Tornado stick top info
Thread Starter
Tornado stick top info
Today i got 2 new additions to my Tornado collection, a combined airspeed and mach indicator and my favorite toy, a control stick top. I was wondering if anyone could tell me what the various buttons did, and if there is a way to find out when it was actually fitted to the aircraft (ZA369) its obvious that the red ones with guards are to release weapons and fire guns but there are various other things which I would like to find out. There is a plate screwed onto it which has a date code which looks like 3QBE0696 im guessing 06 is the month and 96 is the year but is that the year it was made, when it was fitted or when it was removed? the date on the paperwork that came with it is 27/02/02 that is probably when it was removed.
I'm considering removing the connecting cables as it will never be connected again and they just get in the way. It looks like I need a special star shaped tool to remove them.
Is there any way I can find out the service history of that particular aircraft, it would be cool to find out if it saw action when my stick top was fitted. It is amusing that the pilot has drawn a face on the weapons release button, although I suppose it could have been done as a joke by the technician who fitted it.
I saw similar grips which all state it is pre HOTAS, i know what that means but its a bit confusing as i would consider it is HOTAS, perhaps it was a more simple system but I still think it would be considered HOTAS.
The circled areas are the bits I would like to know more about.
Cheers.[img]
by https://www.flickr.com/photos/145547634@N04/, on Flickr[/img][img]
by https://www.flickr.com/photos/145547634@N04/, on Flickr[/img]
I'm considering removing the connecting cables as it will never be connected again and they just get in the way. It looks like I need a special star shaped tool to remove them.
Is there any way I can find out the service history of that particular aircraft, it would be cool to find out if it saw action when my stick top was fitted. It is amusing that the pilot has drawn a face on the weapons release button, although I suppose it could have been done as a joke by the technician who fitted it.
I saw similar grips which all state it is pre HOTAS, i know what that means but its a bit confusing as i would consider it is HOTAS, perhaps it was a more simple system but I still think it would be considered HOTAS.
The circled areas are the bits I would like to know more about.
Cheers.[img]
It's been a few years but....
the big one in the top pic is the pitch & roll trim, the big one in the bottom pic is the ICO (Instinctive Cut-Out) which disconnects all Autopilot functions.
The rest are confusing me a little as I'm sure there was a Press-to-Transmit toggle switch on the control column which allowed transmission on either Box 1, Box 2 or both radios but I can't see it. I think the other buttons were part of the HOTAS for the Autopilot & TFR system, which could be complicated to remember until someone came up with the easier TBM (Top Bottom Middle = Take Back Manual (flying control)) or MBT (Middle Bottom Top = More Bloody TFR).
HTH.
the big one in the top pic is the pitch & roll trim, the big one in the bottom pic is the ICO (Instinctive Cut-Out) which disconnects all Autopilot functions.
The rest are confusing me a little as I'm sure there was a Press-to-Transmit toggle switch on the control column which allowed transmission on either Box 1, Box 2 or both radios but I can't see it. I think the other buttons were part of the HOTAS for the Autopilot & TFR system, which could be complicated to remember until someone came up with the easier TBM (Top Bottom Middle = Take Back Manual (flying control)) or MBT (Middle Bottom Top = More Bloody TFR).
HTH.
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: London, New York, Paris, Moscow.
Posts: 3,632
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Crying out for some copper wire and lead seals...no it's not hotas and on GR4 used on trainer variant in rear cockpit.
Note the twin micro switches on trigger and trim ahhh proper fbw engineering!
Note the twin micro switches on trigger and trim ahhh proper fbw engineering!
Last edited by glad rag; 27th Apr 2018 at 18:03.
See entry for ZA369 at following link. If you hover your cursor over the info button on the right is will bring up a box with some details.
UK Serials
UK Serials
Thread Starter
Thread Starter
It's been a few years but....
the big one in the top pic is the pitch & roll trim, the big one in the bottom pic is the ICO (Instinctive Cut-Out) which disconnects all Autopilot functions.
The rest are confusing me a little as I'm sure there was a Press-to-Transmit toggle switch on the control column which allowed transmission on either Box 1, Box 2 or both radios but I can't see it. I think the other buttons were part of the HOTAS for the Autopilot & TFR system, which could be complicated to remember until someone came up with the easier TBM (Top Bottom Middle = Take Back Manual (flying control)) or MBT (Middle Bottom Top = More Bloody TFR).
HTH.
the big one in the top pic is the pitch & roll trim, the big one in the bottom pic is the ICO (Instinctive Cut-Out) which disconnects all Autopilot functions.
The rest are confusing me a little as I'm sure there was a Press-to-Transmit toggle switch on the control column which allowed transmission on either Box 1, Box 2 or both radios but I can't see it. I think the other buttons were part of the HOTAS for the Autopilot & TFR system, which could be complicated to remember until someone came up with the easier TBM (Top Bottom Middle = Take Back Manual (flying control)) or MBT (Middle Bottom Top = More Bloody TFR).
HTH.
It is a Tornado Pilot flying control sticktop. If it is from a rear cockpit, it would be from a Trainer version that had control stick and throttles in both cockpit positions, the normal Strike version had only a Nav hand controller for Nav/Attack system inputs in the rear position, roughly where the "stick" was in a trainer version.
The blank at the top left, to left of the rectangular trim button, was, if I recall correctly, where the the Autopilot engage/disengage button was originally, the same type as the small silver coloured ones further down on the LHS. However, that little silver button on the top left could get caught in the anti-G trousers during a full left deflection of the control stick. I believe this may have been responsible for fatal accidents. The switch was relocated and the blank fitted to prevent snagging.
OAP
The blank at the top left, to left of the rectangular trim button, was, if I recall correctly, where the the Autopilot engage/disengage button was originally, the same type as the small silver coloured ones further down on the LHS. However, that little silver button on the top left could get caught in the anti-G trousers during a full left deflection of the control stick. I believe this may have been responsible for fatal accidents. The switch was relocated and the blank fitted to prevent snagging.
OAP
Thread Starter
It is a Tornado Pilot flying control sticktop. If it is from a rear cockpit, it would be from a Trainer version that had control stick and throttles in both cockpit positions, the normal Strike version had only a Nav hand controller for Nav/Attack system inputs in the rear position, roughly where the "stick" was in a trainer version.
The blank at the top left, to left of the rectangular trim button, was, if I recall correctly, where the the Autopilot engage/disengage button was originally, the same type as the small silver coloured ones further down on the LHS. However, that little silver button on the top left could get caught in the anti-G trousers during a full left deflection of the control stick. I believe this may have been responsible for fatal accidents. The switch was relocated and the blank fitted to prevent snagging.
OAP
The blank at the top left, to left of the rectangular trim button, was, if I recall correctly, where the the Autopilot engage/disengage button was originally, the same type as the small silver coloured ones further down on the LHS. However, that little silver button on the top left could get caught in the anti-G trousers during a full left deflection of the control stick. I believe this may have been responsible for fatal accidents. The switch was relocated and the blank fitted to prevent snagging.
OAP
I have a feeling even though the form says GR4 my stick is probably from when it was converted from a GR1 to GR4 thats why it was removed as there seems to be no faults with it on the form it just gives the reason for removal as Redunant followed by a MOD code.
Thanks for the additional info, i guess I really need to find out if ZA369 was a trainer, the form says GR4 and I have bene trying to find out more about that aircraft I cannot see anything about it being a trainer, wouldn't it be a GR4T? maybe they might just not give the full designation, I cant really find out much about the trainer variant i have type in Tornado GR4 trainer and cannot find any photos of them especially showing the cockpit.
I have a feeling even though the form says GR4 my stick is probably from when it was converted from a GR1 to GR4 thats why it was removed as there seems to be no faults with it on the form it just gives the reason for removal as Redunant followed by a MOD code.
I have a feeling even though the form says GR4 my stick is probably from when it was converted from a GR1 to GR4 thats why it was removed as there seems to be no faults with it on the form it just gives the reason for removal as Redunant followed by a MOD code.
IIRC the top button was PTT and side AP Engage on those stick tops. It was a long time ago and am happy to be corrected.
It could well have come from a GR4 as the first GR4 through MLU didn't have the HOTAS and other mods embodied.
I don't think there were that many non HOTAS GR4 so yours could be reasonably rare
Join Date: Jan 2018
Location: UK
Posts: 83
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Last flew one 22 years ago but ZA369 was a recce variant GR1A then converted to GR4A not a trainer. The bottom most button on the left hand side was an ‘event’ record button, useful if you passed an unscheduled recce target, it would provide the PI’s (photographic interpreters) with a time marker on the video tapes.
Join Date: May 2007
Location: upstairs
Posts: 208
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
EAP
ZA369 had the production serial BS051 indicating that it was a Strike variant and not a Trainer (they were BT0XX). Therefore, if this stick was from ZA369 it was from when it was a GR1. Just a little to add on the buttons etc: The ICO paddle switch on the lower front of the handgrip disengaged the nosewheel steering as well as instantly disengaging the autopilot and flight director. The autopilot engage/disengage button that had been removed and was formerly located to the left of the pitch/roll trim switch was removed as part of mod 1749 (from memory) which was the fitment of the Autopilot and Flight Director System control panel on top of the left coaming. The black cover over the weapon release button was, I believe, later removed once the nuclear delivery option ceased (it certainly was removed from the rear cockpit stick of trainer variants of GR4 and F3). The top button on the left of the handgrip was the radio transmit button and I cannot remember what the bottom was and I don't remember ever using it; it may have been a radio mute button. I will do some research.
ZA369 had the production serial BS051 indicating that it was a Strike variant and not a Trainer (they were BT0XX). Therefore, if this stick was from ZA369 it was from when it was a GR1. Just a little to add on the buttons etc: The ICO paddle switch on the lower front of the handgrip disengaged the nosewheel steering as well as instantly disengaging the autopilot and flight director. The autopilot engage/disengage button that had been removed and was formerly located to the left of the pitch/roll trim switch was removed as part of mod 1749 (from memory) which was the fitment of the Autopilot and Flight Director System control panel on top of the left coaming. The black cover over the weapon release button was, I believe, later removed once the nuclear delivery option ceased (it certainly was removed from the rear cockpit stick of trainer variants of GR4 and F3). The top button on the left of the handgrip was the radio transmit button and I cannot remember what the bottom was and I don't remember ever using it; it may have been a radio mute button. I will do some research.
Probably is a GR1 (non-HOTAS) stick then.....must admit I'd forgotten what they were like. The GR4 stick was much, much better.
Thread Starter
ZA369 had the production serial BS051 indicating that it was a Strike variant and not a Trainer (they were BT0XX). Therefore, if this stick was from ZA369 it was from when it was a GR1. Just a little to add on the buttons etc: The ICO paddle switch on the lower front of the handgrip disengaged the nosewheel steering as well as instantly disengaging the autopilot and flight director. The autopilot engage/disengage button that had been removed and was formerly located to the left of the pitch/roll trim switch was removed as part of mod 1749 (from memory) which was the fitment of the Autopilot and Flight Director System control panel on top of the left coaming. The black cover over the weapon release button was, I believe, later removed once the nuclear delivery option ceased (it certainly was removed from the rear cockpit stick of trainer variants of GR4 and F3). The top button on the left of the handgrip was the radio transmit button and I cannot remember what the bottom was and I don't remember ever using it; it may have been a radio mute button. I will do some research.
Thanks once again to everyone who had helped me with my inquiry it is very much appreciated.
Thread Starter
Last flew one 22 years ago but ZA369 was a recce variant GR1A then converted to GR4A not a trainer. The bottom most button on the left hand side was an ‘event’ record button, useful if you passed an unscheduled recce target, it would provide the PI’s (photographic interpreters) with a time marker on the video tapes.
Thanks for your help
Thread Starter
IIRC the top button was PTT and side AP Engage on those stick tops. It was a long time ago and am happy to be corrected.
It could well have come from a GR4 as the first GR4 through MLU didn't have the HOTAS and other mods embodied.
I don't think there were that many non HOTAS GR4 so yours could be reasonably rare
It could well have come from a GR4 as the first GR4 through MLU didn't have the HOTAS and other mods embodied.
I don't think there were that many non HOTAS GR4 so yours could be reasonably rare