English Electric Lightning P.1A
English Electric · United Kingdom · first flew 1954 · fighter
The English Electric P.1A was the first true prototype of what became the Lightning interceptor, and on its third flight in August 1954 became the first British aircraft to exceed Mach 1 in level flight.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | Mid-mounted, swept |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 2 × turbojet, fuselage-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | Steeply swept 60-degree delta-like wing on a slim area-ruled fuselage |
| T — Tail | Conventional |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- Steeply swept 60-degree delta-like wing on a slim area-ruled fuselage
- Two engines stacked vertically in the fuselage with no wing-mounted nacelles
- T-shaped air intake in the nose feeding both superimposed engines
The steeply swept wing with the leading edge angled at approximately 60 degrees is the P.1A's defining feature. Unlike the production Lightning, the P.1A has a plain circular nose intake without the later bullet centrebody. The fuselage is notably slim ahead of the wing, with no under-fuselage fuel tank fitted as standard.
Specifications
- The English Electric Lightning P.1A has a length of 14 m (46 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 9.95 m (33 ft).
- Its maximum speed is 1480 km/h (920 mph).
- Typical crew: 1.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
English Electric chief test pilot Roland Beamont flew WG760 for the first time on 4 August 1954 from Boscombe Down. On 11 August, the third flight, Beamont pushed the P.1A to Mach 1.22 in level flight without an afterburner, a landmark in British aviation history. Two P.1A prototypes were built to explore the novel stacked-engine, highly swept-wing configuration. Data gathered fed directly into the more powerful P.1B development aircraft and ultimately the production Lightning F.1.
Variants
Two P.1A prototypes (WG760 and WG763) preceded the P.1B series with afterburning Avon engines. The production Lightning differed substantially in nose design and avionics.
Where you'll see it
Strictly experimental; the two P.1As were never armed or evaluated for operational service. WG760 is preserved at the RAF Museum Cosford.
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- English Electric Canberra B.2
- English Electric Canberra
- English Electric Lightning F.1
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