Can anyone provide a link with good info on the Lightening please. A goolge search proved a bit disappointing and I haven’t the energy to make the results more effective.

Try this site

http://www.vectorsite.net/aveeltg.html

Will

I say it openly – a design carrying two ADENs plus two AAMs meeting the same requirements and even outperforming the bird in terms of range could have been made at fraction of maintenance costs and complexity. It was simply a bad aircraft, sh@t happens.. History has already judged the bird, there is no need to say anything more…

The benefit of hindsight, it is a wonderful thing. I’m not trying to claim that the Lighting was a great aircraft, it was adequate for the role intended. Yes, when you compare it to a classic design of the same period such the Mirage III then it truly appears inadequate. But a better comparison would be similar designs of the period such as the Saab Draken, F104 & F106. With regards to performance, two AAM’s and a relatively short range was not uncommon for a design of the same period. I don’t believe history has judged the Lightning as harshly as you appear to, but then that is your prerogative, and at the end of the day it is also only your opinion which you are entitled to.

What would you consider a great aircraft/design and what criteria do you use to make your judgement?

One final note; NO I DON’T CONSIDER THE F104 A GREAT DESIGN.

Will

the french won more wars than americans, and for the 20th centuries ones, it’s alway better to be isolated as an island rather than being on european continantal area, all europeans will agree that!

but american wins wars on the late, at the start they ares neutral treaties writer and providers, when they see that the good side is starting to win, they jump in the jeeps to joins the allies to claim they was the sole winners!

when france leave Indochina and not vietnam, 2/3 of the south is free, and france was dealing with north africans wars in same time, not that bad for a country coming from industrial and troops military total destruction of WWII!

it seems that ike’s “21 free french divisions that liberated whole france” wasn’t as bad as neo cons revisionists try to claim!

as for the british, living in a island never avoided them to be invaded by french, founded by french, ruled by french, showing with pride their french lions, Roses, “god save the king” etc… for years, it seems they ares the last ones to know that 2/3 of the language they use is from French, that Richard lion heart never spoke a english word, many things they use actually too, till westminster, or Kantor Berry, oops i mean Canterbury! lol

when they claim english is world language “due to US economic power”, they just makes the french very happy, course in french language there ares around 150 words from them!

i can see the hanover familly oops the germans windors, yes Germans ruled UK before hitler willing, lol!

hard but reality is hard!

You are right the US did arrive late for WW1 and had only a minor impact on the conflict. But the US contributed a huge amount of aid to the UK war effort a good 12 months before Pearl Harbour. When they finally entered WW2 the war in Europe wasn’t decided, they didn’t enter on the winning side, but they did ensure that the finally outcome would be defeat for Nazi Germany.

As for IndoChina, virtually all of the French weapons were sourced from the US.

As for the British being of French descent, well the whole of Europe is like a patchwork of nationalities. A large percentage of the French population will have decended form the Gothic tribes who moved west from Germany. As for the French conquering the English, well I’m affraid it was the Normans that did the conquering and they were decendent of the Vikings. Norman is an abbreviaton of Northman.

Will