The Panavia Tornado is a family of twin-engine fighters, which was jointly developed by the United Kingdom, Germany and Italy. There are three primary versions of the Tornado, the fighter-bomber Tornado IDS (Interdictor/Strike), the interceptor Tornado ADV (Air Defence Variant), and the suppression of enemy air defences Tornado ECR (Electronic Combat/Reconnaissance).
Developed and built by Panavia, a trination consortium consisting of British Aerospace (then the British Aircraft Corporation), MBB of Germany, and Alenia Aeronautica of Italy, the Tornado first flew on August 14, 1974, and saw action with the RAF and AMI (Italian Air Force) in Operation Granby / Gulf War. International co-operation continued after its entry into service within the Tri-National Tornado Training Establishment, a tri-nation training and evaluation unit operating from RAF Cottesmore in Rutland in the English Midlands. Including all variants, 992 aircraft were built for the three partner nations and Saudi Arabia. Though still in service, plans are currently underway to replace the aircraft.
Panavia Tornado
Royal Air Force Panavia Tornado GR1 carrying code DE on its tail is equipped with a laser guided bomb. It is powered by two afterburning Turbo Union RB199-103 turbofans of 15,800lb thrust.
Visit the RAF web page describing the Panavia Tornado GR1.
Royal Air Force Panavia Tornado F3. It is powered by two afterburning Turbo Union RB199-34R Mk 104 turbofans of 16,520lb thrust.
Visit the RAF web page describing the Panavia Tornado F3.
Royal Air Force Panavia Tornado F3 ZG757.
Specifications (Tornado IDS GR.4)
General characteristics
- Crew: 2
- Length: 16.72 m (54 ft 10 in)
- Wingspan: 13.91 m at 25° wing sweep, 8.60 m at 67° wing sweep (45.6 ft / 28.2 ft)
- Height: 5.95 m (19.5 ft)
- Wing area: 26.6 m² (286 ft²)
- Empty weight: 13,890 kg (31,620lb)
- Max takeoff weight: 28,000 kg (61,700 lb)
- Powerplant: 2× Turbo-Union RB199-34R Mk 103 afterburning turbofans, 43.8 kN dry, 76.8 kN afterburning (9,850 lbf / 17,270 lbf) each
Performance
- Maximum speed: Mach 2.34, 2,417.6 km/h (1,511 mph)
- Range: 1,390 km typical combat, 3,890 km ferry with four external drop tanks (870 mi / 2,420 mi)
- Service ceiling: 15,240 m (50,000 ft)
- Rate of climb: 76.7 m/s (15,100 ft/min)
- Thrust/weight: 0.55
Armament
- 2x 27 mm Mauser BK-27 cannon with 180 rounds each
- Four fuselage pylons and four swivelling underwing pylons for a maximum of 9000 kg (19,800 lb) of weapons, fuel, and ECM pods, inner wing pylons have shoulder rails for two AIM-9 Sidewinder or ASRAAM self-defence missiles. A wide variety of air-to-ground weapons can be carried including Wasp ASM, Kormoran anti-ship missiles, BAe Sea Eagle anti-ship missiles, AGM-65 Maverick ASM, BAe ALARM anti-radiation missile, LAU-51A and LR-25 rocket pods, napalm bombs, retarded bombs, BL755 cluster bombs, and Paveway series laser-guided bombs, MW-1 munitions dispenser, JP233 munitions dispenser, Storm Shadow, Brimstone, Taurus missile, can be equipped to carry B61 and WE.177 nuclear bombs.
- RAPTOR Reconnaissance pod, TIALD laser designator
- Rafael Lightening III targeting pod has replaced TIALD 500 during the UK RAF's operations in Iraq.
[edit] Tornado ADV F3
The ADV is in most respects similar to the IDS. It has been stretched (to 18.7 m) so as to accommodate the staggered quartet of BAe Skyflash missiles. It includes just one internal Mauser cannon rather than the two of the original IDS (the GR4 only has 1 cannon). The ADV uses the Turbo-Union RB199-34R Mk 104. It has an empty weight of 14,500 kg, and has different weapons stores from the IDS (suiting its interceptor role).
