IX(B) Sqn 'Tornado 1982 - 2019' tail colour scheme
 

Photographed yesterday (5/11/18) being towed back to the hangars, what looks to be IX(B)'s special scheme to celebrate the types service with the squadron, certainly shows what can be done with a little imagination, time and effort, unlike the 'RAF100' drivel...
Credit, copyright and courtesy of Paul Ridgwell via his post on Fighter Control's bacefook group...
https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....559914c408.jpg
-RP

Helped to set up IX with their brand new GR1's fresh off of the production line. It will be a sad day when they finally bow out. Although they can go with their heads held high!

That's a shame Frodo. You guys should really be able to shout from the rooftops about the heritages of the squadrons. Still, I think your fin looks good!

I recently saw an image of a 27 sqrn Chinook in a great scheme, celebrating the squadron centenary. Shame it wasn't shown off more around the country.

I won my cadet wing model competition with a Tornado in the RAFG era Goldstars scheme, back in the day. Had an officer come by on the day and say he was involved in painting that jet. Was nice to chat to him about it. Lovely thing, as was the 17 Sqn jet with the zig zags on the wings and big red gauntlet.

Stunningly good!

I loved the Harrier GR9A resprayed in cold-war colours for the final day flypast in december 2010. I *think* I'm right in saying this was Gary Waterfall's personal jet:

http://www.targeta.co.uk/images/102_7687w6.jpg

PDR

just out of interest, what would a ball park cost figure be To repaint a jet?

Every European Airforce does a better paint job on any of their cerimonial display jets that the RAF. We are far from being the best on that score. It is such a fight to get a jet painted in anything exciting due to so many layers of ****e to get it done. Been there, done that and was lucky others outside the HM Government put the money up and the people to do it. Another cop out job because the weight team were not required. Where is the jet that celebrates the life of RAF Tornado IDS and recoginises every unit to fly it?

Did you expect every single 'special' scheme to mark the Tornado's retirement to appear on the same day then? Since the Tornado hasn't retired just quite yet, why don't you just wait a while and see what turns up in the coming months?
You can be sure that IX(B)'s effort won't be the only one...

-RP

A bit of thread drift – it looks like there is no-one in the cockpit of the towed Tornado. Do people still ‘ride the brakes’ when Aircraft are towed? Having twice seen the towing tug disappearing into the distance during my civil career – once whilst crossing the main runway on, luckily, a quiet Saturday afternoon – there really is a need for someone in the cockpit ‘Just in case’.

Back to the pic.....
I'd have thought that any self-respecting Tonka wallah would have wanted to make the fin look less conspicuous......
........tart up the jet, hide the fin, what?


What's that rumble??

The Jet is retired in 6 months. Usual story of the RAF shooting itself in the foot. No doubts it will be Graham at Marham doing the Graphics. See what comes out. Anyway Rhino, I have designed an end of service jet scheme. have you?

Not keen here on the pale grey and black - it just looks wrong IMNSHO - but I absolutely love the tailfin... Takes me back to Waddo in 78? 79? and a 9 Sqn sweatshirt that I brought back from Annual Camp with the ATC .. Green with the bat in gold .. awesome and I wore it for years !!

And I've still got 'a thing' for 9 Sqn :-)

And?
If it is 'Graham at Marham' doing the graphics, then bravo, he's done a grand job!
And how is that relevant exactly?

-RP

Because I have designed an end of service scheme for an RAF aircraft and knows the crap one has to get through to get it authorised and carried out. You are a civilian that hangs around Bruntingthorpe, you know what the CWG is? What it is? What it controls? What its rules are? That British Racing Green thing with the tailplanes at the wrong angles has graphics on it that cannot be seen on any flying RAF aircraft. Can you explain why? Someone in the Tornado world please come up with a Jet that the Germans and the Italians produce year on year for Tiger meets, to celebrate the story of the Panavia 200 in service with the RAF in colour!!

Wow, just wow....
I post a pic of a nice scheme applied to a Tornado and you go off on some bizarre rant about how I'm just a 'civilian that hangs around Bruntingthorpe', which I don't, I might add! I still don't see the relevance of ANYTHING you've written in regards to my first post?

-RP

Not knowing what's in the pipeline (if anything) to celebrate the Tornado GR service with the RAF, the IX(B) scheme follows a familiar formula with colour applied to the spine and fin. Any dreams of replicating something we've seen from the Germans are just that but it would be nice to see a scheme that celebrates all Squadrons, Flights and TTTE that have operated the RAF aircraft.
As a former Crusader it would be great to have the Squadron crest adorn a Tornado for one final time. Hopefully the aircraft would see its life out in a UK museum as a fitting final tribute. The Harrier send-off was a wonderful example of what can be achieved but reality in the current financial climate suggests we should be thankful for anything that the RAF can produce.
So, here's hoping the bean counters and the painters have something up their sleeves and have the opportunity for one final hurrah for Tornado. I'm proud to have spent some of my RAF career on this aircraft and I'll be sad to see it slip into retirement when I think it still has plenty to offer, even after 35+ years of service.

Hey Rhino - don't be put off; always enjoy your posts:ok:

Never mind the paintjob, when's the massive hangar party at Honington? My VIP invitation as one of the first wave seems to have been lost in the post.

Not just IX but anybody who has been involved with this brilliant aircraft programme in whatever capacity can rightly feel immensely proud of what has been and still is being achieved.

It took the RAF operational capability to a new level and despite being termed a relic of the Cold War, we have to remember that it was not simply designed to fight against Iraq, Libya, Syria etc but to be capable of attacking and destroying heavily defended targets deep into the Soviet Union.

I was involved in the development, production and support of Tornado's RB199 engines It was the most difficult yet exciting experience of my working life.

Well done to all who have made Tornado such a success.

Cheers! :)

-RP

Thank god the Jaguar force on its disbandment had John Sullivan. Jaguar Force Excellence was his motto and that is how the Jagaur was celebrated in the crushed end that it was allowed. Every Jaguar Sqn recognised. I hope Marhams management plan the same. However I doubt it, Marham is BAES Lockhead Martin JSF now.

31 Squadron special colour scheme.

https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....962aa68557.jpg

Another nice looking paint job, I wonder what the chances are of seeing a 'special' tail for each of the squadrons that operated the GR.1/4?

-RP

Are there enough left to make that possible? I can think of 12 squadrons, plus TWCU (45 Squadron) and TTTE.

I imagine it would require the approach adopted for an anniversary of the Lightning (and later the Buccaneer) where aircraft from the remaining squadrons were painted up in the markings of those units which had also operated it (thus the last Buccaneer in 809 NAS markings was seen about 15 years after 809 had ceased to exist as a Bucc squadron). Lightning example below (can't find the credit for the photographer, so gratitude to someone anonymous).

https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....139c139708.jpg

Looks like there is a 3rd special colour scheme!

https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....0fecc66ea9.jpg

Pity AOC 1 Gp doesn't know the difference between compliment and complement!

Was that giant fin meant to be a Texas style billboard or what?

If we haven't enough aircraft left, why not paint each side of the fin with a different unit badge? At least that way the jet and units would be recognised for
the outstanding service given over the years.

Thanks to all those who are trying to se the old girl leaves service properly recognised.