EE Lightning Technical Resource
Over the years, being involved in classic aviation projects (mainly Lightning orientated), I've amassed some photos and videos that may help people building model aircraft, designing flight-sim virtual models, or looking after the real thing, so I thought I'd share.
Some Tips for modelers are included here to highlight non-original aspects, to help accurate model making.
T5 Lightning Cockpit
Please click the image or here to go to the T5 Cockpit page, including videos with power on and a T5 Virtual Cockpit Tour.
T5 Lightning 1980's camouflage painting guide
Please click the image below to download the 28 page T5 Camouflage Painting Guide PDF (11.2 MB).
Extracted from a 1982 RAF manual (Air Publication or AP), it gives all dimensions and colour codes of every stencil needed to paint your Lightning!
F6 Lightning 1980's camouflage painting guide
Please click the image below to download the 34 page F6 Camouflage Painting Guide PDF (14.3 MB).
Extracted from a 1982 RAF manual (Air Publication or AP), it gives all dimensions and colour codes of every stencil needed to paint your Lightning!
General Cold War RAF aircraft servicing and safety symbols
This guide shows the correct shape and colours of symbols painted to aircraft skins, and cockpit controls. Dated 1967 from AP-3373 (Standard Technical Training Notes).
T5 Port elephant's ear panel
This panel contains UHF / VHF radio system components, Tacan, and also the fuel contents measurement system.
Tips:
- The small black box on the left with the thin blue wires should be firtted up on the left, on the back of the cabin bulkhead, it is a fuel contents amplifier unit, which at the time we were fixing.
- Originally the aircraft would have had a Signal Data Convertor installed in the large space on the left, this was a cylindrical shaped piece of equipment, also the Selector Address unit and the Head Sound Reproducer. The aircraft left the RAF without them, I don't know when they stopped flying with them, but they are mentioned in docmentation from the mid 70's. These components form part of the Data Link system, or ARI 18168/2, so may have been removed for secrecy reasons at the end of service life, as it was a method of discreetly giving the pilot encoded messages.
T5 Lightning Undercarriage and wheel well
Starboard side undercarriage
Tips:
- The Port side does have a few small differences with pipework, wiring and equipment.
- The white box is where the armamaent key fits, while installed, weapons are disabled.
Engines
Some info I'm gathering on the Lightning's Rolls-Royce Avon engines can be found HERE.