pathology_doc

The English Electric (later BAC/British Aerospace) Lightning.

At 1:37, when you see the missile leave the left-hand rail, look at the earth below. It's curved. And the sky is black.

That's how high this thing could go, and fight.

The particular subtype that could do that was around in 1964. They were finally retired in 1988. Not bad, for an airplane whose basic design was started three years after World War Two.

If you have US$60,000 to spare, I'm told you can go to a place in South Africa and have an hour's joyride in a two-seat version.