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Aviation History
1961
1961 - 0230.PDF
230 FLIGHT, 24 February The dicing of 74 Sqn consists of black and yellow triangles arranged as above; black Fire- streaks are inert drill rounds The Baxter Woodhouse & Taylor pressure helmet (right) has to be individually tailored Half of the two-score Fire- streaks in the ready-for-use store are visible below. Aero- dynamic surfaces are protected by black fibre gloves, and the seeker head and fuzing windows by red plastic or rubber covers The CO, Sqn Ldr Howe, is on the extreme right of the in- formal group photograph LAST week the Air Ministry invited Flight to RAF Coltishail,north of Norwich, where is based No 74 Sqn, the first in theJ Service to be equipped with the English Electric Lightning Ever since the first flight, almost seven years ago, of the firstP.1A research aircraft this journal has chronicled the progress towards operational service of one of the fastest and most potetitdefensive weapon systems yet developed. The Lightning is an exceptional advance on all that has gone before, for Britain cannotafford intermediate stages. A day at Coltishail suggests that this way of doing things can be made to work very well indeed. All the aircraft so far released are Lightning F.I all-weatherfighters, powered by two Rolls-Royce Avons with reheat, equipped with Ferranti Airpass 1 multi-purpose radar fire-control, andhaving a standard armament of two de Havilland Firestreak missiles and two Aden 30mm guns. Although the Lightning is the RAF's first truly supersonicaeroplane, nobody has been hand-picked to fly it. Instead, Hunter LIGHTNING SQUADRON ILLUSTRATED WITH "FLIGHT" PHOTOGRAPHS squadrons are converting with no change in personnel other thanroutine postings, and the same will be true when the Lightning begins to replace the Javelin also. Yet it would be idle to denythat conversion is a major task, for not only is the Lightning a very complicated piece of machinery, with a flight performanceroughly double that of any previous RAF equipment, but it is also our first single-seat night and all-weather fighter. While the aircraft was being evaluated by the Air FightingDevelopment Squadron, pilot-conversion difficulties were being anticipated by the Lightning Conversion Unit, which started whena permanent staff of four pilots, a navigator and a fighter-control officer prepared the ground-instruction programme and the firstten flying exercises (those concerned with pure handling). More- over, thanks to General Precision Systems, no pilot flies theLightning until he has had every emergency in the book thrown at him in the simulator. On his first familiarization trips everyLightning pilot is accompanied by a Hunter flown by an instructor; and for the pair to formate at operational height the pupil has togive the chase aircraft a 28,000ft start. Although it is considered desirable for every pilot to have first spent at least six monthswith an operational squadron, no great experience is required; apart from the flight commanders and their deputies, all 74Squadron's pilots had joined straight from OCU, and were thus on their first tour. Combining the functions of pilot and navigator in one mancan be accomplished only with the assistance of "black boxes" far surpassing in number and refinement anything previously seenin a British aeroplane of this size. As an inevitable sequel, the servicing personnel are almost twice as numerous as they were inHunter days. They are divided into a small line crew, and three servicing teams, each under a Ch Tech and embracing all thetrades required for the progressive servicing undertaken at the station. Each team is personally responsible for one-third of thesquadron's aircraft, and the name of the "crew chief" is stencilled, American fashion, on the nose of each machine, immediatelybelow that of its pilot. Even an aeroplane like the Lightning can exhibit individual foibles, and this personal approach seemsto pay dividends. To fly a Lightning one has to dress for the part—and this is afar longer job than getting into the aircraft. Present rig is a standard "bonedome" and P-type mask, g-suit and pressure jerkin;or, in winter, a pressure jerkin and immersion suit. Eventually, however, partial-pressure suits will be worn, together with apressure helmet (Baxter Woodhouse & Taylor); even in winter it is doubtful if pilots could wear this for protracted periods. Walking out to the aircraft one is impressed by its pugnaciousbulk, and by the fact that it is possible to pass beneath the wing without stooping. A boot-cleaning brush adorns each side of thelofty ladder leading up to the cockpit, and external controls are provided for opening the massive clamshell canopy. As in theJavelin FAW.8 and 9, the ejection seat (Martin-Baker Mk4BS) incorporates a combined harness, and seat height is electricallyadjustable. The cockpit is snug, but by no means cramped, even for the tallest pilot. Instrumentation incorporates several new faces, but the ultimateOR.946 panel has not yet been achieved. Directly in front of the pilot's eyes is the Pilot Attack Si^ht, immediately to the right otwhich is the AI radar display. To the left is an attention light,
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