Chapter 5

 

Last Tour

 

 

 

 

banks as if to turn

 

 

Tornado FMk3 - (69528 bytes)

 

 

Staggering round a loop.  The Tornado F3.  The Disappointment.  Is this the best that we can do?  Better than the Phantom, perhaps.  But the rest of the world has F16s, Eagles, Hornets, Flankers.

Eight missiles but does Q with less so it can get near the Bears.  Single barreled gun, that wears out fast.  Engines high bypass but no power at high level.  Wings sweep - so what?  Lousy turn rate.  Manual sweep control and high lift devices.  Slow, low cruise - can't do as well as most airliners!  Fin is bigger than most airliner's.

 

 

Tornados on deployment - (40588 bytes)

 

Job hasn't changed much.  Exercises, deployments, training.  Don't remember all this hassle - more like the boy scouts.

 

 

 

Tornado with a Tristar tanker - (41276 bytes)

 

 

We still go to nice places.  Out to the Med for gunnery - nothing changes.  F3 shoots straight - when the radar works.

 

 

Tornado FMk2 - (54827 bytes)

 

Jobs a job.  Put up with it.  Do a lot of running away.  Good at that.  Can't go to war yet - needs fixing.  A lot of fixing.

 

 

 

Tornado FMk3 with stuck canopy - (53092 bytes)

 

 

Like a canopy that won't shut in the heat!  Firemen laugh.  The crew sweat.  Grounded overnight.  Try again in the cool of the early morning.

 

 

Tornado FMk2 on takeoff - (40411 bytes)

 

Throw money at it.  Fix some.  Not enough to go around.  Can't change airframe/engines.  Fighter dressed as a bomber?  Still a horses arse.

 

 

 

Tornado GR1 on take off - (33998 bytes)

 

So, bomber v bomber.  GR1s about all we can take on.

 

 

 

Mig 29 Flanker - (28852 bytes)

Who cares?  Cold wars over.  We won.  They're broke.  See them at air shows.  One day old grainy photographs.  Spys in trench coats round a Russian airfield.  Next day they park on our line.

 

 

Mig 29 cockpit - (82772 bytes)

 

 

Climb over the cockpit.  Not much to look at, especially close up.  But impressive in the air.  Very impressive.  Glad we never went to war.  Especially in the F3!

 

 

Tornado FMk3 with JP5 at Biggin Hill Air Show - (67735 bytes)

 

 

Still, we go to air shows too.  Tell  lies to the public.  Great jet, love it, wonderful.  Sleep safe in your bed tonight, your Air Force flies Tornados.

 

Tornado on Emergency State 2 - (32186 bytes)

 

Emergency State Two - Tornado aircraft, two on board, 20 miles West, landing in 5 min, something broke.

 

 

 

 

Tornado sunset - (36532 bytes)

 

Can't do this for a living.  Brand new aircraft - out of date.  Where's the fun gone?

 

 

 

I'm off - turn the light out if you're the last to leave.

 

 

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