Tornado F3 Over Lincolnshire
 

Just happened to outside the office at the windy Lincolnshire cabbage patch today when a Tornado F3 in what looked like 25 Sqn markings flew over. I thought they were all gone! Somebody at Boscombe Down still operating one? Can't find anything on the web about it.

QinetiQ at Boscome are still flying them

Something not quite what it would seem with that AC and I don't just mean the canopy either..............

Thanks for that, a bit of further research shows that three are still in use for Meteor AAM trials, and one is in 25 Sqn markings.

Damn, thats a pretty looking jet,
apart from being in the wrong sqn colours.....

why don't they re-engine one wiv a pair of EJ200's to see what it would do.

ISTR that EJ200 was sized to be able to do this but the SPS gearbox interface is quite different. QQ may have offered to do a quick and dirty conversion to trial the fit but without a bigger wing, there probably wouldn't be that much benefit.

apart from the fact that in dry an EJ gives more thrust than a 104 in blower....
60 dry and 90 wet IIRC as opposed to 40 ish and 60 ish

The fastest aircraft in RAF history?

Nope, the F4J would have it by just a touch.

Fastest at low level, and that's the fun bit!

Faster than a Lightning? Mach 2.27 @40,000ft

Yep, Operation Skyburner Mach 2.5 @47,000ft with an unmodified aircraft.

Plus 1,606.342 mph with water injection, think that's Mach 2.6 but would need air data to convert properly.

Boscombe F3's are a relativly common site at low level in Wales..

http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/c...r/5d38793e.jpg

Never seen their F2 low though ?

BW

Definately fastest at low level - chased down F-111s and B-1Bs trying to do their best as well! Don't forget that her design spec was to shoot down BEARs and BLACKJACKs low level over the North Sea, so speed was a large part of the key user requirements (or whatever they were in the 70s).

The picture in Wales above ^^^^ shows her clean winged as well. I remember when they arrived from Warton like that and M2.1 to 2.2 was quite easy at ~40-45kft.

LJ

Just as a matter of intrest, the Boscombe F3's seem to fly low level with the wings fully forward all the time.
Does anybody know the reason for this?

BW

BubbleW

If they're flying the Mach Loop then you need to be in 25wing to get the manoeuvrability - it can be done in 45 wing but you need to allow for a bit extra. If you want to fly at high IAS then you sweep the wings to 45 wing and if you want to go for it then get them back to 67 wing! In 67 you get no manouevre flaps or slats and in 45 you get a partial amount - only in 25 do you get the full amount of flaps/slats and that is why you use it for the best manoeuvrability.

All the best

LJ

I seem to remember a tale of a Jarman ECR out-running a Mig 29 during the Balkan unpleasantnesses, at low-level. Anyone else?

Was happily chasing an Iraqi MiG 23 and ran out of UNSCR no-fly zone airspace! :ugh:

Cheers for that LJ. Understand the above just never seen a GR4 do it at 25 wing,
have even seen GR4's at 67 :cool:

BW