Magnificent Lightning

The Magnificent Lightning is a British export model of the F-3 Shinden II. The name is a literal translation of "Shinden", the original Japanese name of the aircraft.

History
Construction of a British-oriented variant was considered early in the F-3's development. Initially designated the "F-3 ENG", the model was unveiled by Taiga Heavy Industries in 2011, 60 of which were ordered by the British government in August the following year. The original Britain model, the Royal Navy-based F-3C-RN, was developed in the late 2010s. A second model, the F-3C-RAF, would later be built for the Royal Air Force.

In September 2021, the first batch of -RN unit was shipped via vessel from Japan to the city of Portsmouth. A number of such aircraft were used by British pilots led by Cpt. Clemens Knightley during the West Africa civil war in October that year, all of which were customized with a samurai tail emblem in commemoration as the first Shindens in British service.