ENGLISH ELECTRIC LIGHTNING

© MMXVIII V.1.0.1
by Morley Evans

Vertical flight

A few months ago, I came across a picture of a plane. It's air intake was in the nose. 

I thought it was a MiG-15, but it wasn't. It was an English Electric Lightning. I had never heard if such a thing so I began to read. It was designed and built by English Electric which was absorbed by BAC British Aircraft Corporation. It was designed in the late '40s. It could climb vertically and it held many records. It's ceiling was 50,000 feet. Its top speed was mach 2. 

It was superior to the Soviet MiG-15, the American F-86 Sabre and other jets of the Korean War era including the Supersabre.

How could I have never heard of it? ANSWER: It was a mainstay of the Royal Air Force. That's the reason. I was familiar with dozens of USAF planes. I had heard of the Avro Arrow because I'm a Canadian. Great Britain was history.

I know a little about American aviation because I watched American TV, read American magazines, watched American movies, and read American books.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/English_Electric_Lightning