History

The Lightning was a high performance supersonic interceptor designed to defend Britain against nuclear armed bombers. A small number were sold to Kuwait where they were flown between 1968 and 1977.

The Lightning F.53 was an export version of the Lightning F.6 with additional hard points on the wings.

Forty-seven were delivered to the Royal Saudi Air Force from July 1968 and a further 12, designated Lightning F.53K, were delivered to the Kuwait Air Force from December 1968.

The Kuwaitis found it very difficult to maintain their Lightnings so they were replaced in service by Dassault Mirage F.1s from 1973.

This model represents Lightning F.53K, 53-414 in service with the Kuwait Air Force, based at Kuwait International Airport in 1969.

Trumpeter 1/72 kit with S+M and Model Alliance decals completed by Leigh Edmonds in December 2016.

Data

MODEL: BAC Lightning F.53K (53-414, Kuwait Air Force, 1969)

ROLE: supersonic all-weather interceptor

TIME PERIOD: 1968-1973

ENGINES: two Rolls Royce Avon RB.136 Mk310 turbojet engines of 56.45kN dry thrust and 72.77kN with afterburner

WING SPAN: 10.61m

LENGTH: 16.84m

MAXIMUM TAKE OFF WEIGHT: 16.84m

MAXIMUM SPEED: 2415km/h

RANGE: 1287km

CREW: 1

ARMAMENT: two 30mm ADEN cannon, two Red Top missiles and up to 450 kilograms of bombs or rockets

SCALE: 1/72

KIT:

GALLERIES:

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