Today In History:  04 August  [1954]   --  First flight of the English Electric Lightning

First flight of the supersonic English Electric Lightning (at Boscombe Down). The Lightning was designed and developed as an interceptor to defend the airfields of the British 'V bomber' strategic nuclear force from attack by anticipated future nuclear-armed supersonic Soviet bombers such as the Tupolev Tu-22 "(Blinder"), Tupolev Tu-16 ("Badger") and Tupolev Tu-95 ("Bear").

PHOTO: Lightning of 11 Squadron, RAF Binbrook, seen arriving for IAT 1976. Later sold to Classic Jets, Thunder City, Cape Town, South Africa, as ZU-BEW. Ceased flying during 2010.

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Photo Attribution:  GFDL 1.2  via Wikimedia. Mike Freer - Touchdown-aviation - Gallery page http://www.airliners.net/photo/UK---Air/English-Electric-Lightning/2260192/L Photo http://cdn-www.airliners.net/aviation-photos/photos/2/9/1/2260192.jpg