Specs, individual airframe info and images for the P.1 . . .
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Lightning P.1a
| Built | Engine/thrust | Armament | Weight | Dimensions | Distinguishing Features |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 2 x Armstrong-Siddeley Sapphire Sa5, 7,500lb each: later replaced by Sapphire 5R 9,200lb with reheat | None | 22,221lb Empty 27,077lb Loaded | Span: 34ft 10in Length: 49ft 8in; Height: 17ft 3in; Wing area: 458.5sqft | Original prototypes to F23/49 Max speed Mach 1.53 (1,011 mph) at 36,000 ft |
WG760; C/N 95001 ff R.P. Beamont 4-8-54 Boscombe Down. Handling and performance trials. Fitted with reheat and cambered wing leading edges, later involved with Firestreak trials at A&AEE. Dismantled at Warton, 8-62; to Weeton as instructional airframe 7755M; to St Athan, 9-65; to Henlow as gate guardian, 6-67. Total flights 703, hours flown 268h 17m. Fitted with Sapphire Engines (later with reheat). In care of RAF Binbrook, 10-83. Then moved to RAF Cosford Aerospace Museum, N of Wolverhampton
WG763; C/N 95003 ff R.P. Beamont 18-7-55 Warton. First public appearance of P 1 at SBAC Farnborough 1955. To the NAE (later RAE) Bedford Aerodynamics Flight, 21-6-57. First aircraft with guns and 250-gallon ventral tank. To Henlow, 11-65, as instructional airframe 7816M. Fitted with Sapphire Engines without reheat. Moved to Museum of Science & Industry, but now resides at Boscombe Down Aviation Collection, Old Sarum Airfield
WG765; C/N 95002 Structural test airframe at Warton, never flew.
Lightning P.1b/f
| Built | Engine/thrust | Armament | Weight | Dimensions | Distinguishing Features |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 2 x Rolls-Royce Avon 200R (later 210R) 14,430lb Each with reheat | Two 30mm cannon | 24,816lb Empty; 31,831lb Loaded; 34,140lb | Span: 34ft 10in; Length: 55ft 3in; Height: 19ft 5in; Wing area: 458.5sqft | Fighter Prototype, Max speed Mach 2.1 1,390mph) at 40,000ft |
XA847; C/N 95004 ff R.P. Beamont 4-4-57 Warton. Achieved Mach 1.2 on first flight. On 25-11-58 became first British aircraft to fly at Mach 2.0; carried nameplate on port side recording this. To Farnborough 21-4-66 for loose gravel trials. Fitted with dorsal fin carried enlarged ventral tank. First aircraft with Avon engines. To RAF Museum Hendon mid 1972 until 1988. Total flights 468, hours flown 205h 30m. Currently with Giles Howell, Kettleburgh, Suffolk
XA853; C/N 95005 ff D. de Villiers 5-9-57 Warton. Mostly flown on gun trials and gas concentration tests. Top of fin lost in accidental canopy ejection. In-flight fire on flight 51 (J. Dell). Dismantled 2-65. Front fuselage to ML Engineering 1-3-65, centre burned at Boscombe Down, struck off charge (SOC), 10-2-65, wings returned to Warton for destruction tests. Scrapped at Warton Total flights 296, hours flown 153h 25m. Last flight 3-5-63.
XA856; C/N 95006 ff R.P. Beamont 3-1-58 Warton. Used by Rolls Royce for Avon development flying. Delivered to Hucknall 24-3-58 (35th Flt Pilot J. Heyworth) withdrawn from use 6-67 and scrapped late 1968. Total flights 296.