When I wasn't on Lightnings....
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Shaft, it was for QRA launches apparently, it kept the aircraft straight when departing the shed in a rush, thus preventing it from hitting anything.
Mach, is the Camo mirrored, Ie grey should be green etc
Mach, is the Camo mirrored, Ie grey should be green etc
Just a question - in the hangar is a large yellow guide tray for the nose wheel - what is that there for ?
I certainly don't remember any such thing from my 2 Lightning tours (early 70's) when scrambles were a regular occurrence. It would have been a major trip hazard to both scurrying groundcrew and sprinting pilots when coming to cockpit readiness. Moreover despite having no nosewheel steering (it was all twist and steer like the Hunter) the nosewheel naturally castered to the central position and needed quite a positive input to deflect it when taxying. So coming out of the shed in a straight line was never an issue. The F4 with its extra 4' wingspan used the same sheds so wingtip clearance cannot have been that critical.
I can only suggest that it is used by Bruntingthorpe for pushbacks where the nosewheel would want to caster off centre all the time.
I certainly don't remember any such thing from my 2 Lightning tours (early 70's) when scrambles were a regular occurrence. It would have been a major trip hazard to both scurrying groundcrew and sprinting pilots when coming to cockpit readiness. Moreover despite having no nosewheel steering (it was all twist and steer like the Hunter) the nosewheel naturally castered to the central position and needed quite a positive input to deflect it when taxying. So coming out of the shed in a straight line was never an issue. The F4 with its extra 4' wingspan used the same sheds so wingtip clearance cannot have been that critical.
I can only suggest that it is used by Bruntingthorpe for pushbacks where the nosewheel would want to caster off centre all the time.
Last edited by nipva; 19th Feb 2017 at 15:11.
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They popped it in for the photoshoot 
As the shed came from Wattisham, it probably came with it, one would imagine it was one of those things designed at the outset, but in reality found not to be of any practical use, so it was quietly binned to some unused corner as it would still be on someone's inventory.
As the shed came from Wattisham, it probably came with it, one would imagine it was one of those things designed at the outset, but in reality found not to be of any practical use, so it was quietly binned to some unused corner as it would still be on someone's inventory.
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On wrong side or slopes the wrong way?
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Port side ... Flt Lt Carrol never flew t?
Or ...
It never had a refuelling probe?
Or ...
It never had a refuelling probe?
OK, it was clearly too difficult for you Lightning spotters. I must admit I only know this from a German Lt Col who built and gave me a superb model of XS904. Apparently no other Lightning has the green and grey camouflage boundary in a very straight line from the forward port cockpit window down towards the nose-wheel bay.
Now thats real spotting!!
Now thats real spotting!!
The colour scheme does not really matter as in the day we were all silver, but the pics are very evocative of the Lightning era. AFAIR there were groves in the alert hangar floors at Binbrook to guide the aircraft via the nosewheels (no NWS, and no wood guides). On a scamble we would be too busy closing and locking the canopy, selecting the main gen, checking all lights out before selecting reheat to worry too much about where we were going. So the grooves avoided any unpleasantness. I think we could manage around 3 minutes from cold - any takers?
Originally Posted by MACH2NUMBER
Apparently no other Lightning has the green and grey camouflage boundary in a very straight line from the forward port cockpit window down towards the nose-wheel bay.
How long was an average sortie w/o externals/conformal (if it had them)?
As it was C/L, was one of the engines ever shut down intentionally to extend time aloft? Never really considered the possibilities with an engine configuration like that.
As it was C/L, was one of the engines ever shut down intentionally to extend time aloft? Never really considered the possibilities with an engine configuration like that.
West Coast
Typical subsonic, non-combat sortie length was 1hr 10mins. Such sorties only used reheat for T/O. Any supersonics/combat brought the typical sortie length down to 45mins. There were no external tanks apart from the overwing ferry tanks which were both g limited (3.5 from memory) and to subsonic flight. They increased sortie lengths by about 10-15' as much of the extra fuel was burned dragging them up to height. Where they came into their own was in conjunction with AAR.
As to shutting down an engine to increase airborne time, it was not officially permitted however was quite common practice but we always shut down the No 2 (upper) engine as there were some quite important hydraulics attached to the No 1 particularly the brake parachute doors. Having said that, it was SOP to shut down the No 2 when diverting short of fuel and transferring all its fuel to the No 1.
Hope this answers your questions.
Typical subsonic, non-combat sortie length was 1hr 10mins. Such sorties only used reheat for T/O. Any supersonics/combat brought the typical sortie length down to 45mins. There were no external tanks apart from the overwing ferry tanks which were both g limited (3.5 from memory) and to subsonic flight. They increased sortie lengths by about 10-15' as much of the extra fuel was burned dragging them up to height. Where they came into their own was in conjunction with AAR.
As to shutting down an engine to increase airborne time, it was not officially permitted however was quite common practice but we always shut down the No 2 (upper) engine as there were some quite important hydraulics attached to the No 1 particularly the brake parachute doors. Having said that, it was SOP to shut down the No 2 when diverting short of fuel and transferring all its fuel to the No 1.
Hope this answers your questions.
Ecce Homo! Loquitur...
Shorted I ever controlled was just under 10m. Intercepting 2 A-10s inbound just off Spurn. Took control of an F3 just off the end of the runway and intercepted within a minute - at which stage he went into combat playing the vertical as the pair circled and kept to trying to get their guns pointing at him. Ran out of fuel in about 7 minutes.
I don't own this space under my name. I should have leased it while I still could
ORAC, did he get a kill? Or even a shot off?
Once saw an ACMI playback 2x2 F3 defending a HVAA opposed by 16xF16. Quite a turkey shoot. Only 3 missiles launched and two F3 splashed.
Only thing was, no F16 either engaged or was engaged.
Once saw an ACMI playback 2x2 F3 defending a HVAA opposed by 16xF16. Quite a turkey shoot. Only 3 missiles launched and two F3 splashed.
Only thing was, no F16 either engaged or was engaged.