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The English Electric Lightning was the only all British Mach 2 fighter to be developed during the Cold War. English Electric was later incorporated into the British Aircraft Corporation and all later aircraft were produced as the BAC Lightning.
The prototype aircraft were known as the English Electric P1 and the first one, WG760, first flew on 4th August 1954 at Boscombe Down airfield, Wiltshire. The P.1 was designed by W.E.W.Petter and was considered controversial at the time. The Short SB5, WG768, (presently preserved at Cosford Air Museum), was built to test the wing sweep and tailplane combinations. On 25th November 1958, the English Electric P1B became the first British aircraft to fly at Mach 2. In all, six P1A/B prototype aircraft were built (P.1A WG760, WG763, WG765 and P1B XA847, XA853 & XA856).
The first operational Lightning was delivered to RAF Coltishall in Norfolk during December 1959. From 1960, the first production Lightning F1s served initially with 74 Squadron. The Lightning F2 first flew on 11th July 1961 and entered service with 19 Squadron at the end of 1962. The improved F3 variant first flew on 16th June 1962 and the F6 first flew on 16th June 1965. The Lightning T4 and T5 variants were two seat trainers.
The Lightning served with numbers 5, 11, 19, 23, 29, 56, 65, 74, 92 and 111 Squadrons along with 226 OCU, the Air Fighting Development Squadron and its last operator, the Lightning Training Flight at RAF Binbrook. Other Lightning bases in the UK were RAF Leuchars, RAF Wattisham , RAF Coltishall, RAF Leconfield and RAF Middleton St George. Overseas service saw the Lightning stationed at RAF Akrotiri (Cyprus), RAF Geilenkirchen and Gutersloh (Germany) and RAF Tengah (Singapore). The Lightning was retired from RAF service during 1988. In all 337 aircraft were built including deliveries to the Kuwait Air Force and the Royal Saudi Air Force.
The Lightning Preservation Group (LPG) Lightning F6 XR728 first flew on 17th March 1965 and was delivered to 23 Sqn at RAF Leuchars on 1st November, 1967 piloted by Squadron Leader Blackburn. She was delivered to 60 MU at Leconfield for a major overhaul on13th May 1971 before being delivered to 56 Sqn at RAF Wattisham on 31st January 1975. Following the disbandment of 56 Squadron on 28th June 1976, XR728 was placed in storage at RAF Binbrook before being allocated to 5 Sqn on 27th June 1978. The LTF at RAF Binbrook received her on 1st August 1978 and she served out the rest of her career at Binbrook, also serving with 5 and finally, XI Sqn.
On 22nd June 1988, XR728 was allocated to the LPG and flown by Flt Lt Chris Berners-Price to Bruntingthorpe on 24th June 1988. Total hours 3708,40.
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