Open Daily: 10am - 10pm | Alley door pickup 10am - 7pm 3038 Hennepin Ave Minneapolis, MN
612-822-4611

  • Open Daily: 10am - 10pm
    Alley-side Pickup: 10am - 7pm

    3038 Hennepin Ave Minneapolis, MN
    612-822-4611

Open Daily: 10am - 10pm | Alley-side Pickup: 10am - 7pm
3038 Hennepin Ave Minneapolis, MN
612-822-4611
English Electric Lightning: The Raf's First Mach 2 Fighter

English Electric Lightning: The Raf's First Mach 2 Fighter

Birtles, Philip

Hardcover

Air CombatBritish History

Publisher Price: $54.95

PREORDER - Expected ship date October 30, 2026

ISBN10: 1036156842
ISBN13: 9781036156848
Publisher: Fonthill Media
Published: Oct 30 2026
Pages: 240
Language: English
This comprehensive history examines the design, development, and service of a renowned Mach 2 fighter celebrated for its climb performance and iconic status among pilots and enthusiasts.

The English Electric Lightning was the first Mach 2 fighter to enter service with the RAF. It began life as a purely experimental design, and despite inadequate funding from the government, was developed by the manufacturer into a highly effective combat aircraft. It was also an export success, particularly with the Royal Saudi Air Force, paving the way for major export contracts of future aircraft with Saudi Arabia and other nations.

Lightnings were challenging to fly and maintain--one pilot famously likened it to 'being saddled to a skyrocket'--but the aircraft was nonetheless revered by pilots and ground crew alike, who valued its astonishing rate of climb among other performance advantages. Among enthusiasts, it quickly became iconic.

English Electric Lightning: The RAF's First Mach 2 Fighter is a comprehensive history and analysis of the aircraft, covering its design, development and service, with extensive illustrations, many previously unpublished, as well as appendices detailing production, service and performance data, and information on preserved aircraft.

Also from

Birtles, Philip

View All

Also in

British History

View All