Panavia
Tornado
The Panavia Tornado is a jet engine fighter-bomber
jointly developed as the Multi-role combat aircraft - or
MRCA - by Italy, Germany and the United Kingdom. It first
flew on August 14th, 1974. International co-operation
continued after its entry into service within a
tri-nation training and evaluation unit operating from
Cottesmore in Rutland in the English Midlands.
There are two main variants of the aircraft in service
with the Royal Air Force, the air defence and strike
variants. The former is known as the Tornado F3, and the
latter as the Tornado GR4 in RAF service. A minor variant
of the GR4 is the GR4A, in which one of the GR4's 27mm
cannons is replaced by a reconnaissance pod. Recently,
some RAF F3's were modified to be able to fire the ALARM
anti-radiation missile, and thus be able to take on the
mission of suppression of enemy air defences or SEAD.
There are also rumoured plans to equip the F3's with
TIALD pods, giving them the abilty to drop laser guided
bombs, making them true multirole aircraft. Traditionally
the ground-attack versions are camouflaged in a
grey/green pattern whilst the fighter or air defence
model is in light grey overall. In operations over Iraq,
a sandy pink scheme has often been applied and the light
grey scheme was applied to both variants. German Navy
examples normally sport a distinctive black/blue/grey
camouflage pattern. Some original RAF aircraft have been
loaned or sold (?) to the Italian Air Force to boost its
strength.
Specifications
Crew: 2
Wing Span: (Variable geometry wing)
At 250 deg. wing position : 13.91 m
At 670 deg. wing position: 8.60 m
Length: 16.72 m
Height: 5.95 m
Weight empty: 14,091 kg
Weight Max. Load: 27,951 kg
Engines:
Two Turbo-Union R.B.199-34R Mk 101 turbofans, each with
37.7 kN thrust or 66.1 kN with afterburner.
Newer types: Turbo-Union R.B199-34R Mk 103 turbofans,
each with 38.48 kN thrust, or 71.5 kN with afterburner.
Max. Speed: clean: 2,338 km/h
Max. Height: 15,240 m
Max. Range: 3,890 km with 4 disposable fuel tanks
Operational radius: 1,390 km
Weapons: Max. 9000 kg on 4 brackets under the wings and 3
under the fuselage.
Aircraft