Luftwaffe Tornado IDS 50 Years Scheme
 

Airbus Defence has unveiled unique paint scheme Luftwaffe Tornado IDS making 50 years since the first flight (images courtesy of Airbus Defence)

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Cheers

I remember it when it was called MRCA and was a wind tunnel model,

MRCA "Must Refurbish Canberras Again".

I like it. I remember building the Airfix model of the prototype as a 10 year old. The Europeans really do great ceremonial schemes.

[QUOTE=Ninthace;11620885]I remember it when it was called MRCA and was a wind tunnel model,[
Variously : Must Refurbish the Canberras Again, or Mother Rileys Cardboard Aeroplane !
Sorry, Herod just beat me to it !

Or 'Must Reopen Chivenor Again'!

Which they did - until it was later squaddified. Such a tragedy!

Chivenor is boot necked.

A good-looking tribute to one of the most effective warplanes ever built.

Yes indeed.
And the GAF has continued to invest and update their versions of Tornado to maintain its effectiveness. Similarly the Italian and Saudi AF.

By contrast, the UK retired their GR4 jets far earlier due to cost pressures.

The Panavia Tornado and its organisation paved the way for EF Typhoon and now for the GCAP Tempest programme.

Still have my Project Team tie - lots of trips to Warton (Rate 1's / Blackpool B&B), Main Building meetings & even a week in Turin at the Aeritalia factory. An interesting time.

I remember the early-70s RAF Yearbook illustration when it had semi-circular intakes, a la Starfighter/TSR2!

Not sure that’s an accurate reflection of why we retired them - having used and abused them on ops for the best part of thirty years, they were just plain worn-out despite the best efforts of the excellent engineers and support personnel. They had about twice the hours of any other fleet.

And of course, Mother Riley's Cardboard Aeroplane!:ok:

The scheme is certainly eye catching, but really busy.:8

FB

And I've just noticed that Retired BA/BY betan by Herod also beat me to the second alternative achronim meaning!:O

Could somebody please explain (to an obvious ignoramus) the obsession with flashy paint schemes on aircraft - given the time, effort and expense.

They look awful pretty!!!!:cool:

FB

Following upon Expatrick's post,is this example just a one-off PR example ( presumably paid-for by Airbus ) or will it usually be copied onto other airframes

Or in some cases, pretty awful!

Mog

A very jazzy MRCA P01/P02 colour scheme, and P02 was my main aircraft before it went camouflage (for which Paul Millett exploded when he saw they had painted the underside white, for it would most often be on its side down a valley, than at V bomber altitude! - Paul got his way, for all after that were camouflage all over) - I would like to see a view from above the flashy top, to better see the pattern across the top of wing to fuselage to wing please!

If you need to ask the question, you have no passion in aviation or celebration of such. If I was you, I would be getting my coat.

Indeed, it is well known that pilots are attracted to bright and shiny objects.