Urban Myth
XR749 was silver until circa 1976 - as far as I'm aware "Buzz Lightyear" didn't join the RAF till 1978-79 so he would have been flying said airframe in 1982-83 long after it was painted. Although for reasons of national security I can't reveal my identity I'm merely trying to dispel some of the exaggerated stories of high flight. To fly the SR-71 one needed approximate 3 hours of prep just to put the Flt suit on and sit breathing 100% 02 for 2 hours to suggest UK pilots did the same profile in a Flt suit and mlk3 helmet with Q mask is laughable. If you look at the Lightning canopy all that prevents a rapid decompression is a small grey rubber seal that inflated with bleed air once shut. I know during an airiest in 1984 a seal deflated due to age which was certainly a scary experience. Yes the Lightning was brilliant - superb but no it wasn't Saturn 5 and nor could it beat the F15/16 in combat - unless they were flown by aggressively below average pilots.