Aluminium English Electric Lightning Sculpture, 30cm

The ultimate Cold War Interceptor
A pair of mighty Rolls Royce Avon engines, in a distinctive vertical stack configuration, propelled the English Electric Lightning to speeds exceeding Mach 2, and it could even break the sound barrier in a vertical climb. It was conceived to protect the country, and specifically the V-bomber bases that housed our nuclear deterrent at the time, from a pre-emptive Soviet air strike. However, such incredible performance consumed huge amounts of fuel which consequently limited the range, making it difficult to find alternative roles for the Lightning as the original threats diminished. The final Lightning was retired from service in 1988. In tribute, our Lightning desk sculpture has been cast in solid aluminium and polished to a high sheen such that its subtle curves and angles catch the light.