Sorry about the thread resurrection but I resemble that remark. :)

The Blue Circle thing tickled me when I heard it from my late father in law who was involved with course design for the introduction of the F2.

https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....79da806663.jpg

With that drag index, I'm surprised he still needs speedbrake......

Hippo Fit
 

Hippo was common across the UK Tornado fleets - two 2250l uwg & two 1500l under fuselage w/o the top fins, eventually…

Apologies, only just seen this reply. No, I'm pretty sure they were flown into and out of St Athan with the concrete ballast. Along with every ADF'd panel on the squadron!

When we’re the 2250 tanks introduced to the fleet. I know the above is a prototype and I’ve seen photos of it taking off from Boscombe with 4 1500 tanks.

IIRC the 2250 as introduced with the F2 ADV and later cleared for use by the GR1 for GW1.

https://www.pprune.org/military-avia...ek-corner.html

https://www.pprune.org/10075883-post11171.html

On the F3:

Lima Fit = 2x 2250L tanks - aka “big jugs”
Mike Fit = 2x 1500L tanks - aka “little jugs”
Romeo Fit = 1x 1500L tank on under-fuselage shoulder pylon (slightly offset either side) - aka “stupidy fit” because it looked stupid!
Ferry Fit = 2x 2250L tanks, 2x 1500L tanks - no AMRAAM or SkyFlash can be carried. Aka “ferry fit”

A Tornado F3, ZE155, flew unrefuelled in ferry fit non-stop across the Atlantic from Goose Bay to Warton on 24 Sep 1987. It was the first RAF fighter aircraft to do so without air-to-air refuelling. The flight took 4 hours 45 minutes.

What altitude would it be transitting the Atlantic in the ferry flight fit?

There were three ADV prototypes, all F2s, A01 (ZA254), A02 (ZA267) and A03 (ZA283), and A01 and A02 were used for the initial envelope expansion trials which meant that they had to get to the high speed/g/AOA conditions required. The 2250l tank trials started at Boscombe in June 1987 using and this fit would have been flown at Warton prior to this. These tanks were cleared to 1.3M in 63 wing in July 1987 which was interesting! These trials were flown in A01 (which could actually be flown solo because the IN control panel was in the front cockpit although all of these sorties were flown 2 crew). The standard missile configuration for handling trials was 4 x AIM9L and 2 x Skyflash on the rear stations in order to give the most aft cg position and thus the most adverse handling characteristics. In level flight with Combat power it was possible to sustain only 1.05M so the turns at 1.3M and maximum g/AOA were steep nose down to say the least but we did get there and the handling was benign. Needless to say, the VC-10 tanker that was in support was kept busy on this 3 hour sortie!

GR1 2250l tank trials had started at Boscombe by October 1987 so this was not associated with Op Granby. This clearance was only to 0.92M as per the 1500l tanks as a supersonic clearance was not required.

The final flight of a F2 was on 30 November 2011. This was ZD902, an F2A, which was the highly modified Tornado Integrated Avionics Research Aircraft (TIARA). This had been modified and operated initially by RAE Farnborough in the early '90s. It was also the last military aircraft to leave Farnborough when it ceased to be a MoD airfield, on 18 October 1994.

What would we do without logbooks ...

Early 20s if you were lucky!

From memory, we went to 20 000 ft when we cleared this fit although that was not stipulated as a limit. I think that BAeS had only been to 10 or 15 000 ft.

Are you sure that this flight was Goose to Warton? I remembered it as Gander to Macrihanish.

Likely a “blue spruce route” below FL290 within the North Atlantic Track System (NATS) :ok:

Tornado F 2
 

In 1987, at EPTS, we exchanged our Lightning T5 XS 422 for a Tornado F2 ZD 935.. Whilst the F2 acceleration at low level exceeded that of the Lightning any hope of level supersonic flight at 40,000 ft was not realised. In the Lightning we could demonstrate the loss of roll rate when supersonic, caused by the shift in cp, whereas the F2 could not get to 1.3 at 40 and sustain a level turn!

NAT tracks do not exist below FL290. I guess you are talking about a mirror? Why would you do that? Why not pick the best track with min headwind.

Additionally I doubt very much the Tornado crews would have selected the route, but the Tanker crews.

If it was an unrefuelled transit, why would they have a tanker? (Nimrod for navigation and SAR perhaps)

Did the F3 have the capability of an unrefuelled transatlntic crossing?

Even if they did, as I said NAT tracks do not exist below FL290.

Again, if they had a Nimrod(s) providing SAR cover, the Nimrod crew(s) would dictate the track.

I don't think they appeared in the squadrons until Granby. Some swapping went on as the F3s were seen with pink 1500ltr tanks

On V Sqn we found the big jugs severely limiting. With fuel in them, no rapid or moderate rolling was allowed. Tanking above 15k required one burner. Take-off performance was compromised, even at Coninsgby - what they did at Leeming I don't know. We rapidly realised that operationally we should use them as they were titled, ie drop tanks, use them then lose them.

Reading this thread, it seems that the F2 and F3 were not really fit for purpose as Medium to High level Interceptors...

or am i missing something?