English Electric

The English Electric Lightning in screenshots from Strike Fighters 2.  The Lightning is one of my favorite Cold-War fighters.  It's twin engined, with the engines stacked vertically and staggered; the top engine is aft of the bottom one.  It's definitely unique.

One feature of the early variants is the belly weapons pack.  You could choose from two heat seeking missiles, two 30mm ADEN cannon or a pack of 48 two-inch rockets.

 1960: F.1 2x 30mm ADEN in the nose, interchangeable pack in belly.  Shown here with two Firestreak missiles.

 1961: F.1A almost immediately shortcomings are noticed.  The short range is addressed by adding a refueling probe.  The instruments in the cockpit are rearranged slightly to help ease the pilot's workload.

Firing a salvo of 2" rockets.

1962: F.2 greatly improved cockpit arrangement, better engines, and the RAF gives up on the 2" rockets.

1964: F.3 The first model to carry the Red Top missile.  The definitive cockpit arrangement is introduced and the tail is given a flat top to increase stability.  The guns in the nose are deleted but the belly pack can still take either missiles or guns.

1966: F.6 A complete redesign changing almost every detail.  More powerful engines, completely new wing, the tail from the F.3, a new ventral arrangement with a large fuel tank, two fins and two 30mm ADEN cannon.  The belly pack idea is scrapped and only missiles are carried in that position.  The F.6 was both newly built and converted from existing F.3's.

1968: The F.2A is the budget conscious man's F.6.  They were rebuilt F.2's and given many of the features of the F.6.  New tail and wings, including overwing tanks and the larger belly fuel tank were added.  The cockpit and nose guns remained the same.  Interestingly the ability to carry the newer and more capable Red Top missile was not added.

1968: F.53 an export F.6 with two underwing hardpoints.  Despite the RAF abandoning the idea of the rocket pack, the option is available on the F.53.  While nearly useless in their intended air-to-air role they are functional as an air-to-ground weapon.  Kuwait and Saudi Arabia are the sole customers.