Lightning

[rossm]

In the back of the Warpaint (and I'm sure in other places) is a photo of an export (Mk.53?) Lightning festooned with rocket pods. The overwing pylons are in several kits but what about the underwing pylons ? The locations are not shown in the Warpaint plans but does anyone have details please ? Bombs are also shown next to these pylons, does anyone know the maximum load they could carry ?

Now, drifting into whiffery - a place I've never been before, the guns in the underside of the intake on the early marks (1,2,2A) could only be fitted when Firestreak missiles were not carried due to the support equipment for the missiles occupying the space the guns would go in. Do Sidewinders need such equipment or would it be theoretically possible to have the lower guns and Sidewinders ? NB I'm talking about the guns in the lower fuselage, NOT the ones in the F6 belly tank which obviously would not interfere with the missile fit whatever it was.

Large helpings of gratitude in advance for any firm information,

Ross

[kspriss]

hmmm, i wonder what this is for?

try this, from Gawick air museums website

http://www.gatwick-aviation-museum.co.uk/l...ning/wepons.htm

HTH

steve

[Bobski]

In the Aeroplane Icons special about the Lightning, it has a picture of a Kuwaiti jet armed with eight Matra pods - four on each wing. They are mounted in pairs, with one pair on the overwing station and another pair on the underwing station.

Hope that helps.

[rossm]

hmmm, i wonder what this is for?

try this, from Gawick air museums website

http://www.gatwick-aviation-museum.co.uk/l...ning/wepons.htm

HTH

steve

Thanks, Steve, judging from that I'll mount the underwing pylons just outboard of the notch in the leading edge. I think I'll have just the one gun to leave some avionics space (one problem with the F-4C was it didn't have enough room for avionics),

Cheers,

Ross

[boffin]

Assuming you're working in 1/72, then Odds & Ordnance do both underwing and overwing pylons and rocket pods. I haven't used these items but I've found their other stuff to be of good quality

George

[Giorgio N]

The sidewinder missile needs an extremely limited amount of hardware, so a sidewinder armed lightning would have likey been able to carry both lower guns and missiles.

A number of configurations for the carriage of sidewinder missiles were studied by BAC/BAe, but none was ever adopted as the Lightning was always expected to be retired soon.

[AjD]

Thanks, Steve, judging from that I'll mount the underwing pylons just outboard of the notch in the leading edge. I think I'll have just the one gun to leave some avionics space (one problem with the F-4C was it didn't have enough room for avionics),

Cheers,

Ross

To the best of my knowledge, the under-wing pylons were located just a fraction outboard of the leading edge notch, as you say. That should locate the pylon roughly in line with the very cente of the elevator at the rear of the wing.

Cheers,

Andy

[Jabba]

I have a picture in a Lightning book that shows one aircraft armed with dummy sidewinders at RAF Valley.

[Hepster]

Photos of the Lightning F53 with underwing pylons are included in the 1969, 1972 and 1972 editions of The Observers Book of Aircraft, with 3-view plans inluded in 1969-1972 editions.

The 1969 photo show a 1,000lb dummy bomb underwing, while the 1971 and 1972 editions show twin SNEB launchers under each wing.

The plans show the location of both overwing and underwing SNEBs in the early editions, but the overwing launchers are omitted in the later editions.

[Duncan B]

The sidewinder missile needs an extremely limited amount of hardware, so a sidewinder armed lightning would have likey been able to carry both lower guns and missiles.

A number of configurations for the carriage of sidewinder missiles were studied by BAC/BAe, but none was ever adopted as the Lightning was always expected to be retired soon.

I read recently that the squared off wingtips of the Mk 6 were seen by BAC as being the ideal place for Sidewinder rails.

Edited April 29, 2012 by Duncan B

[rossm]

I read recently that the squared off wingtips of the Mk 6 were seen by BAC as being the ideal place for Sidewinder rails.

Ooooh! I hadn't thought of that but it's a great idea thank you,

Ross

[The wooksta V2.0]

The EE P.8 of 1957 used a similar configuration to the Lightning, but with an area ruled fuselage which also held the u/c. It also had the wing of the Lightning F6 with wingtip mounted Firestreaks.

[rossm]

Now converted to a WIP post Here

Ross

[Finn]

Then there is this load:

Lightning Bullpup

Jari

[Dave Fleming]

Or the one in Tim McLelland's book fitted with a Genie