When it comes to significant British aircraft of the post Second World War era, few have had anything like the impact of the English Electric Lightning. It was a supersonic sensation which was originally introduced to protect Britain’s V-Bomber airfields against Soviet bomber attack. The ultimate incarnation of this flying hot-rod was the Lightning F.6, an aircraft which took all the performance of its predecessors, and presented it with even more speed, greater range, and better handling. This magnificent aircraft posted a stellar 28-year career with the Royal Air Force, through some of the most volatile times in world history. The F.6 variant saw the return of guns to the Lightning, following their omission on the F.3 which preceded it, armament which complemented a pair of Red Top air-to-air missiles and was welcomed by serving RAF pilots. Although incredible speed was always something associated with the Lightning, pilots were always of the opinion that the aircraft was more than just a point defender, and was easily capable of dogfighting, as long as its cannon armament was retained. Our English Electric Lightning model kit is almost as impressive as the real thing in 1:48 scale.
