I've heard that Airfix produced more than a million examples of its first Lightning model. That's a lot of plastic, and the company surely did as much as anyone to create the legend that was English Electric's finest. In 1960 I was one-year-old and my father, George Black, had just been posted to join the famous 74 Squadron, which then flew the English Electric Lightning F.I. Having then thrilled the crowds with his Lightning display at Farnborough, he was promoted and took command of 111(F) Squadron in 1964. When aged five, my memory can just about recall the rows of Black and Yellow Lightnings, whose markings were actually based on those which — adorned an Airfix model painted by one of the pilots. As my father continued his career with the Lightning, I continued to spend my pocket money on model kits...hoping that one day I might get to fly the real thing. As the saying goes, dreams do turn to reality and my wish was granted with a 30 minute flight in 1979, as a guest of the Lightning Training Right (LTF).
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