The English Electric Lightning is a supersonic jet fighter aircraft of the Cold War era, remembered for its great speed and unpainted natural metal exterior finish. It is the only all-British Mach 2 fighter aircraft. Renowned for its capabilities as an interceptor, RAF pilots described it as "being saddled to a skyrocket". English Electric was later incorporated into the British Aircraft Corporation, later marks being developed and produced as the BAC Lightning.

The Lightning was used throughout much of its service life by the Royal Air Force and the Royal Saudi Air Force. The aircraft was a regular performer at airshows and was the first aircraft capable of supercruise. The Lightning was also one of the highest performance planes ever used in formation aerobatics. The Lightning aircraft is now largely retired to museums, but three examples still fly at "Thunder City" in Cape Town, South Africa.

The Lightning F.6 was a single-seat fighter (an improved longer-range variant of the F.3). It featured new wings with better efficiency and subsonic performance, overwing fuel tanks and a larger ventral fuel tank, reintroduction of 30 mm cannon (initially no cannon but later in the forward part of the ventral pack rather than in the nose), use of Red Top missiles. A total of 39 built (also nine converted from F.3 and 15 from F.3A).

This particular 1:48 scale replica of a RAF English Electric Lightning F.6 jet fighter was attached to No.5 Squadron, and deployed to RAF Leconfield, England, during 1965. Pre-order! Ship Date: June 2026.

Dimensions:
Length: 14-inches
Wingspan: 9-inches

Release Date: ?

Historical Account: "Faster Flight" - Occupying a prominent position in the history of Britain's aviation industry, for young men hoping to join the Royal Air Force during the 1960s and 70s, the English Electric Lightning must have offered the most exhilarating experience anyone could hope to have.

On joining a Lightning unit, students would usually be given a 'taster flight' with their instructor, something which would whet their aviation appetite still further, showing them what was available to them if they knuckled down and did the work. This would be followed by weeks of Ground School and time on the Lightning simulator, where they were brought up to speed on what was required if they were to become Lightning pilots -- you had to think fast when travelling at these speeds.

Once posted to an operational squadron, they knew they were considered an elite pilot, flying an aircraft most people could only dream of spending time in, and for them, no other aircraft would ever come close to matching the sheer adrenalin rush of the Lightning.

Lightning XR726 was constructed as an F.6 variant during late 1964, making her first flight in June the following year. Spending much of her RAF career with No.5 Squadron, she wore the majority of the different camouflage finish variations worn by Lightnings during their service lives, including this particularly striking one in natural metal.