Calling ex Tornado Squippers for advice!

[TonkaMick]

Hi,



I’m looking for some help and advice please!



I have an ex Tornado Beaufort MK41 Life Preserver dated 2006, I would like to try and kit out the pockets with the correct survival items that would have typically been carried in service, it still has the Heliograph Mirror in one of the compartments in the Right Pocket and cut outs etc for a SARBE in the left pocket.



I wondered if anyone would happen to know what survival items and the Mark/Type of SARBE would typically have been carried on Ops please?



Many thanks in advance,



Mick

[Easy Street]

Aircrew here, not squipper, but I can tell you that the auto-activating beacon was a SARBE 7. This was supplemented for routine flying by an off-the-shelf 'Fast Find' device to provide 406 Mhz coverage, and for operations where combat SAR might have been needed it was supplemented by a PRC-112 radio. In 2006 these supplementary items would have been carried in a separate survival waistcoat underneath the Mk41, but in later years a number of large external pockets were added which allowed them to be carried on the Mk41 itself. The SARBE 7 could be replaced with a SARBE G2R for auto-activating 406 Mhz coverage but these were like rocking-horse poo and typically only loaned to sqns from a central supply for hops across the 'pond'. Hope that helps; someone else can fill in what the other pockets contained because I could barely remember even when I was current! Miniflares and some other stuff...

[Tashengurt]

Mini survival aids MK4. Miniflares and heliograph.
I think. I left Tornados in 95 too so not fully up to date.

[TonkaMick]

Many thanks Easy Street and Tashengurt,

That’s interesting info on the Beacons, especially the G2R, I had wondered which had replaced the SARBE 7,

Good to hear about the Survival Mk4 pack and Miniflares being carried, thanks!

[essexlad]

I did a stint on the tonka OCU as a squipper and built up many of these from scratch.

if memory serves right. Peacetime scale was:

Right side as worn pocket:

Heliograph with a razor blade folded inside a ground to air signal guide stuffed in the heligraph cover.
Light marker distress.
x2 Spare AA batteries in heat sealed packet.
BCB foil blanket
Shrink wrapped Aircrew first aid kit (Codeine and banadages i think)

Upper left pocket:

16mm mini flares

Lower left pocket:
Sarbe 7 Locator beacon

inside pockets left and right:
50ml drinking water pouch on each side

hope that helps

[TonkaMick]

Thanks for all of the pocket details Essexlad, that is great info!

One last question, would this MS2000 type be the correct Distress Marker for the right side pocket?

blob:https://www.pprune.org/4fb9e313-71ba-4f2c-8c71-4312aa5cc34a

Many thanks!

[essexlad]

Thanks for all of the pocket details Essexlad, that is great info!

One last question, would this MS2000 type be the correct Distress Marker for the right side pocket?

blob:https://www.pprune.org/4fb9e313-71ba-4f2c-8c71-4312aa5cc34a

Many thanks!

yes thats the correct one 👍

[TonkaMick]

Many thanks Easy Street 😃