Hydraphur Pattern Lightning Fighter

The Lightning fighter craft is mainly used by the Imperial Navy for establishing air superiority due to its increased maneuverability over the Thunderbolt. It is often seen and heard plummeting from orbit or being scrambled from naval bases

The main role of the aircraft is to engage enemy craft and establish air-superiority over a battlefield, with a secondary mission of providing air escort for Marauder Bombers. For this reason they are often based on orbiting ships or forward air bases, where their rocket booster allows them to quickly take off and engage enemy air forces. Ground-based Lightnings can also benefit from hydraulic "fast-launch" ramps which, in combination with their rocket booster engine, provides better acceleration and faster take-off time than conventional VTOL craft. Standard practice has three to four Lightnings so poised in a constant state of readiness. Although not their primary function, Lightnings may also act as a ground attack aircraft, with free license to attack targets of opportunity. This role however is better suited to the Lightning Strike.

Standard armament for the Lightning is a long-barrelled, ventral-mounted Autocannon and twin-linked Lascannons. Four wing hardpoints allows it to carry up to four Hellstrike Missiles, Hellfury Missiles, Bombs or six Skystrike Missiles. Other standard systems includes a pair of Parallax tracking augers located in the nose section, while many will mount additional equipment.

The 'Strike' configuration of the Lightning is designed for a fighter-bomber role. It is normally equipped with a potent armament of twin-linked Lascannons and six Hellstrike Missiles or Rad Missiles.

STC Data for the Hydraphur Pattern Lightning was recovered in Segmentum Pacificus and delivered to the forge world for analysis and Emperor's Tarot reading by the Arch Magos of the fleet base there. Forge World Hydraphur now produces limited numbers of the Lightning for fleets operating in the segmentum when the more common pattern of the fighter is unavailable. It is perhaps due to the long-standing rivalries of the Magos among the Mechanicum that the design information is jealously guarded by the Hydraphur forge.