RAF Tornado

[Stefan buysse]

Hi,

This is the Hasegawa 1/72 kit with all sorts of aftermarket goodies.

I think I'll build it as "Anola Kay" with ALARM's.

Or "Armoured Charmer" with a TIALD pod...or "Luscious Lizzie" with JP233's.

Some of the stuff in there that was made by PP aeroparts is now sold by Flightpath.

Cheers, Stefan.

[Stefan buysse]

Hi,

While researching for my Tornado build, I found out that Revell of Germany released a fine 1/72 Tornado kit about 10 years ago.

I bought one this week: a German IDS boxing, but I have all I need to build a RAF jet out of it, I believe.

I have a spare LRMTS pod from the Hasegawa F3 clear parts, ILS antenna's from the FP update set, a Sky Shadow pod from the Hasegawa GR 1...

I saw that Benner isn't going to build a Tornado GR Mk1A. So, I think I'll build one. The specific parts for the Recce version are in the Flightpath set anyway. I suppose that few GR Mk1A's from Granby are being built, maybe because they did not (as far as I know) have nose art.

Anyway,

I spent some time working on droptanks.

These are from left to right (one exampe of each kind):

*The Flightpath 495 Gallon tank: a quality item that looks and feels great.

*An aftermarket 495 Gallon tank that I bought in the early 1990. I don't remember who made this but they fit together awfully. I'll need to fill and sand a lot to make these look acceptable, but they are about the same size as the Flightpath items.

*The Hasegawa 330 Gallon tank.

*The Hasegawa 495 Gallon tank from the F3 kit. These look very big, probably too big.

*The Revell 330 Gallon tank. Smallest of them all.

Maybe Hasegawa made a mistake with their 330 Gallon tank, making it too big (almost like the Flightpath 495 Gallon tank)? Then they may have made their 495 Gallon tank proportionally bigger, getting almost a caricature?

Cheers, Stefan.

[Stefan buysse]

Hi,

What do you all think about the different size fuel tanks?

A thought that occurred to me is that a line-up of Tornado's with differrent sized 495 Gallon fuel tanks is going to look a it funny.

I'm also curious how the Revell Tornado will look like next to the Hasegawa one. The Revell fuselage is a good bit wider.

Spike,

I have a couple of questions about those Crutch Pad fairings from the MACE system.

* Are these permanently fixed (as in "welded on") to the pylons? Or are they moveable and added as the load-out demands? I mean, do the back ends of the pylons still have the fairings if the load-out consists of "LGB's on the front/nothing at the back" ?

* If you obtained the centerline pylons from the Germans, did these have the fairings added before RAF service? A slightly far-fetched question, I know.

Cheers, Stefan.

[Benner]

interesting that all those fuel tanks are so different, personally, I just go with whatever looks right.

Spike would know better than me, but I believe those pylon fairings are fixed.

[spike7451]

I have a couple of questions about those Crutch Pad fairings from the MACE system.

* Are these permanently fixed (as in "welded on") to the pylons? Or are they moveable and added as the load-out demands? I mean, do the back ends of the pylons still have the fairings if the load-out consists of "LGB's on the front/nothing at the back" ?

They're part of the pylon & are only removed when the pylon is serviced in the ERU Bay when the whole pylon is removed from the jet.The center of the three stations does not have the fairings for some unknown reason.

IIRC,the unlike normal sway braces that act a bit like a woodwork 'G' clamp & have a bolt that tightens against the bombs surface to steady it,the MACE system raises & lowers the MACE bomb lugs to the crutching pads within the HDERU..

* If you obtained the centerline pylons from the Germans, did these have the fairings added before RAF service?

They did'nt & still dont have the fairing fitted,the German ERU's were replaced with MACE HDERU'S on a mod order iirc.

HDERU

ERU

[Stefan buysse]

Thanks, guys.

I'll just try to distribute the tanks and crutch pad fairings judiciously over the Tornado's in the stash.

For example, my GR1A will be ZA397, configured for the first GR1A combat mission: two 495 gallon tanks under the wings and two 330 gallon tanks under the fuselage.

If I used the Hasegawa 495 gallon tanks and the Revell 330 gallon tanks, the difference would be enormous. So, I'll use both types of Hasegawa tanks on this one, leaving the small Revell tanks for the F3.

Cheers, Stefan.

[kurnass77]

Here is another topic that interests me and to follow closely.

I have the Revell Tonka GR.1 be implemented as a second build for this GB and it is fantastic.

I see no time to be published next photo. Good work

Gianni

[spike7451]

Thanks, guys.

I'll just try to distribute the tanks and crutch pad fairings judiciously over the Tornado's in the stash.

For example, my GR1A will be ZA397, configured for the first GR1A combat mission: two 495 gallon tanks under the wings and two 330 gallon tanks under the fuselage.

If I used the Hasegawa 495 gallon tanks and the Revell 330 gallon tanks, the difference would be enormous. So, I'll use both types of Hasegawa tanks on this one, leaving the small Revell tanks for the F3.

Cheers, Stefan.

So you're doing it in this config Stefan?

Bear in mind that some of the Big Jugs drop tanks were painted pink as well using Dulux household emulsion paint but the majority of them were left gray.

As for warshot loads,how about this one?It was loaded towards the end of the war but never flew.Reason we tried it was we were running out of BL755 CBU's...

[Stefan buysse]

Hi,

Spike,

Thanks for the awesome shots.

No, my configuration will be 4 tanks as descibed by Paul Jackson on page 139 of the Gulf Air War Debrief book. Because there was no tanker support for their short-notice mission, they had two 495 gallon tanks under the wings and two 330 gallon tanks under the fuselage. A fuel feed problem just before they reached the search area forced an early return to friendly territory. ZA371 and ZA400 were succesful that night, but I'm keen to do ZA397.

I saw ZA397 in 1993 and on the first of August 1994, she crashed into a Canadian reservoir. Both crew were recovered safely.

Gianni,

Thank you for your interest. I look forward to what you will do with a Revell Tornado.

One of the things I've done already is cut off the rear end of the BOZ-107 and turn it around so that the chaff and flares can be ejected outwards.

Cheers, Stefan.

[spike7451]

Couple reference foto's for you Stefan.

[Stefan buysse]

Couple reference foto's for you Stefan.

Thanks, Spike.

Interesting shots that I had not seen before.

It is the configuration that I want to build my GR1A in.

I can't make out if these are GR1's (returning home?) or GR1A's.

If the lower one is a GR1A with the code "O", it should be ZA397 herself. It would also mean that she had a black code letter, contrary to the other GR1A's that I've seen.

Cheers, Stefan.

[spike7451]

Thanks, Spike.

Interesting shots that I had not seen before.

It is the configuration that I want to build my GR1A in.

I can't make out if these are GR1's (returning home?) or GR1A's.

If the lower one is a GR1A with the code "O", it should be ZA397 herself. It would also mean that she had a black code letter, contrary to the other GR1A's that I've seen.

Cheers, Stefan.

Pictures are of the same jet iirc,& they're GR1A's (you can just make out the SLIR window in the top pic) & they're going off on a sortie.

Merv

[Stefan buysse]

Thanks, Spike.

It practicallly has to be ZA397 then, none of the other five GR1A's had a code the resembled an "O".

I wasn't sure if that was a recce window or just more dark camo coming through the desert camo, she's quite heavily weathered. Flying as fast as she would go through that sandy air at low level for hours on end like they did was pretty bad for the ARTF paint.

Another small dilemma that's solved for ZA397 now: she didn't have a black anti-glare area between the radome and the front of the windscreen. If you just have a picture in profile, that not easy to make out because the anti-glare area did not come down far.

Cheers, Stefan.

[Stefan buysse]

Hi,

I'm not a fan Revell's system for moveable underwing pylons. Part 22, the tiny collar, is difficult to install and had, by the time I was closing the lower and upper wing halves, become detached again.

I'll glue the pylons in place after the wings have been installed.

On a brighter note...

I found this a neat picture on Jakub's site. http://www.dstorm.eu/pictures/nose-arts/to.../gb/za400_1.jpg

I have seen desert pink Tornado models with the part of the wing that disappears under the glove when the wing is swept back in grey/green camo as if the wing had been swept back when the aircraft was painted pink.

At least on ZA400, the wing is entirely pink.

It also shows how huge the 495 gallon tanks can appear. I'm still wondering about the tank sizes. Does anyone have the dimensions of the real tanks?

Cheers, Stefan.

[Benner]

Couple reference foto's for you Stefan.

Pictures are of the same jet iirc,& they're GR1A's (you can just make out the SLIR window in the top pic) & they're going off on a sortie.

Merv

... I'm not a Tornado expert, but I have to argue against that ... the gun port is quite evident, which GR1A's did not have.

.. and Stefan, when do we get to see in-progress pics?

Edited September 23, 2010 by Benner

[spike7451]

... I'm not a Tornado expert, but I have to argue against that ... the gun port is quite evident, which GR1A's did not have.

.. and Stefan, when do we get to see in-progress pics? :wub:

DOH!!!

Did'nt notice that... B) :lol:

Think I need stronger glasses...Dunno how I missed that!

[Stefan buysse]

Think I need stronger glasses...Dunno how I missed that!

Hi,

Well, I wasn't sure: the whole front of the fuselage is weathered/smudged. As far as my glasses allow me, I can make out dark patches both at the location of the gun port and at the location of the recce window.

As Spike said it was recce one, I thought that the one at the gunport was a stain.

I'll have a look if there could have been a GR1 with the single "O" code.

I hope to have some worthwhile "in progress shots" by tomorrow night.

Cheers, Stefan.

Edited September 24, 2010 by Stefan buysse

[Benner]

Hi,

Well, I wasn't sure: the whole front of the fuselage is weathered/smudged. As far as my glasses allow me, I can make out dark patches both at the location of the gun port and at the location of the recce window.

As Spike said it was recce one, I thought that the one at the gunport was a stain.

I'll have a look if there could have been a GR1 with the single "O" code.

I hope to have some worthwhile "in progress shots" by tomorrow night.

Cheers, Stefan.

I think they're two different Tornado planes. The first one, aside from the gun port, the nose art gives it away as one of the "Triffid Airways" GR1 Tornados that were stationed in Muharraq. The GR1A aircraft were stationed in Dhahran apparently. Here's an example of one of the Triffid Airways planes:

[Stefan buysse]

Thanks for the research, Benner.

The "Triffid Airways" is something I'm less familiar with than with some of the others so I hadn't recognised it as one of those.

Now that you mention it, they may well be two different aircraft...I can't see the big black "O" code on the first shot.

The second shot is on Jakub's site as photo 3 of ZD890 "O".

Not bad news for me at all, I probably mustn't find a black "O" code for my ZA397 then.

Cheers, Stefan.

Edited September 24, 2010 by Stefan buysse

[Stefan buysse]

Hi,

Here's an in progress shot, not quite something like Gianni's awesome Buccaneer work though.

This is the Revell Tornado that I want to build as a GR1A.

I've added some reinforcements inside the fuselage, cut off part of the nose because I want to use the resin nose, filled the gunports and reversed the back end of the BOZ107.

Cheers, Stefan.

[PIERRE CHRISTIAN BAUDRU]

I will follow your build !

I have just finished one IDS from hasegawa you can see it here

http://www.arcforums.com/forums/air/index....howtopic=222541

Pierre

[PIERRE CHRISTIAN BAUDRU]

I will follow your build !

I have just finished one IDS from hasegawa you can see it here

http://www.arcforums.com/forums/air/index....howtopic=222541

Pierre

[Stefan buysse]

Thanks for the interest, Pierre.

Your Tornado looks very nice.

I should get back into building my Tornado's, I had some cockpit painting turn out quite ugly and put them on hold for a while.

Cheers, Stefan.