PLT AND PAX ABOARD HIGH PERFORMANCE TURBINE HOMEBUILT EXPERIENCE LIGHTNING STRIKE THAT DISABLES MUCH OF THE NAVIGATION EQUIPMENT DUE TO DESTRUCTION OF THE GENERATOR CONTROL UNIT.

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AT FL250 ENRTE FROM ZZZ AREA TO ZZZ1; BEGAN TO ENCOUNTER LIGHT TURB IN LIGHT CLOUD. WITHOUT WARNING; A LIGHTNING BOLT STRUCK THE ACFT AND CONCURRENTLY ENCOUNTERED SEVERE TURB. ALL EFIS SCREENS WENT BLANK; STATIC IN COCKPIT SO LOUD THAT INTERCOM TO BACKSEATER UNUSABLE; GENERATOR FELL OFF LINE; LNDG GEAR UNSAFE LIGHTS ON; VHF COMRDO'S OVERCOME BY STATIC; AUTOPLT UNUSABLE. ENG OPERATED NORMALLY. STANDBY EFIS CAME BACK ON LINE AFTER A SHORT TIME; BUT MAIN PRIMARY FLT DISPLAY WAS GIVING ONLY PARTIAL INFO; BEING ATTITUDE; HDG; BUT NO AIR DATA. WE WERE UNSURE IF NAV INSTRUMENTATION WAS OPERATING CORRECTLY. ATC CALLED AND STATED OUR ALT HAD DEVIATED SIGNIFICANTLY; AND THE STANDBY EFIS INDICATED WE WERE SEVERAL HUNDRED FT OFF ASSIGNED ALT. ATC REQUESTED WE CALL A PHONE NUMBER. IT APPEARED THAT WE HAD HIT A SEVERE TURBULENT UPDRAFT. WE INFORMED ATC WE WERE STRUCK BY LIGHTNING AND REQUESTED DSCNT. CAME OUT OF CLOUD INTO CLR CONDITIONS. THE ELECTRONIC INSTRUMENTATION BEGAN TO COME BACK ON LINE AFTER REBOOT. HOWEVER; THE GENERATOR WOULD NOT STAY ON LINE AND THE LNDG GEAR UNSAFE LIGHT REMAINED ILLUMINATED. WE DECIDED TO DIVERT TO ZZZ2. GEAR CAME DOWN NORMALLY AND LNDG UNEVENTFUL. UPON INSPECTION OF ACFT; EVIDENCE OF LIGHTNING STRIKE WAS EVIDENT. REMOVED GEN CTL UNIT AND IT LOOKED LIKE SOMEONE HAD TAKEN A TORCH TO IT. ACFT WAS REPAIRED OVER A 2-DAY PERIOD AND RETURNED TO SVCABILITY.