The English Electric Lightning is a supersonic jet fighter aircraft of the Cold War era, remembered for its great speed and unpainted natural metal exterior finish. It is the only all-British Mach 2 fighter aircraft. Renowned for its capabilities as an interceptor, RAF pilots described it as "being saddled to a skyrocket". English Electric was later incorporated into the British Aircraft Corporation, later marks being developed and produced as the BAC Lightning.

The Lightning was used throughout much of its service life by the Royal Air Force and the Royal Saudi Air Force. The aircraft was a regular performer at airshows and was the first aircraft capable of supercruise. The Lightning was also one of the highest performance planes ever used in formation aerobatics. The Lightning aircraft is now largely retired to museums, but three examples still fly at "Thunder City" in Cape Town, South Africa.

This particular 1:72 scale replica of a RAF English Electric F.6 Lightning jet fighter was was attached to 74 Squadron, then based at Tengh, Singapore. Sold Out!

Dimensions:
Length: 9-1/4-inches
Wingspan: 5-3/4-inches

Release Date: November 2010

Historical Account: "Flash of Lightning" - English Electric Lightning F6, serial number XS921, was delivered to 74 "Tiger" Squadron in December 1966 and initially based at RAF Leuchars in Scotland. In 1967, XS921 and other Lightning's of 74 Sqn made the long journey to Tengah Air Base in Singapore and in doing so became the first RAF fighter unit to make such a journey using air to air refuelling.

The deployment to Singapore, codenamed "Operation Hydraulic", gave the RAF's Far East Air Force (FEAF) a powerful supersonic fighter element in the region. This was deemed necessary in order to deter the territorial claims made by Indonesia against nearby Malaysia, a British protectorate. The show of strength proved successful and 74 Sqn departed Tengah in August 1971 with the squadron disbanding.

Its Lightning's were taken over by 56 Sqn at RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus. In September 1985, while serving with 11 Sqn, Lightning XS921 was lost after developing technical problems while returning to RAF Binbrook after a training exercise but thankfully the pilot was able to make a successful ejection.