📌 Rolls Royce Avon 20901 Turbojet Engine Norfolk & Suffolk Aviation Museum, Flixton.
A unique feature of the English Electric Lightning's design is the vertical, staggered configuration of its two Rolls Royce Avon 20901 turbojet engines within the fuselage. The Lightning was initially designed and developed as an interceptor to defend the V- Bomber airfields from attack by anticipated future nuclear-armed supersonic Soviet bombers such as what emerged as the Tupolev Tu-22, but it was subsequently also required to intercept other bomber aircraft such as the Tupolev Tu-16 and the Tupolev Tu-95.
The Lightning has exceptional rate of climb, ceiling, and speed, pilots have described flying it as ''being saddled to a skyrocket''. This performance and the initially limited fuel supply made the Lightning a ''fuel-critical'' aircraft, meaning that its missions are dictated to a high degree by its limited range. Later developments provided greater range and speed along with aerial reconnaissance and ground-attack capability.
Following retirement by the RAF in the late 1980's, many of the remaining aircraft became museum exhibits. Until 2009, three Lightnings were kept flying at ''Thunder City'' in Cape Town, South Africa. In September 2008, the Institution of Mechanical Engineers conferred on the Lightning its ''Engineering Heritage Award'' at a ceremony at BAE Systems' site at Warton Aerodrome.
(Information from the Norfolk & Suffolk Aviation Museum)
📌 Rolls Royce Avon 20901 Turbojet Engine Norfolk & Suffolk Aviation Museum, Flixton.
A unique feature of the English Electric Lightning's design is the vertical, staggered configuration of its two Rolls Royce Avon 20901 turbojet engines within the fuselage. The Lightning was initially designed and developed as an interceptor to defend the V- Bomber airfields from attack by anticipated future nuclear-armed supersonic Soviet bombers such as what emerged as the Tupolev Tu-22, but it was subsequently also required to intercept other bomber aircraft such as the Tupolev Tu-16 and the Tupolev Tu-95.
The Lightning has exceptional rate of climb, ceiling, and speed, pilots have described flying it as ''being saddled to a skyrocket''. This performance and the initially limited fuel supply made the Lightning a ''fuel-critical'' aircraft, meaning that its missions are dictated to a high degree by its limited range. Later developments provided greater range and speed along with aerial reconnaissance and ground-attack capability.
Following retirement by the RAF in the late 1980's, many of the remaining aircraft became museum exhibits. Until 2009, three Lightnings were kept flying at ''Thunder City'' in Cape Town, South Africa. In September 2008, the Institution of Mechanical Engineers conferred on the Lightning its ''Engineering Heritage Award'' at a ceremony at BAE Systems' site at Warton Aerodrome.
(Information from the Norfolk & Suffolk Aviation Museum)