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Peter Caygill
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Lightning from the Cockpit: Flying the Supesonic Legend Kindle Edition

by Peter Caygill (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.2 out of 5 stars 158 ratings
Vivid firsthand accounts from aviators who flew this renowned supersonic interceptor fighter.
 
The English Electric Lightning was the only single-seat supersonic interceptor fighter designed and manufactured in the UK. It saw service with the RAF in the sixties and seventies and gained a worthy reputation for its speed—in excess of Mach 2—and phenomenal rate of climb. It was, however, not entirely reliable, and over fifty were lost during its operational career.
 
In this book, the author has gathered together 16 personal accounts of what it was like to fly the Lightning, thrilling stories that convey the immense brute power of the machine and also its many pitfalls. To see a Lightning take off and climb vertically until it vanishes into the sky is one of the most spectacular sights in aviation, and these enthralling accounts put you right there in the cockpit.
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  1. Print length
    312 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Pen & Sword Aviation
  4. Publication date
    September 19, 2004
  5. File size
    5.2 MB
  6. Page Flip
    Enabled
  7. Word Wise
    Enabled
  8. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
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Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Peter Caygill has had a lifelong interest in aviation history. His previous books The Darlington Spitfire (1840370769) and Spitfire Mark V in Action (1840372486) were both published by Airlife. He obtained a private pilot's license in 1979 and is a member of Cleveland Flying School.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B00B1GSIY2
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Pen & Sword Aviation (September 19, 2004)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ September 19, 2004
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 5.2 MB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 312 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.2 out of 5 stars 158 ratings

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Peter Caygill

Peter Caygill

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4.2 out of 5 stars
158 global ratings

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Top reviews from the United States

  • Johnny Allred
    5.0 out of 5 stars Lightning from the cockpit : Flying the Supersonic Legend.
    Reviewed in the United States on June 11, 2011
    Verified Purchase
    Lightning from the cockpit by Peter Caygall tells the story of the lightning jet from design and development in to operational uses Starting with what it's like to fly for the first time by test pilot Roland Beamont through the experiences of 16 R A F pilots flying that really dose put you in the cockpit and takes you to mach 2 and 40 thousand feet plus in there own wards . The book is 186 pages with 39 photo. I really enjoyed reading it.
    3 people found this helpful
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  • JJ Cooper
    3.0 out of 5 stars Perfectly functional
    Reviewed in the United States on June 14, 2016
    Verified Purchase
    I have read several of Mr. Caygil's books and like most of them I found this one to provide enough interesting tidbits and informative nuggets to make up for the sometimes scattered organization.
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  • john
    5.0 out of 5 stars GREAT READ...!!
    Reviewed in the United States on April 24, 2019
    Verified Purchase
    A "must-have" for anyone's aviation library - especially for those with a strong interest in this most iconic of British fast jets!!
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  • Pete V
    5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
    Reviewed in the United States on October 10, 2014
    Verified Purchase
    excellent.
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Top reviews from other countries

  • Barry Crawford
    4.0 out of 5 stars Lightning From The Cockpit
    Reviewed in Canada on August 10, 2013
    Verified Purchase
    Just an excellent book. How does it feel to be strapped to an aircraft that can get to 50,000 feet in 60 seconds? Let some actual pilots who flew the incredible Lightning tell you their stories.
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  • Barry E. Sheridan
    5.0 out of 5 stars An insider look at Britain's first truly supersonic jet.
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 4, 2017
    Verified Purchase
    It is always interesting to gain first hand perspectives of an aircraft, this is supplied by the author's assembly of differing views from those lucky enough to have had the chance to fly this awesome jet. You get the chance to not only to compare it to its contemporaries but also to read about the difficulties of flying a machine in this early era of military jets. Fascinating stuff.
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  • Mr C J Peirce
    4.0 out of 5 stars A lightning strike!
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 8, 2013
    Verified Purchase
    An excellent read for anyone interested in the development and operation of this 1950's "Rocket " plane, especially if you are a private pilot as well as a commercial or military pilot.
    There is a lot of good technical information about the aircraft's development, and the incredible operation of this fighter which was able to achieve such very high altitude performance.
    Excellent reports from test pilots as well as operational pilots
    Amazing to think that Britain developed such high technology just a few years after WW2.
    Report
  • Łukasz Golowanow
    5.0 out of 5 stars A grade as high as the Lightning can fly
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 4, 2013
    Verified Purchase
    This is a short but highly informative book. Just 180 pages, but it will tell you (almost) anything you'd like to know about the technical aspects of operating the English Electric/BAC Lightning. Personally, I found the most interesting chapter to be 'Lightning versus U-2', which describes high-altitude interception training conducted with this iconic recon jet. And you will find a lot more of such trivia within the book. It also features three highly valuable appendices.

    Do take note, however, that the book is very technical in terms of language and facts described. If you have little expertise in the field, reading might become tedious in certain points.
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  • RayB
    3.0 out of 5 stars Lightning story
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 18, 2014
    Verified Purchase
    The book tells the Lightning story from the Pilot's view. I am not sure what I was expecting but I found it bland. The book did cover most of the RAF Lightning versions although it did spend a lot of time on the Mk 1/1a. A lot of the book was views or observations from various Lightning pilots. The comments were all valid. However, there were not as many photos as I was expecting. Neither did it cover the views of anyone other than Pilots. I have read previously RAF Units of the Cold War and the Aerofax series on the V Aircraft and I suppose I was using my previous reading as a benchmark. I found this book gently interesting but it would not become a reference book for me.
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