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Tornado GR4 last flight

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Tornado GR4 last flight

Old 17th Jan 2019, 01:10
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The Op DESERT STORM / Op GRANBY Air Campaign started 28 years ago tonight.

&

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Old 22nd Jan 2019, 22:13
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I would hope the National Arboretum Memorial in Staffordshire would be high on the list. Commemorate the fallen Tornado Aircrew.
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Old 23rd Jan 2019, 13:30
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The GR.4 in the 'retro' grey/green camo has flown today, looks really good too!
(Link to images with the kind permission of Rob Yates via the Fightercontrol FB group)

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1622...5784301726962/

-RP
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Old 23rd Jan 2019, 13:33
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And for those who don't do/refuse to do FB, here's the main pic from the link in my previous post...


-RP
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Old 23rd Jan 2019, 13:50
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I see they managed to go the whole hog, including the black radome. The 'pink' Granby Tornado was spoiled somewhat by the modern grey radome. In my opinion, at least.
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Old 23rd Jan 2019, 13:59
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Originally Posted by melmothtw
I see they managed to go the whole hog, including the black radome. The 'pink' Granby Tornado was spoiled somewhat by the modern grey radome. In my opinion, at least.
The Granby GR1's had the standard black radome.
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Old 23rd Jan 2019, 14:01
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Yes, but the 'special' Granby scheme recently rolled out did not.
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Old 23rd Jan 2019, 14:02
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Nice photo Rhino Power. It does look good back in those colours.
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Old 23rd Jan 2019, 14:03
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Originally Posted by melmothtw
Yes, but the 'special' Granby scheme recently rolled out did not.
Oh sorry.... I don't recall seeing that.
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Old 23rd Jan 2019, 14:08
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https://theaviationist.com/2016/02/2...lored-tornado/
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Old 23rd Jan 2019, 15:22
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Proper Colours !!! , Just Missing the XV . But I'm biased.
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Old 23rd Jan 2019, 16:42
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Originally Posted by Vendee
Nice photo Rhino Power. It does look good back in those colours.
Proper fighting machine that excelled at the role it was designed for.

I remember people saying how disappointing it was at Air Shows (Role Demo changed that). But of course it was not designed to just impress the public.
It was designed to give the Warsaw Pact forces a really bad day...
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Old 23rd Jan 2019, 17:08
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You are right.... doesn't look so good.
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Old 23rd Jan 2019, 17:09
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Originally Posted by claron
Proper Colours !!! , Just Missing the XV . But I'm biased.
I agree with you.... but I'm also biased
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Old 24th Jan 2019, 11:01
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Rhino Power: Excellent pic, jet looks good. The only issue I have is with the dates on the fin. I was on the staff at TTTE at the beginning of 1981, with the aircraft very much in service (if not very much serviceable!). Seem to have lost yet another year of my life!
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Old 24th Jan 2019, 12:58
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Originally Posted by Manandboy
Rhino Power: Excellent pic, jet looks good. The only issue I have is with the dates on the fin. I was on the staff at TTTE at the beginning of 1981, with the aircraft very much in service (if not very much serviceable!). Seem to have lost yet another year of my life!
I think the dates refer to its operational squadron service.
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Old 24th Jan 2019, 15:12
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RAF Marham Station Commander, Gp Capt Ian "Cab" Townsend standing with two other aircrew, wearing the three Tornado Farewell badges by Squadron Prints. Photo credit: Squadron Prints.
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Old 24th Jan 2019, 19:11
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1982-2019?

The 1982-2019 dates are the right ones, in my view anyway. There are only 2 “start” dates that will count for much in the historical record: the first flight in 1974 and the declaration of operational squadron service in 1982. Everything in between, including first production deliveries and formation of training units, are dates that may mean a lot to those who were there but hold no particular significance beyond being milestones on the way to a capability. You can see that today with the F35 Force; who knows or cares when our pilots started to be trained? The recent declaration of IOC marks the start date for that as a fighting outfit.

1982 it is!
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Old 24th Jan 2019, 19:14
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I quite like the centre badge. Squadron Prints don't seem to have them on their website yet.
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Old 25th Jan 2019, 07:05
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That retro paint job looks superb!

I remember in 1979 or 1980 when the first 'wraparound' painted Vulcan arrived at Scampton for six-seventeen squadron - it too looked very smart.

In 1982 there was actually a study to investigate whether the Tornado could be used in the South Atlantic War. Although Tornado documentation was rather secret squirrel, when an ODM was finally made available the planners dissolved into fits of giggles when they started some calculations....

Not a strategic asset, but excellent work in GW1.
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