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Aviation History
1961
1961 - 0231.PDF
231FLIGHT 24 Feb.1961 Five of 74 Squadron's Lightning F.ls show that they have already learnt to fly a good echelon to starboard which flashes when any of the red windows of the central warningpanel illuminate (a loud fire-engine bell is also heard in the pilot's earphones). Upper and lower engines are controlled by matchedpower levers of curious form, immediately behind which are the weapon control panels and the miniature control column for theradar fire-control. The autopilot controller is to starboard, for the right hand. In emergency, aircraft would be parked on the operationalreadiness platform at the end of the runway. Depending on the readiness state, pilots may be in their cockpits and all the aircraftsystems warmed-up for action. Vernons Industries supply GPUs which feed electric power to ease the load on the internal batteries.The only other ground connection is the Telebriefing lead pro- viding land-line contact with the operations room. On receipt of a call to scramble—a brief but very informativemessage—both Avons are started together by their Plessey Avpin (iso-propyl nitrate) starters, and it is possible to get the aircraftrolling within a few seconds. All take-offs are dry (i.e. without reheat), although if an engine were to fail during take-off—some-thing which has yet to happen—both power levers would be pushed forward into reheat to give all the thrust required. Attake-off r.p.m. the nozzles are closed, to give maximum dry thrust —considerably more than twice the urge of a Hunter. One pointthat must be watched is that the aircraft must be lifted off the ground the moment the appropriate speed is reached, otherwisethere is a risk that the tyres might throw their treads. Less than 30sec from the scramble order having been received,the wheels are retracted, the aircraft has turned hard to port or starboard and reached about 45Okt. The general idea is then toclimb to operational height as soon as possible, and at M0.9 and something less than 100 per cent cold power it is possible toreach operating height in about 3min. At 100 per cent cold power the angle of climb at M0.9 becomes too much for convenience, Notwithstanding the Lightning's complexity, the servicing crews keep aircraft in this condition only for brief periods and reheat is never employed below the tropopause (about36,000ft). At greater heights four stages of reheat are available, eachmatched to a different nozzle area. Maximum power produces quick acceleration to a Mach number greater than 2, and hi?h-altitude manoeuvrability is such that, in the words of Sqn Ldr John F. G. Howe, 74's South African CO, "We know we canoutfight any fighter equivalent to the USAF Century series." All controls are fully powered, each engine energizing an independenthydraulic circuit. Partly for this reason it is not normal practice to shut down either engine in the air, although practice relightsup to extreme altitudes have given no trouble. Operational employment of the Lightning may not be describedin detail, but much can be surmised. The initial climb is made on a designated heading, and the radar is operating before take-off.The target-locating, lock-on and other functions of Airpass have already been described at length in this journal, and so has theFirestreak missile which forms the Lightning's primary armament. Although the standard armament is two missiles and two guns,the Lightning F.I can carry two guns and 48 2in rockets, or four guns; and doubtless later Marks will introduce further variations. In normal cruising flight the nozzle area is again adjusted to theposition giving minimum specific consumption, and Coltishall Lightnings have remained airborne for more than an hour and ahalf. The let-down and landing are perfectly straightforward, and completely automatic descents are possible. Approach speed canbe held within lkt; this makes formation landings of pairs of aircraft practicable, and on such occasions the No 2 calls "stream"to ensure that the leader does not deploy his braking parachute first. The drag chute is employed on all landings, and formany months has achieved reliability of virtually 100 per cent. Brakes (Dunlop, with Maxaret) are not used in a normal landing,and a 1,500yd runway is theoretically adequate provided the drag chute can be relied upon. In fact, English Electric have demon-strated that the Lightnine can stop in 800yd; but if this were common practice the RAF would get through vast Quantities ofbrake pads and tyres. ColtishalPs runway is 2,500yd, and there are five 3,000yd runways in the vicinity. Although 74 Sqn pilots occasionally do cross-countries, usuallyoverflying Scotland and Wales, practically all operational exer- cises are flown over the North Sea, where supersonic bangs nreadmissible. Since the Lightnine's primary role is bomber des- truction, it operates as a single aircraft, much like the Javelin.First delivery to 74 Sqn was made last July, and today the entire squadron VPS reached a satisfactory degree of operational effec-tiveness. The unit has operated its Lightnings under all weather conditions both by day and nieht, and has carried out every inter-ception procedure short of firins missiles. Lightning squadrons, which now include 54 and "Treble One," are each ultimately toreceive st least one two-seat T.4 for all dual checks and demonstra- tions. These side-bv-side machines have the same performance^nd equipment as the F.I, and will first be delivered to the Lightning Conversion Unit in about two months' time. It isnerhaps appropriate to conclude with another quotation from Sqn Ldr Howe: "The performance of the aircraft, coupled withthe ease with which it is flown, gives the pilots confidence, and the fact that it is felt to be the best fighter in operational servicein the world today gives our Lightning pilot the highest possible morale."
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