Mark Kettle 1 Posted November 25, 2014 Share Posted November 25, 2014 Great Video of the worlds best fast and low level fighter bomber. The Panavia Tornado has been given several nicknames, do you know it's most popular nickname? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Kettle 1 Posted November 25, 2014 Author Share Posted November 25, 2014 For those that are modelling a PSSA Tornado here's a link to a web site showing lots of pictures, many of them close-up's to help with the scale details on the build, pictures are of a Tornado Tornado GR1 Aircraft ZA359 now for sale, prepared by Jet Art Ltd. **LINK** and **LINK** **LINK** Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Kettle 1 Posted November 25, 2014 Author Share Posted November 25, 2014 over 40 years ago........the afternoon of 14th of August 1974 if flew for the first time and no serious design flaws experienced on it's maiden, the video is 55 minutes that chronically tells the story of the Panavia Tornado from it's conception and up to 1995. Edited By Mark Kettle 1 on 25/11/2014 07:32:22 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy G. Posted November 25, 2014 Share Posted November 25, 2014 Nickname. . When it first came into service it was usually known as the BLUE CIRCLE BOMBER after the cement maker because the airborne radar wasn't ready so the planes carried concrete ballast in the nose..😅 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colin Carpenter Posted November 25, 2014 Share Posted November 25, 2014 Hi. It`s THE MIGHTY FIN !! Colin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt Jones Posted November 25, 2014 Share Posted November 25, 2014 Agreed, it's The Fin to me... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Kettle 1 Posted November 25, 2014 Author Share Posted November 25, 2014 Thanks for those answers Andy, Colin and Matt. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Hopkin Posted November 25, 2014 Share Posted November 25, 2014 Posted by Mark Kettle 1 on 25/11/2014 09:26:29: Thanks for those answers Andy, Colin and Matt. According to a very old friend who ended up commanding a rapier battery in Germany, the nickname was "Target" but i think that applied to Jaguars, Phantoms, Lightnings, Harriers and pretty well anything with a target roundel painted on the side Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob Cotsford Posted November 25, 2014 Share Posted November 25, 2014 it's a TONKA! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Hartley Posted November 25, 2014 Share Posted November 25, 2014 For what it's worth having been involved in the design and development of the Tornado, there were 2 main variants. The Interdictor Strike (IDS) version for ground attack and the F2 for air to air. It was the F2 that was nicknamed Blue Circle as the radar manufacture was very late with the radar programme and the airframes were already built so just like on a model, nose ballast was needed.It should also be noted that the max speed quoted in the title is a figment of the sales brochure. More like mach 1.3 depending on configuration, and below mach 1 with stores on (mainly as many weapons were not cleared to supersonic speeds). Damn fine aircraft though and kept me busy for most of a lifetime in work Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cliff Bastow Posted November 25, 2014 Share Posted November 25, 2014 The blue circle nickname was for the adv variant as the radar was not ready at first. Throughout my time on Tornado I never heard it called the Mighty Fin, but I have heard it several times since. We called it TONKA, or in the early days when it was still called MRCA it was Mother Rileys Cardboard Aeroplane or Much Refurbished Canberra Again. Enjoyed my time on it but I have to say not as much as on the good old Hunter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John F Posted November 25, 2014 Share Posted November 25, 2014 Worked at Cottesmore for five years whilst we had the Italians and Germans also flying there. I loved the "big fat buses", as some of the pilots would call it, but on take off the piano keys were almost adjecent to us in Married Quarters. The windows would shake and any conversations would have to stop for a few minutes until the thing took off. Thought my dad was going to never stop smiling the first time he heard them taking off when he visited us! The long slow summers would drive you mad as they took advantage of all day flying and then night flying till 10pm. Needles to say Rutland Water was a popular destination for Cottesmore families mid summer! Edited By John F on 25/11/2014 21:38:51 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Kettle 1 Posted November 25, 2014 Author Share Posted November 25, 2014 John tell me about the late night flying, I live in Oakham in the second highest house in town, under the flight path SW of the base, the late night flying would last sometimes until 30 mins after midnight. Mind you when the coal was on and they passed over it was great. The best memory of a over fly was when the 'Air Tattoo' was on and the B2 left SW with two F15's on the wing tips, low at est 1,000 ft ....great. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martin - RAM Models Posted November 25, 2014 Share Posted November 25, 2014 I've just posted this in another thread but realised it maybe perhaps better here. Its the IPMS Tornado Special Interest Group. They have a very useful reference section which maybe of use when finishing models. **LINK** Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter Jenkins Posted November 25, 2014 Share Posted November 25, 2014 Didn't the Tornado experience in Gulf War 1 end the low level strike option as the losses were so high? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Kettle 1 Posted November 26, 2014 Author Share Posted November 26, 2014 Thank You Martin for posting your details on both threads -currently the interest and details are building so us that are build have a great source of information. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy Meade Posted November 26, 2014 Share Posted November 26, 2014 I just say John's reply about Rutland - about 25 years ago dad and I were fishing on the reservoir in a boat, and the 'Nados kept doing side-by-side bombing / strafing runs on the dam. We gave up in the end and had to move to the other side of the res - the shock and noise were too much for us. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Kettle 1 Posted March 4, 2015 Author Share Posted March 4, 2015 ZD788 decorated in it's forty year livery. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martin - RAM Models Posted March 5, 2015 Share Posted March 5, 2015 And the latest RAF anniversary tail to be announced. http://www.raf.mod.uk/news/archive/xv-reserve-sqn-100th-anniversary-tail-takes-off-from-raf-lossiemouth-04032015 Edited By Martin - RAM Models on 05/03/2015 14:42:16 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Kettle 1 Posted March 5, 2015 Author Share Posted March 5, 2015 Nice one Martin. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sticky fingers Posted March 5, 2015 Share Posted March 5, 2015 The Tonka provided me with a very well paid job, when I needed it most ,in the Middle East. It paid for my house in cash with some left over. The Tornado was a brilliant A/c to work on.the only real awkward area was zone 19 on the IDS Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy Meade Posted March 5, 2015 Share Posted March 5, 2015 That's a really nice colour scheme Martin, almost tempted to build one now! ...nah, too ugly! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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