the replacement of the 250 Imp gal (1,137
lit) ventral fuel tank with one of 610 Imp gal
(2,773 lit) capacity, introducing strengthened
wings to carry overwing fuel tanks and adding
a cambered leading edge to improve low-
speed handling and range.
The jet was also given underwing
hardpoints and enhanced cooling systems,
becoming the prototype multi-role Lightning
F.53. Its maiden ight in this con guration
took place on November 1, 1966, the aircraft
bearing the company civil code G-27-2.
Following lengthy trials, and after being given
the RSAF serial 53-666, it departed for Saudi
Arabia on August 26, 1968.
The F.53 was optimised for ground attack
pro les, including air-to-ground gunnery
using a twin 30mm ADEN cannon pack –
optionally tted in place of the forward ventral
tank – together with a pylon under each wing
promoted as capable of carrying two 1,000lb
(454kg) high-explosive (HE) retarded bombs
or two Matra 155 launchers apiece. The
launchers each held 18 x 68mm (2.7in) SNEBspin-stabilised rockets (SSR). However,
in Saudi service each pylon would carry a
single bomb or pod; nor did the Saudis buy
overwing tanks or air-to-air refuelling probes.
Microcell retractable rocket batteries
containing 48 high-explosive 2in (49mm)
SSRs could also be carried beneath the
nose, although this meant deleting the air-
to-air Firestreak (or Red Top) infrared guided
missile pack.
An alternative t for the photo-
reconnaissance role was a Vinten rotating
pack containing ve 70mm cameras.SAUDI SERVICE
In 1968 Flt Lt Hedley Molland was a serving
RAF pilot ying Lightning F.3s with 111 Sqn at
Wattisham.
Earlier, while ying Hunter F.5s with 263
Sqn at the Suffolk base, he had become the
rst British supersonic ejectee, punching out of
WN989 on August 3, 1955 – following this up
a decade later with a subsonic ejection from
Lightning F.3 XP739 on September 29, 1965.He was now considering quitting the RAF
to join Airwork Services, which was running
the Saudi contract, and volunteered to ferry
export Lightnings to the Middle East to
assess the employment situation.
The rst pair of Saudi F.53s to be delivered
(53-681 and ’682) left Warton on July 1, 1968
with a nal destination of Dhahran.
Later, Hedley was tasked with delivering
53-694 on June 3, 1969 as part of a four-ship,
accompanied by Victor tankers.
The tankers had to break off at Alexandria
as Egypt would not clear over ights by British
military aircraft, so the quartet arrived at
Jeddah with minimal fuel following their 3,000
mile (4,800km) ight, which lasted 6 hours 10
minutes.
The following day they ew via Riyadh
to the Lightning Conversion Unit (LCU) at
Dhahran, some 900 miles (1,400km) to
the northeast. Hedley was impressed with
what he saw in Saudi Arabia and returned
to Dhahran on December 31, 1969, having
joined Airwork.34 Aviation News incorporating Jets March 2017Above: BAC publicity photograph showing the Microcell unguided two-inch rocket pack
with doors extended – and Matra 155 pods on twin carriers. BAE Systems via author
Right: Hedley Molland, a weapons instructor with the Lightning Conversion Unit at
Dhahran.Two 13 Sqn Lightnings based at Dhahran: a T.55
in the foreground and an F.53 beyond.32-39_lightning_saudiDC.mfDC.mf.indd 34 06/02/2017 13:26