Finn Posted March 12, 2021 Share Posted March 12, 2021 The multirole version: https://www.docdroid.com/5SWiqls/strike-lightning-multirole-fighter-pdf Jari Derek B 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vince14 Posted March 12, 2021 Share Posted March 12, 2021 That would have had just enough fuel to jettison the bombs somewhere behind our own front lines and stagger back to base on fumes... Panzerwomble, crobinsonh, Derek B and 2 others 1 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Finn Posted March 12, 2021 Author Share Posted March 12, 2021 I'd be more worried about the bombs on top of the wing coming off safely. Jari MikeC and Derek B 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Panzerwomble Posted March 12, 2021 Share Posted March 12, 2021 (edited) Sadly BAE's attempt to convince other nations that a 1950s Mach 2 interceptor designed to take down Soviet bombers over the North Sea at short notice could work as a ground attack aircraft....I think Mirage III and the Starfighter pretty much cleared up that market apart from the odd Arabian countries the UK could still bribe/ influence. I'm alwasy surprised the Buccaneer didn't had a better export record , it was also designed with one job in mind but was much more versatile when it came to dropingp things on grid references, had a half decent service life as well . Edited March 12, 2021 by Panzerwomble Say something nice about Blackburn for once Derek B 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adrian Posted March 13, 2021 Share Posted March 13, 2021 There was an article written by, I think, Bill Gunston where the decision by the Indian airforce to purchase the MiG 21 was questioned by the powers that be. The Indian airforce basically replied that the MiG 21 could do most of what the Lightning could at 1/3 of the price and with a far lower maintenance burden. Both aircraft were short legged. Still love the Lightning though. The Buccaneer was, IMHO, one of the most under-rated aircraft of the cold war. It wasn't glamorous and always suffered from the RAF not really wanting it (but when they had it they loved it) and Government indifference but had a long service life and in terms of payload v range was up there with the best. A big missed opportunity. One hit a telegraph line at a Red Flag exercise while climbing up to avoid it and sported a 'kill' marking for a while. Apparently for a time it was the only non US aircraft poster in the Red flag crew room as no-one believed that something that looked so interesting could go so low, so fast for so long. Panzerwomble 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeC Posted March 13, 2021 Share Posted March 13, 2021 9 hours ago, Panzerwomble said: I'm alwasy surprised the Buccaneer didn't had a better export record , it was also designed with one job in mind but was much more versatile when it came to dropingp things on grid references, had a half decent service life as well . According to an article in Aeroplane (January 2021) we did attempt to sell them to Germany for use by MFG1 and MFG2 over the Baltic. As history records, the F-104G filled the role, but I often think that would make an interesting "what-if" model. Derek B and Panzerwomble 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Panzerwomble Posted March 13, 2021 Share Posted March 13, 2021 it's a little OTT/Biggles but if you like Buccs, Rowlands Whites telling of the Ark's 1972 operation to fly the flag / deter an invasion in Belize in his book Pheonix Squadron is a good read. MikeC, Scotsman and Derek B 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek B Posted March 13, 2021 Share Posted March 13, 2021 13 hours ago, Finn said: I'd be more worried about the bombs on top of the wing coming off safely. Jari Thanks for that Jari. Obviously, as an ex-RAF Lightning man, I find this interesting. Ultimately, the Lightning was was never cleared to carry anything above the wings other than the over wing tanks (although the under wing and forward fuselage weapons packs were cleared for use for export aircraft). Had the aircraft been cleared to use the over wing bomb load, it would most likely have employed a form of inverted delivery. Derek Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Panzerwomble Posted March 13, 2021 Share Posted March 13, 2021 Ok time I fessed up ... I make a point of saying aircraft are not my thing , not my area of expertise blah blah blah ....which is true apart from this thing , which I have been obsessed with since 1974 ..how many books about them do I have ? ...all of them ....how many times have I modelled it ? more than any other subject by far....... and if I won the lottery ? forget fancy cars or the lodge at Aspen , no.... it will be one of these in the back garden . It took until 2015 before I finally sat in a cockpit of a working one . Yes, this is me,& yes, it was emotional . Since this is a Lightning thread , here are some videos I shot at Bruntingthorpe in May 2015 and 2016 . What you don't get is the smell of the fuel , the hit to the chest as these things belt down the runway and the sheer flippin joy of feeling these things live and breath , well to me anyway . Enjoy . Scotsman 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Panzerwomble Posted March 13, 2021 Share Posted March 13, 2021 As i'm also fond of Buccs ... Scotsman, Derek B and MikeC 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek B Posted March 13, 2021 Share Posted March 13, 2021 1 hour ago, Panzerwomble said: Ok time I fessed up ... I make a point of saying aircraft are not my thing , not my area of expertise blah blah blah ....which is true apart from this thing , which I have been obsessed with since 1974 ..how many books about them do I have ? ...all of them ....how many times have I modelled it ? more than any other subject by far....... and if I won the lottery ? forget fancy cars or the lodge at Aspen , no.... it will be one of these in the back garden . It took until 2015 before I finally sat in a cockpit of a working one . Yes, this is me,& yes, it was emotional . Since this is a Lightning thread , here are some videos I shot at Bruntingthorpe in May 2015 and 2016 . What you don't get is the smell of the fuel , the hit to the chest as these things belt down the runway and the sheer flippin joy of feeling these things live and breath , well to me anyway . Enjoy . Nice videos. I am a member of the LPG and was active as part of the start team during those events. Thank you for sharing them. Derek Scotsman and Panzerwomble 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grunticus Posted March 13, 2021 Share Posted March 13, 2021 I wish Trumpeter would re-pop their 1/32 Lightning..... Derek B 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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