Strike Fighters 2: Complete Edition
After action report.
June 16th, 1979
Germany
I opted for the Lightning. Who could resist the fastest jet fighter ever in service?
Anyway, this was just a fam flight, to get to know the area of operation and get a feel for the handling of the Lightning. Naturally I wasn't alone. Here's my wingman:
English Electric Lightning.I hadn't been checked out in the weapons systems. That's OK, I wouldn't be needing them!
English Electric Lightning. Note the vertically stacked engines.Within moments we were established at 20,000 feet. A few tall clouds about, and the usual European haze, but other than that, clear skies!
We chatted with the rather nice sounding Air Traffic Controller and I checked out the cockpit.
Particularly fascinating to me was the radar.
English Electric Lightning radar.We could hear some Luftwaffe assets operating in the area and I was chuffed to grab this snap of an F-104 which graciously posed for me!
Not wanting to be upstaged, the RAF directed a Canberra alongside.
Without warning, about 20 minutes into the flight we heard an American accent asking for help. We plugged in reheat and let down to 3,000 feet.
To my amazement I saw one of these chaps flash by with his nose on fire!
This photo courtesy of RAF Recon Command, Western Europe.Suddenly I was in a turning fight with the MiG and within about 30 seconds he was flaming wreckage. Luckily my wingman was watching my six because where there's one MiG there are bound to be more!
Anywho the Yanks egressed safely, thanking us, and we followed suit.
Back at base we debriefed and I have to say, looking at this intel image:
Su-22 Fitter image courtesy of RAF Recon Command, Western Europe.Was it a MiG or a Sukhoi?
I guess I'll never know.
MiGMan.