Hell only one candidate the lightning not the slow and ungainly p38 nor the ugly f35 no english eletric made the only lightningworth talking about. It could and still can outpeform many aircraft it could get from 100ft to 60000ft in under a minute. Now thats what i call peformance!

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'The distant flash of lightning howling through the thunder' ex RAF ligthning pilot recalling lightning of 1973 through thunder

Wow, first of all, the P-38 was one of the best fighter bombers of WWII. Second, the F-35 can out perform the BAC Lightning.

Third, it's posted climb rate is 50,000ft per minute, not 60,000. I don't know where you are coming from when you said it, but it doesn't come close to out performing any modern aircraft. Not only that, it was never truly combat proven. Yemen was the most action it saw, and it wasn't even with the British. Its outdated, and the only things that stand out about it, were its climb rate, speed, and design for its time period. In today's world its not exactly an impressive aircraft.

By the way, I do agree the F-35 is ugly, but no where near as ugly as the English Electric. I mean it looks like a Soviet Mig of some sort that got another engine shoved up its @$$.

I know why you said 50,000ft because thats its official climb per minute but i went on holiday to thunder city flew in one and i recorded getting to 60,000ft from the ground in 56 seconds and its english eletric not BAC it came before the mig 21 which looks like it. And the f-35 isnt combat proven. I like the p38 but it doesnt have the prowess presence or flames shooting out the back.

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'The distant flash of lightning howling through the thunder' ex RAF ligthning pilot recalling lightning of 1973 through thunder

First of all, thats nice that you recorded 60,000ft in less than a minute, in fact thats very cool that you got to fly in one. However, I bet if I got to fly in an F-15, and did a completely vertical climb in full afterburner, it would be under a minute to 60,000ft as well. So it is more plausible to go off of offical performance.

Second, BAC refers to British Aircraft Corporation which is the company that manufactured it with English Electric. So in fact it is the BAC Lightning just the same as the English Electric Lightning.

Actually, thats not true. The Lightning first flew April 4, 1957. The prototypes for the Mig-21 were flying in the mid 1950's. The production Mig-21's were being delivered to front line units in late 1957 and early 1958. Along with that, the Mig-21 outperforms the Lightning in climb rate, ceiling, and speed. Just for your information.

Thats true, however it still outperforms the English Electric. Your P-38 comment is completely opinion.

No correction it can do 60,000ft i never really liked the f15 before but we were at lakenheath and we did a deal we said you lot can fly in the vulcan if we can fly in some of your planes and i went in the f15. I thought the lightning was fast and an experience but the f15's on another level its one hell of an experience!!!

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'The distant flash of lightning howling through the thunder' ex RAF ligthning pilot recalling lightning of 1973 through thunder

I personally think F-22 now and later.
But Also the JXX looks deadly.
I dont know much about that airplane.

Also I heard that PAKFA has high range of radar?
much higher then f-22?
More information would be good.