Best naval fighter II

[plan_D]

So, we've gathered that the Me-262 was faster. And that even if the F.3 could do 585 mph on the deck, it couldn't break the sound barrier at any altitude. But then again it doesn't do 585 mph, it might have said 585 km/h.

It's not just for aircraft with after-burners, it does increase on all engines to a point. The engines in the '40s were poor though, so their optimum altitude would have been around 20,000 ft. Where as modern day aircraft like the F-15 and F-16 it's 40,000 ft. And the EE Lightning could get to 40,000 ft and Mach 0.9 in 2 minutes 30 seconds, AND IT WAS DESIGNED IN 1949 . That's not it's fastest since it's rate of climb was 50,000ft per minute but that's uneconomic.

 

[Lightning Guy]

It couldn't have been 585kph since that is only around 365mph. And I realize that non-afterburning engines to increase to a point, my point was their speed doesn't increase like an afterburning engine will. But yes, the 262 was definitely faster than any wartime mark of the Meteor.

 

[the lancaster kicks ass]

And the EE Lightning could get to 40,000 ft and Mach 0.9 in 2 minutes 30 seconds, AND IT WAS DESIGNED IN 1949 . That's not it's fastest since it's rate of climb was 50,000ft per minute but that's uneconomic.

it's top speed was Mack 2.2 but obviously it couldn't maintain that speed................

 

[plan_D]

The F.6 Lightning actually went Mach 2.3 and it could mantain it for a while. I was talking about its rate of climb, which was unbeaten until the F-15 came along. The reason why I said 40,000 ft and Mach 0.9 was because that's the Lightnings cruising altitude and speed. The ceiling of the Lightning was something like 60,000ft.

And all this time I've been wrong, it was designed in 1947. So, the Germans wouldn't have stood a chance if the war carried on. We had the Canberra flying by 1947 as well.

 

[Lightning Guy]

I'm not sure you can say the EE Lightning being design in 1947 would have guaranteed victory because (even in wartime) it could easily have taken a couple years to get something THAT advanced into service. Did the Allies have any missiles to hang on the thing or would the Lightning have simply been a REALLY fast gunfighter? By 46 or 47 the Luftwaffe could have been deploying the X-4 missile in mass and could have had the Gotha Go-229 flying.

 

[cheddar cheese]

i think if the luftwaffe had the go-229 flying we would have been in trouble

 

[Lightning Guy]

I agree with that.

 

[the lancaster kicks ass]

depends how early it came in, no matter how good the plane is, if it's fighting for a side that can bearly put fuel in it, it's gonna be useless.............

 

[cheddar cheese]

well it almost got in to service anyway, another month or 2 and we'd had it

 

[Lightning Guy]

It was in flight testing by the wars end. Plan_D had mentioned the war continuing and the possibility of the EE Lightning seeing action. Now I am not claiming that the Go-229 was better than the EE Lightning but it would have been into action at least 2-3 years sooner.

 

[plan_D]

The EE Lightning would have been unstoppable when it entered service (Nothing could touch it when it did) the BAD Firestreak missile used on the Lightning (Later changed to BAD Red Top) was first designed in 1952. This however was a later development as the EE Lightning was always designed to carry missiles, as the Fairey Fireflash was in service previous to the Firestreaks development. The EE Lightning would have probably been in service anywhere between 1949 - 1953 with war time funding, it's hard to accurately say. It would have been missile armed though.

We still had the Canberra bomber flying by 1947 which would have been deadly to the Germans.

 

[Lightning Guy]

But the Go-229 would have been flying by 46 at the latest and it would have been unstoppable when it arrived.

 

[the lancaster kicks ass]

but if the war had gone on longer, the development of the canberra and the EE Lightening would have been allot faster owing to the need for them so they would have been introduced before the date they actually were..................

 

[Lightning Guy]

Possibly, but the Go-229 would have been flying before the EE Lightning was even being designed. And it's not as if German designers would have been standing still. Question about the EE Lightning, was it's design assisted by German engineers of technology?

 

[the lancaster kicks ass]

don't quote me on this, but i don't think us brits got any of the german scientists after the war, they all went to america or russia..................

 

[Lightning Guy]

Just a question. Had the war continued, the Brits might have chosen to focus on developing what they had rather than inventing something new. But if the German jets had been taking a tool, the Brits might have rushed something into service.

 

[cheddar cheese]

ill agree to that.

 

[plan_D]

The EE Lightning was only helped by the Germans through their research of swept wings, this still was not a huge contribution as the British were designing swept wing aircraft, and were testing swept wings before the wars end.
Britain however did not gain any records, or German scientists after the war. They merely studied the captured planes, and questioned America on their findings. Not much of this contributed to the Lightnings design.

 

[Lightning Guy]

Thanks for clearing that up. I'm not extremely familar with anything between WWII and the 1980s are so and that is especially true of non-American designs.

 

[the lancaster kicks ass]

well you should read up about the lightning, it's an amazing plane, it's often dubbed the last all-brittish fighter and is one of only four jets i really like..............