on every lie we were then going to see from them. So, from 1986, they all got taught the lies, and the propaganda "Holywood myth of WW2", rather than any of the real facts or even any understanding of a British viewpoint of WW2 at all. The REAL history of WW2, is a history we see largely being forgotten today, because so many have been taught lies and only an American Holywood propaganda version of history. So, we read so many today, only talking propaganda and actually thinking and believing that the USA were some super great ally of ours in WW2? When again, what utter rubbish that is. Seriously, If you're under the age of 52, this will make little to no sense to you, if however, you're over 52, this is what you'd probably know, and understand about WW2. The rubbish we read from the Americans about WW2, is nothing but propaganda they've all been spoon-fed from birth, (as if, a real part of their history). We endlessly read the Americans claiming the USA somehow saved the UK in WW2? How many times have we all read that? Yet the truth, the reality, and all the known facts of WW2, show us, that actually, the exact opposite is the reality, as I'll explain, and I'll explain, with only truth and the real known facts of WW2, facts anyone can merely go look up for themselves. The truth is very clear... in Europe the USA, only saw the chase of Germany back to Berlin, and what we see and read them all claim about the war in the Pacific? Well, reading them all, you'd actually believe only the USA fought Japan in WW2? What rubbish that really is! We should all know the truth, (we used too)! And that truth is, the American people themselves really supported Germany in WW2, only so many have no idea today. The American people themselves protested, in millions, against supporting the British. Millions of them, wanted to support Germany. My grandad told me, (when I was a kid), the British troops had heard about the American's protesting against the British over the radio, (they weren't supposed to be able to listen to). And from that day on, they all became known as the "cowardly Yankers" (obviously meaning W****rs). Even when they eventually got here, someone would always shout out, calling them "cowardly Yankers". We can watch the footage of the first Americans landings, in the UK, (In the online British war archives) and you can hear some of them shouting out, calling them cowardly Yankers. And It's not hard to see why. The reality was, that the USA waited, and they waited, and they waited, for the Germans to defeat Britain. They even put up with 1000s of tons of their own shipping (in the Atlantic gap), being sunk by German U Boats, killing thousands of American Merchant Seamen, yet still, Roosevelt refused to declare War on Germany! And let's not forget? Hitler had made his intention of global dominance known in 1936, meaning, it was always going to be a world war. The USA tried to suggest it was "just another European War", but were soon forced to change their minds, as soon as, and only because, they got attacked at Pearl Harbor. Otherwise, the USA were doing nothing, and they'd refused to do anything. The Americans only arrived, after being forced to fight, (with the attack on Pearl Harbour), and to help with the final assault in Europe. More truth is, after the attack on Pearl Harbor, the British declared war on Japan without a second thought, and they then fought Japan long before the USA did, (In the Battle of Hong Kong). But the USA, once again, still refused to declare war on Germany (who were Japan's ally). And that actually speaks volumes about the USA. It really says it all, they all really believed, and they really thought the British would be crushed by Nazi Germany, so they waited, and they waited, for Germany to defeat Britain. Roosevelt, even refused Britain the use of 50 old, half sinking, rotting, wooden, WW1 destroyers that were just left rotting away in US waters, as Roosevelt had an election coming up, (and he knew it would not be welcomed by the American people). What does that actually show us? We needed them to patch up, to use for the protection of our convoys, convoys that were carrying the kids, (our parents and grandparents), from the Island before the Blitz! Roosevelt only agreed to allow Britain the use of those rotting destroyers, after the UK agreed to give up all of her military bases across the world, and lease them all to the USA for 100 years. Some ally hey? And just look what they've done with those military bases since? By the end of 1941, Britain had survived Dunkirk. Britain had survived the blitz. Britain had beaten Germany in the Battle of Britain, (Inflicting Hitler's first defeat, and his first airborne defeat). Britain had held Tobruk, and forced Rommel all the way back to El Agheila, where he came from. (Inflicting Hitler's second defeat, his first land defeat). Britain (with tremendous support from her Commonwealth), had overcome the German U-Boats in the North Atlantic, and was receiving most of her needed cargo again, (Inflicting Hitler's third defeat, and first Naval defeat). While over on the other front, a front only opened by Hitler, because he could not defeat the British, the Soviets, (at a massive cost of over 10-20 million men), had turned Germany around (in the battle of Moscow), and were now forcing them back to Berlin and their demise. That's also the point of WW2, where every historian agrees, and says, Germany could no longer win the War. That was all before the end of 1941. When did the American arrive? Well? Exactly. In Europe, we'd been through, and we'd survived Dunkirk. We'd been through and we survived the Blitz. We had fought, and had won, the Battle of Britain. We had fought, and we'd won, the battle for the North Atlantic. We had fought, and we'd won, in the African desert (twice). And we'd been successfully destroying many German resources, their weapons factories, their submarine infrastructures, their chemical plants, right across Europe, in country after country, and most importantly, we'd been destroying all the oil refineries they were going to need if they were going to achieve their ambitions. We were also fighting in Greece, in Egypt, in Burma, in Singapore, (our biggest ever military defeat), and many other places around the world. Sure, we had some hard times. Sure, we lost a few battles. But we won far more! We were never beaten, or even close to being beaten. The closest Britain came to defeat in WW2, was right at the start, in Dunkirk. Surely, the whole world knows this? So where these Americans get this notion from, that the USA saved Britain?, or in fact, saved anyone else? Nobody knows? Saved Britain from what exactly? When, and where, did the USA save Britain? Where was Britain losing the war, the USA saved us from? We were winning the war!
To understand WW2? You only need to imagine, if Britain had been beaten at any point in the war, or even if Britain did what the USA did, and merely decided to sit out of what was always a world war? We could have done that too, as Hitler never wanted a war against Britain. So, if Britain had been beaten at any time in WW2, or had simply done the same as the USA?, then Hitler wouldn't have needed to open up the second front, and he would've attacked the Soviets in 1940, with full strength both in the air, and on the ground. And Germany would have absolutely annihilated the USSR, as in 1940, the USSR was not in any way at all, prepared to even defend themselves. The Soviet Red Army were sharing one riffle between 10 troops in places. That would have left Germany in control of all Europe, all the Soviet Union, plus much of the rest of the world! And that would have seen the USA, completely, and utterly annihilated, is the reality, the real truth. And that truth is nothing like you'll hear today! Churchill said to the world, ''Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few'' What do the American people think he was talking about? Just how is this possible, in 2022, to read so many that have no idea about their own country's real history? Roosevelt, actually, set about asking Hitler for some kind of deal/arrangement, to avoid getting involved in the war! (Though we see that also changed and lied about today). But we all know that Hitler even ridiculed the cowardice of the USA, as he read the letter to the German people, (now if that's not cowardly and treacherous?, then I don't know what is). Hitler laughed at the USA, mocking them, rightfully calling them cowards for refusing to declare war on him! And he, then, declared war on the USA. How embarrassing is that, really? Huh? In a 1945, state department survey, on the USA's public attitudes to its wartime allies? Britain was the least trusted country of the allies. Just another thing that shows the truth? The Americans all talk of winning the war, by supplying it? (yet even that is only another US lie, as I'll be proving below). And all while making an enormous profit from it?, the truth is, they only became a superpower, at Britain's expense. And still lie about it endlessly today. They were the traitors of WW2, is more like the real truth, and real history of WW2. Nothing new there though?, as that's what they've always been, to every single one of their so-called allies, all throughout their ever so short, and criminal murderous history. Their bullshit is like nothing this world has ever seen before, but when you're useless, cowardly, and brain-dead?, what else have they got, other than their bullshit? Winning the Battle of Britain, was instrumental in getting Hitler to actually lose the war, (by making his biggest mistake of the war, opening up the second front), more so than anyone actually winning it. Nevertheless, the Soviets holding their front, before then turning Germany around, and chasing them home to their demise, is what actually ended the war. Most certainly not, the USA, not by the stretch of anyone's Imagination. The arrogance of a naive nation, when they did eventually arrive?, saw them get a crushing defeat in the desert? Utter tomfoolery, and sheer Incompetence. Oh yes, the super intelligent Yanks, thought, as the Brits had managed to force Rommel all the way out of Egypt. It must be quite easy, so that's where they would gently "ease" their troops into the theatre of war. 40,000 crushed and killed within days! They then tried to help take Italy?. Only It had Churchill groaning, that he'd expected "a rabid wildcat just let loose, but all he got, was a blubbering whale stuck on a beach" LOL. As the Yanks decided to secure the beachhead, rather than as planned, storming inland to cut off and attack the retreating Germans (as the British forced them inland). Oh, and then, (as If not bad enough), decided to ignore the plan of cutting the retreating Germans off, but Instead, they headed straight for Rome, (so they could be first), while allowing those top crack German troops the time they needed to regroup and dig in. Such arrogant fools! It's reckoned that foolish, selfish act alone, cost over 400 British lives. They then decided to commit the most cowardly act of human history, by murdering near on a million civilians, with a nuclear attack TWICE on civilian targets! And then the lies as we can now see today?. They claimed Japan surrendered after the second nuclear bomb?, yet again that's a lie, and it's not true. The truth is, the Japanese only surrendered after Stalin had kept his promise to invade East Asia, and the Soviets had crushed the Japanese. That, alone, ended all of Japan's hopes of getting Stalin to act as a mediator, for a conditional surrender. And it was only then the Japanese surrendered. It's actually undeniable, as the timing of the surrender proves It. It was just another American lie. Today we also read some Russians actually trying to claim the war was won by them? Well, well, really? So, who did they ever liberate? Nobody, all throughout the Battle of Britain, the USSR were still Nazi allies, and they committed as many, if not more, murders than Nazi Germany themselves. They also took Eastern Europe, while slaughtering thousands of people who had just survived the Nazi onslaught, only to be murdered by the Soviets, and seeing the survivors forced into the nightmare, that was, the Soviet Union. Sure sounds like a well won victory to me... NOT.
Just look up public opinion in WW2? September 1, 1939: World War II BEGINS. Gallup survey, Sept 1-6, 1939 Q. If it looks within the next few months as if England and France might be defeated, should the United States declare war on Germany and send our troops abroad? YES 32%,... NO 58% ....10% No opinion. October 6, 1939: POLAND CONQUERED. Gallup survey, Oct. 5-10, 1939 Q If it appears that Germany is intent on trying to defeat England and France, should the United States declare war on Germany and send our army and navy to Europe to fight? YES 29%,... NO 71%. May 10, 1940: GERMANY INVADES WESTERN EUROPE. Gallup survey, May 18-23, 1940 Q. Should the United States declare war on Germany and send our army and navy abroad to fight? YES 7%, NO 93% June 22, 1940: FRANCE FALLS TO GERMANY. Gallup survey, June 27-July 3, 1940 Q Which is the more important for the United States? 1) to try to keep out of war ourselves. 2) or to help England win, even at the risk of getting into the war? HELP 25%,... KEEP OUT 71% ...4% No opinion. Yet they all claim they saved Britain in WW2? We read it every day, and yet what utter rubbish that really is? They also claim it was US supplies to the USSR that meant they could still fight in the war? 100% Propaganda and outrageous lies. As I'll now prove...
If you read American history? And read what ALL Americans want to say and claim? You'll also find them claiming they supplied the USSR, and it's only because of those supplies that the USSR could fight the War? While the truth is, it was nothing to do with the USA. And the USA did not supply the USSR with anything until 1944. Far too late to have made any difference at all. As the USSR said themselves! (This is true, they did only supply the USSR in 1944, long after it was really needed). So who was it that supplied the USSR? And who was it that allowed the USSR to remain fighting in the war by supplying them and doing so just in time? It was the British. The British supplied the USSR with all the military equipment they had and used to fight Germany when they got to Moscow. Before the British supplies landed in the USSR, the Soviet Red Army we're sharing one rifle between 10 troops in places. The Soviets kept the British supplies they received under wraps/secret for years, and they never did acknowledge or thank the UK for that critical help. The USSR only acknowledged they received USA “Lend Lease” supplied to them in 1944. With the USSR refusing to pay for any of it, saying that it was too late (true), and they did it anyway! But since the collapse of the Soviet Union, much more information has emerged from archives in Moscow, containing Information shedding a new light on the subject. Much was in the Russian-language materials of the (State Defence Committee)-the Soviet equivalent of the British War Cabinet, held in the former Central Party Archive. While much of the documentary evidence remains classified “secret” in the Central Archives of the Ministry of Defence (Russian State Archive of the Economy). Both Western and Russian historians and researchers have been able to gain access to very important, (previously unavailable) first-hand documents of the USSR's complete war effort. Together with other recently published sources, including the wartime diaries of N. I. Biriukov, (a Red Army officer responsible for troops from August 1941 onwards). Who was also responsible for the distribution of recently acquired Tanks (from the British) to the front lines. This newly available evidence, paints a very different picture from the USA's “perceived wisdom”, or should we just say lies? In particular, it shows that British assistance to the Soviet Union in late 1941 and early 1942, played a far more significant part in the defence of Moscow and for the swift revival of the USSR in WW2 than has ever been acknowledged or credited. It was an integral part, a critical part, the most important part of allowing the USSR to counter-attack the Nazi's outside Moscow that very nearly saw the Nazi's completely annihilated (as Hitler refused to allow them to retreat). And without which, the USSR would have been unable to remain fighting the war. It can now clearly be seen, and now said, that the British help and supplies to the USSR in late 1941 & early 1942, were the only reason we saw the revival of Soviet fortunes in WW2 from late 1941, absolutely not anything to do with the USA at all! In total, 4 million tonnes of war materials including food and medical supplies were delivered to the Soviets. The munitions totalled £908m (not including naval munitions supplied), the food and raw materials totalled £728m in the 1946 index (approx £4.6 billion today). In accordance with the Anglo-Soviet Military Supplies Agreement of June 27, 1942, military aid sent from Britain to the Soviet Union during the war was entirely free of charge. 3,000+ Hurricanes aircraft 4,000+ other aircraft 27 naval vessels 5,218 tanks (including 1,380 Valentines from Canada) 5,000+ anti-tank guns 4,020 ambulances and trucks 323 machinery trucks (mobile vehicle workshops equipped with generators and all the welding and power tools required to perform heavy servicing) 1,212 Universal Carriers and Lloyd Carriers (with another 1,348 from Canada) 1,721 motorcycles £1.15bn worth of aircraft engines 1,474 radar sets 4,338 radio sets 600 naval radar and sonar sets Millions of various rifles Hundreds of naval guns 15 million pairs of boots. Yet you go and try to find this history out? See how difficult it is to find? When it should be the first thing being seen, as it's so important, a huge part of history, REAL HISTORY! Not the US creation of fake history, as they ''pretend'' to see it. That's the truth! And we also see them claim the supplies we got from them were American supplies paid for by the USA? Rubbish!! Nearly every one of those boatyards and factories, built for the manufacture of weapons, was paid for by the British. The British paid for their construction, and all the machinery needed in them. Not the USA. Their accounts of WW2 are some of the biggest lies of modern history, as anyone that studies world history will find. This is the real history, the provable history making anything they want to say or claim irrelevant, as this is the real history, the facts.
Yet another excellent IWM video, this was way too short! I could have watched Lightnings fly for ages... Congratulations!
My Father was in the Raf Regiment and was posted to Raf Tengah in Singapore. We followed him and I started School there. My Infant School was right next to the Airfield, separated by a single lane road and a wire fence and at break and lunch times we'd sit outside and watch the Lightnings and Javelins taking off and landing. Lightnings were my favorite and since the Raf Regiments main role is guarding airfields, I was given a tour of the station and was allowed a quick sit in both types. The lightings took off with full afterburner and when landing deployed a braking parachute. Sadly we had to return to the UK in 69 as my father's Squadron was one of the first units deployed to Belfast at the start of the troubles. We flew back to the UK on a RAF Super VC10.
The Lightning was possibly the most single-minded jet aircraft ever built (second to only the F-104). It dispensed with any pretense of reasonable combat payload, range or endurance on target in favor of raw get-the-hell-up-there to bomber altitude. Mach 2 was great, but there were many fighters that could do that: what they couldn't do was stand on their tail and climb to 65,000 ft in 3 minutes. Astonishing... and about the limit of it's capabilities, since it would get a maximum of one run on the bombers and then it would be bingo fuel and have to return to base. The only real difference performance-wise between it and the F-104 is that the Lightning was much chubbier (increasing drag and improving control at lower speeds, making it a more forgiving aircraft) and the dual engines actually provided a small margin of safety that the single engine F-104 didn't have... except that tightly stacked engines are inherently dangerous, and the F-104 had backup power to the hydraulics, whereas if you lost *both* engines in the Lightning you were probably going for an ejector seat ride. Pros and cons.
Very good unbiased comparison of two great aircraft, even allowing for their lomitations.
Almost really a more refined version of what the Germans originally tried to do with the Me-163. With their rocket engines they could achieve 39,000 ft in 3 minutes and used a very similar tactic to the lightnings where they would get up to full speed and then fly up vertically through the bomber formations at 30,000 ft and then flip over at about 40,000 ft and dive back through the formation. With 8 minutes of fuel and around 120 rounds of ammo they got at most 2 gun passes and then had to glide back to base.
@@alexsis1778 There's one big difference. The Lightning was (relatively) safe to land with residual fuel. The last part of a Me 163 mission was of necessity as a high speed glider. There's a similarity with the Natter (the manned surface to air missile). That used a rocket motor to go straight up, fly through the massed bomber stream, then glide back down and let rip with the nose multiple rocket missile. The fuel and armament depleted the pilot then pulled the "the lever". This broke the missile into three parts. The depleted missile pack fell to earth, the (valuable) reusable Walther rocket motor got its own parachute, the pilot baled out of the control cabin and made his own way down one way or the other. The recovered motor would then be "reunited" with a new control cabin and a fresh missile pack and relaunched. I only mention all that because whereas he went for a flight in a Me163, Winkle Brown turned down the offer to try a Natter (allegedly). Late addition: Much of the Natter was built of wood, including the control cabin. For some reason giant glass milk bottles spring to mind.
I'd say the Mig-25 and SR-71 fall into similar single-minded categories with the performance to boot. Also, during the Lightning's heyday the F-15 established a climb record as follows: _1 February 1975: Major Roger J. Smith, United States Air Force, a test pilot assigned to the F-15 Joint Test Force at Edwards AFB, California, flew the McDonnell Douglas F-15A-6-MC 72-0119, Streak Eagle, to its eighth Fédération Aéronautique Internationale (FAI) and U.S. National Aeronautic Association time-to-altitude record. From brake release at Grand Forks Air Force Base, North Dakota, at 913 feet (278 meters) above Sea Level, the F-15 reached 30,000 meters (98,425 feet) in 3 minutes, 27.799 seconds._
@@alexsis1778 that was if they didn't crash or experience a fuel leak. 163s are freaking horrifying. And cool lol
In 1962, when I was 16, I went to Farnborough Air Show and watched a Lightning take off on full reheat. As it passed where I stood, about 100 yards away, the sound overwhelmed the air all around and the pressure waves hit my chest like an invisible fist. Awe-inspiring.
That was Jerseyman, Wg. Cdr. Ted Nance OBE. 'Ted appeared at the Farnborough Air Show in the Lightning in 1960, ‘61 and ‘62. In 1961 he did manage to overcook the flypast at Farnborough and went supersonic at low level over the airfield and broke all the windows in the local pub, the garage showrooms and the control tower.' (Extract from his obituary.)
@@Adrian.Allain.1 Thank you - amusing anecdote!
Excellent video. Very informative. You Brits have a wonderful way of describing situations.
Heard the story about "Taffy" many a time ...one of those Lightning legends .... Didn't realise yours was the aircraft though .. .I'm due another visit..
I was friendly with a ex Squadron Leader who flew Lightnings and taught the US Marines how to fly them. He told me an incredible story of his Base Commander pointing up to a bright light in the sky above the base and scrambling my friend to check it out. So he scrambled and pointed his lighting at the bright light, turned on the after burners and ascended within a couple of minutes to the edge of the atmosphere...he said by the time he got as high as he could go the light was larger, he said it was about a quarter to half a mile across, he radioed down and said he couldn't reach it. The Base Commander replied, 'forget it! It isn't in our atmosphere, radar is telling us it is several miles into space' My friend was convinced it was a vessel of some sort that was stationary just beyond our atmosphere. Squadron Leader Nigel Lane....I loved our chats, hope you're still with us.
Must have been a weather balloon. ;)
Strange. I've heard similar stories in the RAF. I don't believe it but it's interesting that a lot of people have similar but different stories.
@@bradcogan8588 A small group of Iranian jets chased a bright light high in the sky but they couldn't get their missiles to lock on. Running short of fuel they returned to base. Later someone worked out they had been chasing Jupiter. American jets weren't up to the job. Not at that time.
@@vineethg6259 weather balloon filled with swamp gas.
@@leehaelters6182 Reflecting off Venus
My dad was a fitter at the English Electric works in Clayton le Moors near Accrington in Lancashire from the late 1950s and through the 60s where they manufactured the fuselages of all the Lightning variants from the F1 to the F6 and the T5 two-seat trainer and he made a piece of every one. The fusilages were transported by road to the Wharton factory in Preston where the wings were manufactured and the engines installed together with the avionics. The completed aircraft were then flown out of the nearby Salmesbury airfield sometimes breaking the sound barrier and rattling the windows of our house. Interestingly the plane was always referred to as the P1 in the factory no matter what the variant. When I was a nipper about 9 or 10 years old my dad had gone to work without his glasses. So being at home during the school holidays mum gave me the bus fare and the glasses to take to the factory about 5 miles from home. I got to the main gate where I told the security man what I was delivering and believe it or not he knew my dad and directed me to his workshop which was at the end of the assembly line. I walked past half a dozen fusilages in various stages of completion and eventuall found dad at his work bench. The foreman thought this a bit of a laugh and showed me around before taking me back to the main gate. Can you imagine that happening today? I also remember dad bringing home lots of scrap paper cut into square sheets for me to write and draw on but it was the intricate white line drawings on a dark blue background on the reverse that interested me more. Good job I wasn't a Russian spy. Towards the end of Lightning production most of dad's work was making bespoke blisters and cowles that were fitted to the external skin of the aircraft to house add on new equipment that could not fit inside. When Lightning production finally ceased the Clayton and Wharton factories were gearing up to start work on the TSR2 but as ever our short sighted government gave in to USA blackmail and scrapped the project in favour of a flying hunk of junk called the F111. Dad along with all his highly skilled workmates were made redundant and he never worked on another aeroplane again.
What a sad ending! Even worse was the plight of our Canadian Avro Arrow… Which was already in test flight stage when scrapped.
When I was a lad my Dad had forgot to pick up something from work (Weybridge (Brooklands)). It was a Saturday morning and I came along. As Dave says, it was a different era. I was allowed in with Dad - Weybridge was such a big site it was quite a trip to get from the main gate side, across the airfield, over to the far side amongst which was where the TSR2 assembly hangar was. Probably against a few rules I did not get a guided tour, but I did get a quick sneak of the aircraft under assembly. I was really sad when government cancelled it.
@@mikeb5556 I know the Brooklands site well and like Clayton, Wharton and nearby Kingston they were huge and there were others beside. What happened to this country? We were world leaders in jet aircraft technology and it all disappeared in a decade or so. It must have been deliberate to have lost it so quickly. Maybe someday the real truth will get out.
I live in Warton . I can remember a lot of lightings coming here maybe 88-89, one of my friends got a job striping them down packing them up and shipping them to Saudi and South Africa. The last one was taken on one last flight. Set off on full chat and bang straight up. Full power. The God of Thunder was unleashed. What a glorious thing to behold. What a machine. And what a bunch of guys who made them. My hat off to your dad and his colleagues. . I've never heard anything louder than a lightning. Nor seen anything as beautiful roll down Warton runway. Not since then.
@@daveh9753 _"What happened to this country?"_ I can tell you in one word: *Thatcher.*
Lightnings are so cool looking! Love the over/under engine placement and the uniquely shaped wings. "Taffy" Holden, Lightning Legend!!!
This plane is legendary! I’ve been waiting for u guys to post something about it!
Mr Taffy Holden's experience with the Lighting is quite the story. The follow-up board of inquiry hearing by the RAF of this incident is just as interesting.
Exceptional interceptor, quickly made obsolete by the much more utilitarian Phantom, but still one of the fastest climbing aircraft ever made.
Was in service for 15 years as uk's frontline interceptor
@@johnatkinson7126 introduced 6 years before the phantom, and at a time when multirole was becoming more important...
@@beforever the phantom was introduced into the raf and faa in 1969
@@beforever F4 first flight May27th 1958, four years after the Lightning.
@@terrystevens5261 yeah, but didn't enter UK service until 68...so actually 8 years after the lightning.
Was studying at Cranfield in 1988 where the plane was flown to following retirement. I can remember the pilot giving it a final workout before landing including a low pass over the runway with afterburners on and a demonstration of its vertical climb capability. Absolutely marvellous aircraft.
Absolutely love this aircraft. Dad was on 92 SQN back in late 60s/early 70s. Nice shot of a 19 and 92 bird both in hangar having some deep maintenance.
I wonder if your Dad knew mine, he was on Lightnings at the same time at Watersham and Cyprus
I was at an air show RAF Binbrook in 1977. I can't quite decide if my memory is deceiving me or if I have it correct. Anyway four lightenings all took off - I think all together in a square pattern -- and immediately went vertical. They climbed into the clear blue sky and eventually disappeared from view [although the tremendous roar continued for long after that]. It was either that, or they took off individually but very close behind each other. But they all did their party piece and climbed vertically until out of view. We were then given a couple of other displays from other aircraft - one of them a Westland chopper I think. Many people had forgotten the Lightenings until, that is, the commentator said if you now look to the East.....and the West...and the North, and South..... And at that point the four Lightenings screamed across the airfield, just under mach 1. Whether they crossed the display line I cannot remember [was there a regulation against flying over the crowd in 1977?] - they may have just missed us, but the main thing is the sight and sound of those four superb aircraft is something I'll never forget [even if some of the absolute details are a bit hazy!].
I saw a taxi run a few year ago at bruntingthorpe on reheat, my young lad sitting on my shoulders and then once it had got far enough away all we could hear was car alarms . Stunning to witness. That energy and crackle in the air was just superb!
I was in 39 Engr Regt, 1974 on exercise at RAF Guterslow Germany, as part of a 'maxival' 9 EL Lightning scrambled, awe inspiring sight, and makes your insides shake.
It brings back fond memories of being seated in the press tent at the Farnborough Airshow right on the take-off line, and watching 74 Squadron, formation team, power-up and roar down the runway...what a sight and sound..
Another great video, thanks. Wonderful history and personal comments.
Glad you enjoyed it!
My RAF service overlapped with the last of the Lightnings, F6s in solid green with grey undersides camouflage, usually with 'overburger' fuels tanks on top of the wings (the largest size used on Jaguars at the time were known as 'Hindenbergers', of course).
Excellent documentary, great that the brilliant Test Pilot, Roland Beamont got in on this video, often not mentioned when talking about aircraft development he was involved in. Thanks for this, very well done all around.
My favourite jet of all time, and as a youngster at a Biggin Hill Airshow I witnessed a supersonic flypast by one - magnificent! I now live near the former RAF Manston, and the Manston Airport Museum has an ex RCAF Lightning parked at the back, which I drive past frequently, and it still floats my boat.
A magnificent, single-minded flying machine. And one of the most beautiful aircraft ever built.
This plane is up there in my favorites of all time. It's such a unique thing, the people involved and what they achieved are amazing. Up there with the mosquito, zero, draken, mirage and aardvark. Amazing planes from amazing minds. Don't know anything about the earlier planes or the German war development yet. Would have been an incredible era to be an aerospace engineer.
I fortunate enough to see one at an air show in the 80s as a kid. Amazing.
Great video :) When I was a kid my Father was in the RAF (during the '70s) and we were based at RAF Henlow (near Bedford). One time I heard 2 Lightnings take off on afterburner and go Supersonic shortly after take off. The height of the cold war! It was the only time I heard the supersonic boom whilst we were there. Keep up the good work :)
Served at RAF Binbrook in Lincolnshire where they were last based at my favourite aircraft of all in the RAF
Saw my first Lightning, back in the 1960’s, at RAF Little Rissington. It hurtled down the runway, sat up on it’s tail and shot straight into the cloud cover. I was massively impressed👍
Wonderful. Thank you to all the true British gentlemen who risked, and who gave, their lives for our freedoms. Let us never forget them nor why they fought.
Without doubt my favourite fighter ever! Remember watching it at airshows as a kid, what a legend! 😍
Fantastic exciting factual video an example of brilliant British engineering the English Electric Lightning. Thanks for making.
The story from the Commanding Officer at the end was brilliant! " 5 minutes solo, in a lightning "
Well, "sensible fellow", Taffy.
One of the English Electric Lightning prototypes is in Manchester. Bloody Brilliant video.
Not anymore it isn't, the English Electric P1 that was at Manchester has moved due to the closure of the museum. The aircaft is now at the Boscombe Down Aviation Collection at Old Sarum near Salisbury, Wiltshire.
@@TarnishUK The Science and industry museum is still there. I didn't know that the P1 was on loan. Thanks for the information.
I went to the Manchester Museum with my parents. I found Mum staring up at the P1. She was quietly reminiscing about her time working on it at Warton during the 1950s, where she worked as a pre-electronic human computer. It seemed surprising looking at her then, with her dodgy hip and needing a walking stick, explaining how she used to get up and climb inside the engine compartment to look at heat-reactive paint and then calculate and draw graphs from her observations.
Spannende Geschichten von den Flugzeugen und vom Moderator sehr angenehm erklärt. Die Beitraglänge stimmt perfekt für mich. Gratuliere dem Team👍🏻👍🏻
I saw one some years ago when Mildenhall still had airshows. It went down the runway took off and went vertical. A great sight.
Thank you, smashing video. Calmly narrated, no shouting presenters trying to get drama out of everything. The drama and the story is already there in this wonderful aircraft and the people who flew and maintained them. Understated ‘til the brakes went off! Jeez, I sound old 😀
I must be old, too. I can't stand narrators who shout, sound dramatic or think that they are on the History Channel. I usually last only a few seconds on "documentaries" with those types of narrators.
@@MarsFKA absolutely!
@@MarsFKA Also inappropriate music is annoying.
Beautiful piece of British Engineering!
I remember watching the recruiting ad for the RAF with the Lightening as a nipper. My fondest memory was filming a scramble of 7 Lightenings at Conningsby. It was astounding to see & hear
As a child, we lived on the flight path to Warton, and often saw Lightnings pass overhead, quite low. My Gran always referred to it as the P1, and indeed for all I know, I did see the prototype too. When the TSR2 was cancelled, half the men on our estate were unemployed, having been made redundant by English Electric. In later life, I saw a pair of them flying through the Great Glen in Scotland, presumably on a training flight. Beautiful sound!
I went to the Last Lightning Show at Prestwick where the display pilot took his Lightning down the centre line of the runway at about head height then stood it on its tail at the end of the runway and opened the taps. He was gone from sight pretty quickly but we heard him climb for ages afterwards.
I witnessed the same thing as an ATC cadet on a weeks camp at, I think if my memory serves me, Coltishall. What a sight !!!!
@ Richard Lyle The "Last Lightning Show" was at RAF Binbrook on 22nd August 1987. On the wettest day imaginable (after 2 gloriously sunny weeks!), the Lightnings proved why they were described as an all-weather interceptor. A fantastic show and a fitting farewell to an amazing example of British design and technology. My wet-weather kit wasn't! I dried out after about a week....
@@stephenphillip5656 There was a tour. Prestwick Air Show was billed as The Last Lightning Show.
@@RichardLyleEsq I thought afterwards that it might be the case. Wherever you saw a Lightning display, it was an awesome spectacular!
@@stephenphillip5656 I might have the wrong year, but it was the last Lightning display in Scotland.
I remember as a small kid in the early 80s having a couple of lightnings doing a low flyover of the beach we were on in Norfolk. When I say low, I mean we could almost read the name tag on their uniforms, and when I say "flyover" I mean renting the planet in half with a an almighty roar. They were so low and so fast they left a line in the bloody sand. Terrifying, but amazingly exilerating as well. Although I do recall my mother fing and binding as she dropped her thermos of tea in absolute terror.
Sounds more like a Buccaneer they were much more stable at very low level, they were designed to fly in 'Ground Effect' over the sea at very low level to attack the enemy capital ships while avoiding radar and most of the anti-aircraft weapons. EE Lightnings were designed to climb to high level quickly to intercept high flying enemy aircraft and thus had no need for ground effect design.
@@johnmurrell3175 you might be right about their specialism, but there's no mistaking the wing shape
@@peterharper3861 I was sailing across the Minch in Scotland when we were buzzed by a pair of Buccaneers I swear they had to climb to go over the mast of our boat. I guess the crews had a good laugh as we ducked ! Buccaneers did in fact leave trails in the sand during the war games in America - the US fighters could not get low enough to attack them and the radars could not lock onto them due to the ground echos. In fact the Buccaneer was know as the aircraft you had to pull-up to lower the undercarriage. I really can't imagine what a Lightning was doing at very low level.
I live in Norfolk and it's still common to see them do very low practice flights
@@carmadme Amazing time machine you must have considering the last flew in the UK on 30 April 1988 when 11 Squadron the last to be equipped with EE Lightnings were disbanded. Are you getting confused with the F35 lightning that is currently in use and has nowhere near the performance despite the difference in age ?
Great player and left us all with some amazing goals and fabulous memories 👍👍👍
My Dad worked on the one that’s still flying at thunder city, when my brother went to SA he visited TC took pics and told them the full story - we sent all the pics and they sent my dad a fab photo - he sadly passed away five years ago but he loved that plane - we’ve got lots of photos and dad was mentioned in a few books written about the aircraft - awesome - F for Freddie XR733
I thought the Thunder City Lightnings were grounded after one was lost, back in 2010? According to their website they were looking for a buyer, no idea if they ever found one.
@@copperfield3629 yes the one remaining but grounded was the one my dad worked on when it was 74 Sqn RAF based in Singapore - dad lead a team of engineers to get it flying again when it’s under carriage was damaged - we grew up knowing it as F for Freddie - when my brother went it was still grounded but they showed him around and they exchanged photos etc
@@angiem2873 Brilliant! I used to work with an ex-RAF fitter who'd been on Lightnings. Apparently when the police started using radar guns, they had a function on base and a copper asked him what frequency the radar worked at, because if their speed traps got overflown by a Lightning their radar guns suddenly stopped working. Of course the reply was "I can't tell you about mine - but what frequency do your speed traps work on?". And word got out to the pilots, who developed a fondness for overflying police speed traps thereafter ;)
@@copperfield3629 lol 😂
this is my favorite planes from this era :)
i always like the design and esthetics of the lightning.
Im 73 and as a younger man loved parking near the runway end to watch the incredible Lightening rise quickly to near vertical and then zoom climb. Breathtaking!
love your videos from france
Saw one at Farnborough in the mid sixties. Fairly noisy but one of few airplanes that do upright tail stands. and fly down more or less vertically pulling out if dive very very low. Great Airplane!
They used to pull the vertical climb stunt at the Biggin Hill airshow as well - no record of how many windows were broken. They could not go that high due to the ATC restrictions for overflying civilian planes.
@@johnmurrell3175 Im pretty I saw a Lightning in a Black or Midnight blue paint job at one Airshow in the late sixties.
I lived in Beverley and used to watch/hear them daily as they came from RAF LECONFIELD a few miles away. Absolutely loved them
Duxford is an amazing place, full of amazing things, and I cannot recommend it enough.
A common sight over my home town of Beverley and RAF LECONFIELD home of 60 MU my first posting RAF LYNEHAM 1975 but the Lightning was long gone from there a brilliant aeroplane ⚡️
When I was in the Royal Navy a lightning simulated an attack on the ship. It came in from the bow at wave top height and stood on its tail and went up vertically above the bridge. Buccaneers attacked us at wave height and banked between the masts. It taught a very young sailor we would have absolutely no chance against these aircraft we could not track them. An F4 phantom with its Radar jammers on was another salutary lesson.
Can I ask what ship and year please?
Yes, I had the same experience with Buccaneers whizzing down the starboard side with ice shimmering on it's wings
@@PhilbyFavourites HMS Rhyl in about 1968-1969
@@Berkcam The FAA pilots were nuts !
Fly Navy!
Brilliant air-craft, well done all involved through it's year's. Thank-You.
Where did that hyphen come from? :)
Great piece 👏 I’ve always looked at the lightning with affection and admiration. It could have lead to so much more.
Should have... there were so many deleopments on the drawing board and in the pipeline. All cancelled, as usual :(
The English Electric Lightning was a under appreciated fighter that was ahead of it's time and it's American contemporaries the Century Series. 1:1 thrust to weight ratio, the ability to climb to straight up. (We in the US didn't get that until the F-15 in the 1970's) . It was a capable dogfighter it's entire operational life. Something that only the F-100 Super Sabre could somewhat do and we only found out what a capable a dogfighter the F-106 Delta Dart was at near the end of its operational life. Thanks to the US Navy aviators at Top Gun asking the local USAF F-106 squadron to provide MiG-21 simulators for training purposes.
I was slightly bemused to watch a video interview in the 'Aircrew Interviews' series (on You Tube) in which a pilot recounted how he unintentionally somesaulted an F100 Super Sabre during a mock Dog Fight whilst trying to shake his opponent off his tail and ended up - much to the astonishement of both pilots - on the tail of the guy who had been on his.
Which Version(s) of the Lighting had a thrust to weight ratio of greater than 1:1 while they still had fuel on board? The numbers I can find show that the Lightning F.6 reached that magical 1:1 with about 60s of full burner fuel on board. As for being ahead of the century series, isn't it odd that the Lightning would climb to 11,000m in "under 3 minutes" (per Wikipedia), yet the Starfighter held the record for time to climb to 12,000m in 99s (again per Wikipedia)?
@@Farweasel During the Falklands conflict, Harrier pilots, when being chased by Argentine fighters, sometimes used their thrust vector nozzles to "jump" out of the way, making the pursuer overshoot. At least on Harrier pilot shot down a Mirage with that trick. I believe the Fleet Air Arm and RAF learned it from the US Marines.
@@MarsFKA The technique is apparently called *'Viffing'* ....... BUT ........ I was listening to a Harrier Pilot (Again on 'Aircrew Interviews' on You Tube). His take was no way would anyone sacrifice airspeed to do that. It would be interetsing to hear it from someone who has done it defensively - if someone has rather than done it in practice.
Yes, but the Crnturybseries fighters were part of a fully integrated air defenses system that the Lightning lacked. The RAF relied on the pilots judging the point to turn to get behind the target bomber for the early missiles to get a lock on , which at supersonic speeds they tended to get wrong and be too far behind to be of much use.
Had the development of this superb aircraft continued it could well have been today's front line interceptor. It was indeed a remarkable piece of British engineering.
There were plans for a version that would have been as capable as the F-4 Phantom. Unfortunately Sandys's white paper cast a long shadow and the money was not available.
Great video and story behind this specific aircraft .
I've seen 2 of them. They're so flippin' beautiful
3:00 Approach at 180 kts rather than 90 kts means a lot more than "just needing" a longer runway.
Age 6 (1976) we had a new house a few fields away from RAF Leconfield and what a thrill to have these flying over the noise, the speed the gleaming aluminium spear
I was an armourer in the RAF in the early 1980s and saw the last of the crushingly handsome Hunter and the brutally beautiful 5 and 11 Sqdn Lightnings, Hercules, Shackletons, Phantoms and Vulcans (not to mention Danish F104s) arriving and leaving from Coningsby before we went over to grey triangles, and also worked in the next building (RUAS) to the BBMF where I regularly saw Spitfires, Lancasters and Hurricanes taking off and landing. A great privilege. This June, I left the RAF 40 years ago.
Great story. Fond memories of childhood visits to air shows in the 80s watching these do the vertical climb shortly after take off I think, very big noise too
Great presentation! How many of us would love to ‘ do a Taffy’ in a plane like this, given a chance?
The Lightning was such a demanding aircraft that for takeoff the throttles had a lock on them, when you push them to full power the lock meant you could safely take your hand off to manage the systems. There was a button you had to push to release them. Also, the Lightning was still configured for Take Off so it would safely rotate once it had enough speed. BUT, since it was on the ground it was in "Ground Condition" so there were safety pins in the landing gear & ejector seat. If Taffy hadn't been able to land it there was no way he could have ejected..................I'm still incredibly jealous of him.
That bloody Taff!!
Brilliant flight Taffy !
Egad. I had absolutely NO idea that Taffy Holden's pants-wrecker was still around, much less on display. That is just so flippin cool. Kudos to you, UK.
From the days when there was still a solid class structure in the RAF.
The Lightning as so much character!
I was fortunate to be at RAF Gutersloh in the late 70s on a cadet corps visit when the resident Lightning squadron was retired from active service, I think it was 92 squadron. Their departure involved an epic beat-up of the airfield whilst we were standing in front of the main hangers. Lightnings were appearing at very low level from seemingly several directions and rocketing across the concrete in front of us before pulling vertical clime-outs. We were told the design brief for the lightning was for it to be able to attain intercept height of approaching soviet bombers within around 2 minutes of a scramble. Unforgettable.
I lived in Germany (BAOR) for most of the 1960s and went to boarding school in England. There were passenger flights between RAF Gutersloh and England and, when my parents' finances were good or the government was feeling generous, that's how I would travel between school and home at the beginning and end of school terms. I think that it was around 1965 that I saw the Lightnings taking off and doing the vertical climb thing. Very impressive. It was also around then that I learned an important lesson waiting for a flight. I saw a senior RAF officer, I think a Group Captain (OF-5), attending his boss, OF-8 or OF-9, and carrying his coat. It doesn't matter how senior you get, there's always someone more senior. I was very lucky with my cadet force "camp". It was at the Commando training base at Lympstone in Devon. Huge fun.
I swear earth looks different from when these videos were taken. The sky's are so blue. Just breathtaking footage. An amazing supersonic jet. Something really speacial
Up until a few years ago, you could still watch them flying - Thunder City, based at Cape Town Airport, had - or has - one of the largest if not the largest collection of military jets in private hands. There are reported to still be four flying Lightnings left in the world and they're all in Cape Town.
It's a shame they couldn't have lent us one for the RAF 100 Flypast down the Mall.
Weren't the S.A. Lightnings grounded after the fatal accident that was blamed on inadequate maintenance (a pilot was trapped by a jammed canopy when his plane caught fire) ?
@@None-zc5vg Hi, yup, it happened at an airshow at Bredasdorp - a small town in the Western Cape with a very high-tech airfield. That is why I qualified my comment with 'Up until a few years ago...' But it was great to see them (up until then) every so often. Very impressive. I was at an airshow at Ysterplaat Air Base outside Cape Town when two Lightnings went supersonic at about 1000ft or so... it was like someone firing a gun close to your ear... four rapid bangs after another. In passing, there is a story I remember from way back. The USAF was due to make some supersonic flights and put out a public notice to the effect that if anyone's windows broke, they could call the USAF to have them repaired. A bloke called up claiming for a window only to be told 'The tests will only be taking place next week.' He replied 'No problem, I'll call back later then.' :)
@@rodb9492 I thought the Lightning only had one supersonic shock wave but that is from a memory in the 1960's when they went supersonic over London. Concorde gave a double bang due to the wing shape.