116-739: Panavia Aircraft GmbH is a German company established by the three partner states of the Tornado Multi Role Combat Aircraft (MRCA) project: West Germany , Italy and the UK . The company was based and registered in West Germany . Since its founding the company is based in Hallbergmoos , a municipality in the district of Freising in Upper Bavaria , Germany . In a similar arrangement, development of
232-500: A Commando officer, had prepared a daring proposal for approval by Combined Operations Headquarters, with the code name 'Operation Airthief', proposing that the two of them penetrate an airfield in occupied France. Privately, Quill did not rate their chances of survival very highly. Fortunately, on 23 June 1942 – coinciding with the submission of the paper to Combined Operations – a disoriented German pilot, Oberleutnant Armin Faber , mistook
348-616: A Tornado GR4 was on 4 April 1997. The RAF accepted its first delivery on 31 October 1997 and deliveries were completed in 2003. In 2005, the RSAF opted to have their Tornado IDSs undergo a series of upgrades to become equivalent to the RAF's GR4 configuration. On 21 December 2007 BAE signed a £210m contract for CUSP, the Capability Upgrade Strategy (Pilot). This project would see RAF GR4/4A improved in two phases, starting with
464-752: A Tornado equipped with parts made by 3D printing . The parts included a protective cover for the radio, a landing-gear guard and air-intake door support struts. The test demonstrated the feasibility of making replacement parts quickly and cheaply at the air base hosting the Tornado. The company claimed that, with some costing less than £100 to make, 3D printing of parts had saved more than £300,000 which potentially could reach more than £1.2 million by 2017. The first Tornado prototype made its first flight on 14 August 1974 from Ingolstadt Manching Airport , in West Germany . Deliveries of production Tornados began on 27 July 1979. The total number of Tornados delivered to
580-461: A broken nose from an accident when boxing for the RAF, he would have qualified for the "Siskin nose" – a characteristic of many pilots of the period. In January 1936 Quill applied for release from the RAF and joined Vickers (Aviation) Ltd at Brooklands , as assistant to its chief test pilot, Joseph "Mutt" Summers. His initial task was the testing of the Wellesley bomber, and it was while flying
696-479: A distraction for pilots, and said that the solution will be implemented in a few weeks, but denied the need to fly night missions in Syria. The TV TAB displays are used for route planning, the forward-looking infra-red (FLIR) sensors, targeting pods such as TIALD (Thermal Imaging and Laser Designator) and CLDP (Convertible Laser Designator Pod). The original MRCA TV TAB DU navigation display (part number V22.498.90) has
812-455: A given position of the intake ramps. This was because the Concorde had similar issues due to control pressure not being high enough to maintain proper angles of the intake ramps. Aerodynamic forces could force the intakes into the improper position, and so they should have the ability to control the engines if this occurs. The Tornado intake system did not allow for this. Due to the behaviour of
928-470: A green CRT as the picture source. The original price for one CRT display version was €33,852.64. Due to the light environment, the picture tube was pushed to the limit due to the high brightness levels causing wear of the picture tube. An Active Matrix Liquid Crystal Displays ( AMLCD ) drop fit replacement with a digital screen TV TAB (NSN 5895-99-597-1323) was developed to replace the 'old' wear-sensitive CRT versions. The CRT versions are mainly recognisable by
1044-491: A job that he took so seriously that he felt he must obtain first-hand combat experience. Following the fall of France in 1940, he was determined to rejoin a fighter squadron. Forestalling opposition from his employers at Vickers Supermarine, he successfully argued the need to gain front-line operational experience and was temporarily released on 5 August 1940 to join No. 65 Squadron at RAF Hornchurch , privately hoping that it would be
1160-815: A level of international co-operation beyond the production stage. The Tornado was operated by the Royal Air Force (RAF), Italian Air Force , and RSAF during the Gulf War of 1991, in which the Tornado conducted many low-altitude penetrating strike missions. The Tornados of various services were also used in the Bosnian War , Kosovo War , Iraq War , in Libya during the 2011 Libyan civil war , as well as smaller roles in Afghanistan, Yemen, and Syria . Including all variants, 990 aircraft were built. During
1276-526: A limited air-to-air capability with AIM-9 Sidewinder or AIM-132 ASRAAM air-to-air missiles (AAMs). The Tornado ADV was outfitted with beyond visual range AAMs such as the Skyflash and AIM-120 AMRAAM missiles. The Tornado is armed with two 27 mm (1.063 in) Mauser BK-27 revolver cannon internally mounted underneath the fuselage; the Tornado ADV was only armed with one cannon. When
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#17327724758821392-598: A mock bombing attack. He flew as often as possible to familiarise himself with the aeroplane, practising aerobatics and flying in cloud. The squadron also carried out service trials of new fighters in support of the Aeroplane and Armament Experimental Establishment , with Quill taking part in the squadron's evaluation of the Armstrong Whitworth A.W.16 . He was well aware of the dangers of flying and later wrote: Unless aerobatics were practised assiduously to
1508-549: A more long range aircraft. Negotiations took place in London, Bonn and Munich. The NATO Multirole Combat Aircraft Development and Production Management Agency (NAMMA) was established to manage development and production of the Tornado. It was initially based in the same building as Panavia. Panavia was established in 1969 by the British Aircraft Corporation , Messerschmitt-Bölkow-Blohm (which had formed
1624-781: A pair of Luftwaffe Tornados flew reconnaissance missions over an anti-globalisation demonstration during the 33rd G8 summit in Heiligendamm . Following the mission, the German Defence Ministry admitted one aircraft had broken the minimum flying altitude and that mistakes were made in the handling of security of the summit. In 2007, a detachment of six Tornados of the Aufklärungsgeschwader 51 "Immelmann" (51st reconnaissance wing) were deployed to Mazar-i-Sharif , Northern Afghanistan, to support NATO forces. The decision to send Tornados to Afghanistan
1740-506: A part of NATO 's campaign during the Bosnian War . The Tornados, operating from Piacenza , Italy, flew reconnaissance missions to survey damage inflicted by previous strikes and to scout new targets. These reconnaissance missions were reportedly responsible for a significant improvement in target selection throughout the campaign. In 1999, German Tornados participated in Operation Allied Force , NATO airstrikes against
1856-595: A permanent appointment. On 16 August he shot down a Messerschmitt Bf 109 and two days later he shared a victory over a Heinkel He 111 . His combat days were short-lived because he was recalled after nineteen days to test the Spitfire Mk III, but they made Quill all the more determined to make the Spitfire an even better fighting machine, and his experiences in the Battle of Britain led to two important changes in
1972-548: A production Wellesley that Quill had a narrow escape. The 74 ft 7 in-wingspan bomber refused to recover from a spin and at 3,000 ft Quill decided to bail out. As he descended, the spiralling bomber seemed intent on slicing the pilot with its wings, but he landed safely not far from the Kingston bypass. There was some rivalry between Vickers (Aviation) Ltd and Hawker Aircraft , whose Hurricane had first flown four months earlier. Jeffrey Quill's long association with
2088-609: A promising but untried prototype to become, with the Hawker Hurricane , an instrument of the Royal Air Force's victory in the Battle of Britain . The Spitfire later played a leading role in gaining Allied air superiority over Europe. Quill later wrote two books about the Spitfire. Quill was born at Littlehampton , Sussex, the youngest of the five children of Arthur Maxwell Quill and Emily Molesworth Kindersley. He
2204-608: A quarter of a century ... the most important military aircraft in Western Europe." The Panavia Tornado is a multirole, twin-engined aircraft designed to excel at low-level penetration of enemy defences. The mission envisaged during the Cold War was the delivery of conventional and nuclear ordnance on the invading forces of the Warsaw Pact countries of Eastern Europe; this dictated several significant features of
2320-659: A variant, the Panavia Tornado ADV , with a larger GEC-Marconi AI.24 Foxhunter radar, implemented in the mid-1970s with the involvement of Air Chief Marshal Sir Neil Wheeler . Another variant was the Tornado ECR (Electronic Combat and Reconnaissance), developed for the Luftwaffe, and proposed to be sold to the US in 1985. Its all-weather capabilities at the time were unmatched in the world. The Tornado aircraft
2436-485: A whole year, regardless of "unflyable" weather and without missing a flight. For this hazardous achievement Quill was awarded the Air Force Cross at the age of 23. On one occasion, when letting down through cloud, his Siskin hit the ground hard but in perfect landing attitude, bounced over a hedge and overturned, pushing Quill's head forward on to the cockpit coaming (its raised border). Had he not already received
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#17327724758822552-612: A wide-angle HUD ( head-up display ), improved cockpit displays, NVG ( night vision devices ) capabilities, new avionics , and a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver. The upgrade eased the integration of new weapons and sensors which were purchased in parallel, including the Storm Shadow cruise missile , the Brimstone anti-tank missile, Paveway III laser-guided bombs and the RAPTOR reconnaissance pod. The first flight of
2668-570: Is capable of delivering air-launched nuclear weapons . In 1979, Britain considered replacing its Polaris submarines with either the Trident submarines or the Tornado as the main bearer of its nuclear deterrent . Although the UK proceeded with Trident, several Tornado squadrons based in Germany were assigned to SACEUR to deter a major Soviet offensive with both conventional and nuclear weapons, namely
2784-566: Is designed for air defence operations. It was capable of tracking up to 20 targets at ranges of up to 160 kilometres (100 mi). The Tornado was one of the earliest aircraft to be fitted with a digital data bus for data transmission. A Link 16 JTIDS integration on the F3 variant enabled the exchange of radar and other sensory information with nearby friendly aircraft. Some Tornado variants carry different avionics and equipment, depending on their mission. The Tornado ECR operated by Germany and Italy
2900-716: Is devoted to Suppression of Enemy Air Defences (SEAD) missions. The Tornado ECR is equipped with an emitter-locator system (ELS) to detect radar use. German ECRs have a Honeywell infrared imaging system for reconnaissance flights. RAF and RSAF Tornados have the Laser Range Finder and Marked Target Seekers (LRMTS) for targeting laser-guided munitions. In 1991, the RAF introduced TIALD, allowing Tornado GR1s to laser-designate their own targets. The GR1A and GR4A reconnaissance variants were equipped with TIRRS (Tornado Infrared Reconnaissance System), consisting of one SLIR (Sideways Looking Infra Red) sensor on each side of
3016-659: Is expected to remain in service until at least 2025. That would be more than fifty years after it first flew. The Tornado for the RAF and RSAF was assembled at Warton Aerodrome , then owned by British Aerospace . The Tornado management model was adopted for the European Fighter Aircraft, which is now in production as the Eurofighter Typhoon . The NAMMA was replaced by the NATO Eurofighter and Tornado Management Agency (NETMA), which
3132-404: Is needed to 'create' the desired images for use in the airplane. To power the display unit, a three phase 115 VAC 400 Hz including neutral and a 28 VDC signal have to be supplied to the display unit. The CRT version has a Low Voltage Power Supply (LVPS) for creating the needed low voltage signals. There's also a High Voltage Power Supply (HVPS) for creating the desired high voltage for
3248-487: Is the current engine control unit for RB199 engines superseding the analogue MECU ( Main Engine Control Unit ) also known as CUE. Being designed for low-level operations, the Tornado required modification to perform in medium level operations that the RAF adopted in the 1990s. The RAF's GR1 fleet was extensively re-manufactured as Tornado GR4s. Upgrades on Tornado GR4s included a forward looking infrared ,
3364-595: Is the prime contractor for the Eurofighter Weapon System and continued development of the Tornado. In the 1970s, Euromissile was formed by West Germany and Aérospatiale of France. This company now has a similar mix to Panavia, and also includes the French, being known as MBDA . Panavia Tornado The Panavia Tornado is a family of twin-engine , variable-sweep wing multi-role combat aircraft , jointly developed and manufactured by Italy,
3480-650: The Air League , created a new award in his name, and since 1997 they have awarded the Jeffrey Quill Medal annually "for an outstanding contribution to the development of air-mindedness in Britain's youth". The First of the Few (released in 1942 and known in the US as Spitfire ) was a British feature film, in which David Niven played the part of "Geoffrey Crisp", a composite character based on Quill and
3596-513: The British Aircraft Corporation – BAC. After his retirement he became a prolific author, chronicling the Spitfire and its legacy through: Spitfire: A Test Pilot's Story (1983), and Birth of a Legend: The Spitfire (1986). Having retired with his wife Claire to the Isle of Man , Jeffrey Quill became involved with an annual lecture given by the Association of Manx Pilots, later to become
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3712-660: The Dassault Mirage 5 . On 26 March 1969, four partner nations – United Kingdom, Germany, Italy and the Netherlands, agreed to form a multinational company, Panavia Aircraft GmbH, to develop and manufacture the MRCA. The project's aim was to produce an aircraft capable of undertaking missions in the tactical strike, reconnaissance, air defence, and maritime roles. Various concepts, including alternative fixed-wing and single-engine designs, were studied while defining
3828-818: The Federal Republic of Yugoslavia during the Kosovo War . This was Germany's first offensive air mission since World War II. The ECR aircraft escorted various allies' aircraft while carrying several AGM-88 HARM missiles to counter attempted use of radar against the allied aircraft. During the Kosovo hostilities, Germany's IDS Tornados routinely conducted reconnaissance flights to identify both enemy ground forces and civilian refugees within Yugoslavia. The German Tornados flew 2108 hours and 446 sorties, firing 236 HARM missiles at hostile targets. In June 2007,
3944-699: The German Air Force was 247, including 35 ECR variants. Originally Tornados equipped five fighter-bomber wings ( Geschwader ), with one tactical conversion unit and four front-line wings, replacing the Lockheed F-104 Starfighter. When one of the two Tornado wings of the German Navy was disbanded in 1994, its aircraft were used to re-equip a Luftwaffe's reconnaissance wing formerly equipped with McDonnell Douglas RF-4E Phantoms . 14 German Tornados undertook combat operations as
4060-502: The Rafael Litening II laser designator pod and GBU-24 Paveway III laser-guided bombs. The ASSTA 2 upgrade began in 2005, primarily consisting of several new digital avionics systems and a new ECM suite; these upgrades are to be only applied to 85 Tornados (20 ECRs and 65 IDSs), as the Tornado is being replaced in part by the Eurofighter Typhoon . The ASSTA 3 upgrade programme, started in 2008, will introduce support for
4176-605: The Supermarine Seafire , the naval version of the Spitfire. With the introduction of the Seafire, the Fleet Air Arm had suffered serious losses in deck-landing accidents. After a deck-landing course at Easthaven, Quill served on the training carrier HMS Ravager , and then the escort carrier HMS Attacker , which had two Seafire squadrons (No.s 879 and 886) on board. He flew with both squadrons and
4292-463: The WE.177 nuclear bomb, which was retired in 1998. German and Italian Tornados are capable of delivering US B61 nuclear bombs , which are made available through NATO. Britain considered the selection of Rolls-Royce to develop the advanced engine for the MRCA to be essential, and was strongly opposed to adopting an engine from an American manufacturer, to the point where the UK might have withdrawn over
4408-548: The 1960s, aeronautical designers looked to variable-geometry wing designs to gain the maneuverability and efficient cruise of straight wings with the speed of swept wing designs. The United Kingdom had cancelled the procurement of the BAC TSR-2 tactical strike and reconnaissance aircraft in 1965 and then -in 1967 - the US General Dynamics F-111K aircraft that was supposed to fulfil the same role, and
4524-600: The 1970s. Marcel Dassault later saw the Panavia project as a direct threat to his company. Another Anglo-French defence project of the late 1960s was the SEPECAT Jaguar . In 1959, the French and West Germans had collaborated to form Transall , which produced the Transall C-160 transport aircraft in 1963. Canada and the Netherlands withdrew from the project in 1969 for financial reasons. The first Chairman
4640-467: The AMLCD upgrade was the intended significant reduction in life cycle costs. But it's said that the newer AMLCD version fail rather quickly due to the more sensitive and complex digital electronics compared to the much simpler design of the original CRT display. The old and newer version are a masterpiece of state of the art engineering and both are very well built. For example there's a diagnostic connector at
4756-724: The Bristol Channel for the English Channel and landed an Fw 190 A-3 at RAF Pembrey in south Wales. Not long afterwards, Quill flew the captured German aircraft at Farnborough. In January 1943 Quill was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire . From November 1943 to April 1944 he served with the Fleet Air Arm , as a lieutenant commander , helping to develop better carrier-deck-landings with
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4872-608: The British and American carrier types, with the exception of the Fairey Firefly . By the end of the war he had personally test-flown all variants of the Spitfire and Seafire. In the immediate postwar era, Quill continued as a test pilot, flying the latest Supermarine jets, including the Attacker and Swift . By 1947 he had made the first flights and masterminded the development and production test flying of all 52 variants of
4988-496: The CRT picture tube. Since the newer AMLCD has no CRT picture tube, the high voltages are not needed and the mechanical and electrical design is completely different except for the connections, mounting points and functionality. The newer AMLCD version 'only' needs 28 VDC for functionality. But since a drop fit replacement is mandatory, the AMLCD version has a built in three phase 115VAC 400 Hz conversion to 28 VDC. By removing
5104-521: The German management team, the British engineers declined to share this information, and so the Tornado was not equipped with the more advanced intake design of the Concorde. Testing revealed that a nose-wheel steering augmentation system, connecting with the yaw damper , was necessary to counteract the destabilising effect produced by deploying the thrust reverser during the landing roll. From 1967 until 1984 Soviet KGB agents were provided details on
5220-611: The Jeffrey Quill Memorial Lecture. He was elected President of the Spitfire Society. Jeffrey Quill died at his home in the village of Andreas, Isle of Man , on 20 February 1996. He is buried in St Andrew's church yard , the church being near to the former fighter station RAF Andreas which operated Spitfires from 1941 to 1942. After Jeffrey Quill's death in 1996 the British aviation society,
5336-685: The RAF GR1 aircraft were converted to GR4, the FLIR sensor replaced the left hand cannon, leaving only one; the GR1A reconnaissance variant gave up both its guns to make space for the sideways looking infra-red sensors. The Mauser BK-27 was developed specifically for the Tornado, but has since been used on several other European fighters, such as the Dassault/Dornier Alpha Jet , Saab JAS 39 Gripen , and Eurofighter Typhoon . The Tornado
5452-442: The RAF began installing TARDIS on the GR4 fleet in 2004. The primary flight controls of the Tornado are a fly-by-wire hybrid, consisting of an analogue quadruplex Command and Stability Augmentation System (CSAS) connected to a digital Autopilot & Flight Director System (AFDS). In addition a level of mechanical reversion capacity was retained to safeguard against potential failure. To enhance pilot awareness, artificial feel
5568-421: The Royal Saudi Air Force, who had ordered a total of 96 IDS Tornados. In June 2011, it was announced that the Tornado fleet had flown collectively over one million flying hours. Aviation author Jon Lake noted that "The Trinational Panavia Consortium produced just short of 1,000 Tornados, making it one of the most successful postwar bomber programs". In 2008, AirForces Monthly said of the Tornado: "For more than
5684-409: The Soviet Union. The German engineers working on the Tornado intake were unable to produce a functional Concorde style intake despite having data from the Concorde team. To make the problem worse, their management team incorrectly filed a patent on the Concorde design, and then tried to sue the British engineers who had provided the design to them. The German lawyers realised that the British had provided
5800-452: The Spitfire began when, aged 23, he made his first flight in the prototype fighter K5054 on 26 March 1936 – Mutt Summers having made the maiden flight three weeks earlier – and his priority was to get the Spitfire cleared for acceptance by the RAF. The Spitfire needed a great deal of work before it was deemed safe for young RAF pilots to fly, and it did not enter squadron service until July 1938. However, developed through many marks and variants,
5916-448: The Spitfire remained a first-line fighter throughout the war. After transferring full-time to Vickers Supermarine in 1938, Quill took complete charge of Spitfire test flying, working closely with Joseph (Joe) Smith who had taken over as chief designer for Supermarine in 1937, following the death of R.J. Mitchell in the same year. During the Second World War , Quill was in charge of development and production flying at Vickers Supermarine,
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#17327724758826032-402: The Spitfire – the only allied fighter to remain in full production and front-line service throughout the Second World War. He also made the first flights of the Dumbo (an experimental variable-incidence wing torpedo bomber to S.24/37), the Spiteful , the Seafang and, on 27 July 1946, the Attacker, the Royal Navy's first jet fighter. Later he became a military aircraft marketing executive for
6148-407: The Spitfire. At high speed, the stick force from the ailerons had been very heavy, and this was found to be caused by the ballooning of the fabric covering of the ailerons, and so causing a thicker trailing edge section. This was cured by fitting stiffer, metal-covered ailerons. Quill also initiated an improvement in the optical quality of the cockpit side panels. His concerns about rearward vision from
6264-453: The Tornado ECR. The most extensive modification from the base Tornado design was the Tornado ADV, which was stretched and armed with long range anti-aircraft missiles to serve in the interceptor role. Tornado operators have undertaken various life extension and upgrade programmes to keep their Tornado fleets as viable frontline aircraft. With these upgrades it is projected that the Tornado shall be in service until 2025, more than 50 years after
6380-435: The Tornado by the head of the West German Messerschmitt-Bölkow-Blohm Planning department, Manfred Rotsch. Two prototypes were lost in accidents, both of which had been primarily caused by poor piloting decisions and errors leading to two ground collision incidents; a third Tornado prototype was seriously damaged by an incident involving pilot-induced pitch oscillation . During the type's development, aircraft designers of
6496-497: The Tornado can sweep its wings forwards to the 25-degree position, and deploy its full-span flaps and leading edge slats to allow the aircraft to fly at lower speeds. These features, in combination with the thrust reverser -equipped engines, give the Tornado excellent low-speed handling and landing characteristics. The Tornado features a tandem-seat cockpit, crewed by a pilot and a navigator/weapons officer ; both electromechanical and electro-optical controls are used to fly
6612-411: The Tornado development simulation software and engineer on the Tornado engine and engine controls, the prototype was safely capable of reaching supercruise , but the engines had severe safety issues at high altitude while trying to decelerate. At high altitude and low turbine speed the compressor did not provide enough pressure to hold back the combustion pressure and would result in a violent vibration as
6728-464: The Tornado differs in being a multi-role aircraft with more advanced onboard systems and avionics. The level of wing sweep (i.e. the angle of the wings in relation to the fuselage) can be altered in flight at the pilot's control. The variable wing can adopt any sweep angle between 25 degrees and 67 degrees, with a corresponding speed range for each angle. Some Tornado ADVs were outfitted with an automatic wing-sweep system to reduce pilot workload. When
6844-441: The Tornado is capable of undertaking more mission profiles than the anticipated strike mission; various operators replaced multiple aircraft types with the Tornado as a common type – the use of dedicated single role aircraft for specialist purposes such as battlefield reconnaissance, maritime patrol duties, or dedicated electronic countermeasures (ECM) were phased out – either by standard Tornados or modified variants, such as
6960-526: The Tornado is equipped with onboard countermeasures, ranging from flare and chaff dispensers to electronic countermeasure pods that can be mounted under the wings. Underwing fuel tanks and a buddy store aerial refuelling system that allows one Tornado to refuel another are available to extend the aircraft's range. In the decades since the Tornado's introduction, all of the Tornado operators have undertaken various upgrade and modification programmes to allow new weapons to be used by their squadrons. Amongst
7076-446: The Tornado programme. Research from the supersonic airliner Concorde contributed to the development and final design of the RB199 and of the engine control units. To operate efficiently across a wide range of conditions and speeds up to Mach 2, the RB199 and several other engines make use of variable intake ramps to control the air flow. The hydraulic system is pressurised by syphoning power from both or either operational engine;
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#17327724758827192-405: The Tornado uses a variable-sweep wing. This approach had been adopted by earlier aircraft, such as the American Grumman F-14 Tomcat , which is the most similar in mission flexibility. The swing-wing was also used by the older American General Dynamics F-111 Aardvark strike fighter, and the Soviet Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-23 fighter. The smaller Tornado has many similarities with the F-111, however
7308-475: The Tornado's RB199 turbofans is undertaken by the multinational Turbo-Union Limited based in the UK (Moor Lane, Derby ). The partner companies are: In the late 1960s, the British, German and Italian main defence companies looked at developing a strike aircraft together. The West Germans and Italians wanted a more short-range battlefield aircraft (something like the current A-10 ), but the British, specifically Air Chief Marshal Derek Hodgkinson , argued for
7424-440: The Tornado. Japan considered the Tornado in the 1980s, along with the F-16 and F/A-18, before selecting the Mitsubishi F-2 . In the 1990s, both Taiwan and South Korea expressed interest in acquiring a small number of Tornado ECR aircraft. In 2001, EADS proposed a Tornado ECR variant with a greater electronic warfare capability for Australia. Production came to an end in 1998; the last batch of aircraft produced going to
7540-531: The United Kingdom and Germany. There are three primary Tornado variants : the Tornado IDS ( interdictor / strike ) fighter-bomber , the Tornado ECR ( electronic combat / reconnaissance ) SEAD aircraft and the Tornado ADV (air defence variant) interceptor aircraft . The Tornado was developed and built by Panavia Aircraft GmbH , a tri-national consortium consisting of British Aerospace (previously British Aircraft Corporation ), MBB of West Germany, and Aeritalia of Italy. It first flew on 14 August 1974 and
7656-427: The aircraft and manage its systems. An array of dials and switches are mounted on either side of a centrally placed CRT monitor , controlling the navigational, communications, and weapons-control computers. BAE Systems developed the Tornado Advanced Radar Display Information System (TARDIS), a 32.5-centimetre (12.8 in) multi-function display , to replace the rear cockpit's Combined Radar and Projected Map Display;
7772-464: The aircraft was intended solely for the low-level strike mission, where it was viewed as a viable threat to Soviet defences in that role. It was at this point that Britain's Chief of the Defence Staff announced, "two-thirds of the fighting front line will be composed of this single, basic aircraft type". The first of fifteen development aircraft (nine prototypes, P01 to P09, and six pre-series, PS11 to PS 16) flew on 14 August 1974 at Manching , Germany;
7888-429: The aircraft, because the idle setting at that altitude was so high that the aircraft could not decelerate. The British Ministry of Supply assigned Chief Engineer Ted Talbot from the Concorde development team to provide intake design assistance to the Tornado development team in order to overcome these issues, which they hesitantly agreed to after noting that the Concorde intake data had apparently already been leaked to
8004-442: The aircraft. The Netherlands pulled out of the project in 1970, citing that the aircraft was too complicated and technical for the RNLAF 's preferences, which had sought a simpler aircraft with outstanding manoeuvrability. An additional blow was struck when the German requirement reduced from an initial 600 aircraft to 324 in 1972. It has been suggested that Germany deliberately placed an unrealistically high initial order to secure
8120-407: The armaments that the Tornado has been adapted to deploy are the Enhanced Paveway and Joint Direct Attack Munition bombs, and modern cruise missiles such as the Taurus and Storm Shadow missiles. These upgrades have increased the Tornado's capabilities and combat accuracy. Precision weapons such as cruise missiles have replaced older munitions such as cluster bombs . Strike variants have
8236-417: The back panel for quick troubleshooting. The display unit is eventually a rather 'dumb' device. The original display unit is 'just' a display and a keypad. To show a picture, the separate video signal, vertical and horizontal synchronisation signals have to be fed into the display unit since there's no internal electronics for synchronisation separation of the video signal. The additional waveform generator (WFG)
8352-733: The clearance process. The contract for the Batch 1 aircraft was signed on 29 July 1976. The first flight of a production aircraft was on 10 July 1979 by ZA319 at BAe Warton. The first aircraft were delivered to the RAF and German Air Force on 5 and 6 June 1979 respectively. The first Italian Tornado was delivered on 25 September 1981. On 29 January 1981, the Tri-National Tornado Training Establishment (TTTE) officially opened at RAF Cottesmore , remaining active in training pilots from all operating nations until 31 March 1999. The 500th Tornado to be produced
8468-505: The cockpit led to changes and improvements to the canopy and rear fuselage. Later in 1940 he became chief test pilot for Vickers Armstrongs (Supermarine) Works. By 1942 the Luftwaffe's Focke-Wulf Fw 190 was gaining the edge over Allied fighters, and it was an urgent priority to capture an airworthy example. For a while Quill was on standby to be taken to France to hijack a Fw 190 back to England. His friend Captain Philip Pinckney,
8584-537: The cockpit, the unit made twice-daily scheduled flights (except on Sundays) up to 25,000 ft to collect data at 1,000-foot intervals on temperature, humidity and cloud formation for weather reports. On landing, the results had to be signalled or telephoned immediately to the Met Office at Adastral House in London. After Quill took command of the flight in November 1934 he and his team managed to fly every slot for
8700-412: The combustion pressure backfired into the intake. To avoid this effect the engine controls would automatically increase the minimum idle setting as altitude increased, until at very high altitudes the idle setting was so high, however, that it was close to maximum dry thrust. This resulted in one of the test aircraft being stuck in a mach 1.2 supercruise at high altitude and having to reduce speed by turning
8816-467: The company headquarters and initial test flight in Germany rather than the UK, to have a bigger design influence. When the agreement was finalised, the United Kingdom and West Germany each had a 42.5% stake of the workload, with the remaining 15% going to Italy; this division of the production work was heavily influenced by international political bargaining. The front fuselage and tail assembly
8932-555: The conclusion of the project definition phase in May 1970, the concepts were reduced to two designs; a single seat Panavia 100 which West Germany initially preferred, and the twin-seat Panavia 200 which the RAF preferred. The aircraft was briefly called the Panavia Panther , and the project soon coalesced towards the two-seat option. In September 1971, the three governments signed an Intention to Proceed (ITP) document, at which point
9048-424: The decision to retire 90 Tornados from service with the Luftwaffe. This led to a reduction in its Tornado strength to four wings by September 2005. On 13 January 2004, the then German Defence Minister Peter Struck announced further major changes to the German armed forces. A major part of this announcement was the plan to cut the German fighter fleet from 426 in early 2004 to 265 by 2015. The German Tornado force
9164-416: The design. Variable wing geometry allowed for minimal drag during the low-level dash towards a well-prepared enemy. Advanced navigation and flight computers, including the then-innovative fly-by-wire system, greatly reduced the workload of the pilot during low-level flight and eased control of the aircraft. For long range missions, the Tornado has a retractable refuelling probe . As a multirole aircraft,
9280-408: The designs to the German team, and requested further information to help their engineers overcome the problems with the Tornado intake, but Chief Engineer Talbot refused. According to Talbot, the Concorde engineers had determined the issue with the Tornado intake was that the engine did not respond to unexpected changes in the intake position, and therefore the engine was running at the wrong setting for
9396-495: The development cost had been higher than predicted, in part due to the ambitious performance requirements. At the time of the Tornado's introduction to service, the turbine blades of the engine suffered from a shorter life span than desired, which was rectified by the implementation of design revisions upon early-production engines. Several uprated engines were developed and used on both the majority of Tornado ADVs and Germany's Tornado ECRs. The DECU ( Digital Engine Control Unit )
9512-423: The distance required to land safely. To fully deploy the thrust reverser during landings, the yaw damper is connected to the steering of the nosewheel to provide greater stability. In August 1974, the first RB199 powered flight of a prototype Tornado occurred and the engine completed its qualification tests in late 1978. The final production standard engine met both reliability and performance standards, though
9628-533: The end of 1933 Quill was posted to the RAF Meteorological Flight at Duxford . There he joined a small team flying obsolescent Armstrong Whitworth Siskin IIIAs with open cockpits, no artificial horizon or radio, and only the most rudimentary blind-flying instruments (a Reid & Sigrist "turn-and-bank" indicator and an inclinometer). Wearing electrically heated suits which plugged into a socket in
9744-617: The equipment to operate them for a total value of £250 million in August 1985, but cancelled the order in 1990 due to financial difficulties. During the 1970s, Australia considered joining the MRCA programme to find a replacement for their ageing Dassault Mirage IIIs ; ultimately the McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet was selected to meet the requirement. Canada similarly opted for the F/A-18 after considering
9860-591: The era were beginning to incorporate features such as more sophisticated stability augmentation systems and autopilots. Aircraft such as the Tornado and the General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon made use of these new technologies. Failure testing of the Tornado's triplex analogue command and stability augmentation system (CSAS) was conducted on a series of realistic flight control rigs; the variable-sweep wings in combination with varying, and frequently very heavy, payloads complicated
9976-422: The first prototype took flight. In order for the Tornado to perform well as a low-level supersonic strike aircraft, it was considered necessary for it to possess good high-speed and low-speed flight characteristics. To achieve high-speed performance, a swept or delta wing is typically adopted, but these wing designs are inefficient at low speeds. To operate at both high and low speeds with great effectiveness,
10092-441: The flight stability system. The Tornado incorporates a combined navigation/attack Doppler radar that simultaneously scans for targets and conducts fully automated terrain-following for low-level flight operations. Being able to conduct all-weather hands-off low-level flight was considered one of the core advantages of the Tornado. The Tornado ADV had a different radar system to other variants, designated AI.24 Foxhunter , as it
10208-737: The fuselage forward of the engine intakes to capture oblique images, and a single IRLS ( InfrarRed LineScan ) sensor mounted on the fuselage's underside to provide vertical images. TIRRS recorded images on six S-VHS video tapes . The newer RAPTOR reconnaissance pod replaced the built-in TIRRS system. The Tornado is cleared to carry the majority of air-launched weapons in the NATO inventory, including various unguided and laser-guided bombs , anti-ship and anti-radiation missiles , as well as specialised weapons such as anti-personnel mines and anti-runway munitions. To improve survivability in combat,
10324-457: The hydraulics are completely contained within the airframe rather than integrating with the engine to improve safety and maintainability. In case of double-engine, or double-generator, failure, the Tornado has a single-use battery capable of operating the fuel pump and hydraulics for up to 13 minutes. Relatively rarely among fighter aircraft, the RB199 is fitted with thrust reversers to decrease
10440-712: The integration of the Paveway IV bomb and a communications upgrade, followed by a new tactical datalink in Phase B. Beginning in 2000, German IDS and ECR Tornados received the ASSTA 1 (Avionics System Software Tornado in Ada) upgrade. ASSTA 1 involved a replacement weapons computer, new GPS and Laser Inertial navigation systems. The new computer allowed the integration of the HARM III, HARM 0 Block IV/V and Taurus KEPD 350 missiles,
10556-462: The issue. In September 1969, Rolls-Royce's RB199 engine was selected to power the MRCA. One advantage over the US competition was that a technology transfer between the partner nations had been agreed; the engine was to be developed and manufactured by a joint company, Turbo-Union . The programme was delayed by Rolls-Royce's entry into receivership in 1971. however the nature of the multinational collaboration process helped avoid major disruption of
10672-504: The laser-targeted Joint Direct Attack Munition along with further software changes. In January 2016, Bild newspaper stated that the newest upgrade of the ASSTA suite to version 3.1, which includes colour multifunctional LCD screens in place of monochrome CRT displays, is interfering with helmet-mounted night-vision optical displays worn by pilots, rendering German Tornado bombers deployed to Syria useless for night missions. The defence ministry admitted that bright cockpit lights could be
10788-439: The nearby aerial activity had prompted Quill to seek a non-commissioned career in the Royal Air Force. While still a pupil at Lancing, he attended the famous annual RAF displays at Hendon . Two years later he participated in the event. At the age of 18, Quill was accepted into the Royal Air Force as an acting pilot officer. He learned to fly on Avro Tutor biplanes at No. 3 Flying Training School at Grantham, and went solo after
10904-414: The partner nations' requirements were so diverse, it was decided to develop a single aircraft that could perform a variety of missions that were previously undertaken by a fleet of different aircraft. Britain joined the MRCA group in 1968, represented by Air Vice-Marshal Michael Giddings , and a memorandum of agreement was drafted between Britain, West Germany, and Italy in May 1969. By the end of 1968,
11020-442: The pilot, Paul Millett described his experience: "Aircraft handling was delightful... the actual flight went so smoothly that I did begin to wonder whether this was not yet another simulation". Flight testing led to the need for minor modifications. Airflow disturbances were corrected by re-profiling the engine intakes and the fuselage to minimise surging and buffeting at supersonic speeds. According to Jim Quinn, programmer of
11136-412: The point where one was familiar with every conceivable combination of speed and altitude of which the aircraft was capable, one was not master of the aeroplane. Therefore a day would come when the aeroplane decided that it was in charge instead of the pilot, and that would be the last day. I never had cause to modify that view, and I kept my aerobatics well honed to the day of my last flight as a pilot. At
11252-404: The prospective purchases from the six countries amounted to 1,500 aircraft. Canada and Belgium had departed before any long-term commitments had been made to the programme; Canada had found the project politically unpalatable; there was a perception in political circles that much of the manufacturing and specifications were focused on Western Europe. France had made a favourable offer to Belgium on
11368-472: The rear three phase conversion power supply plug-in board and applying 28 VDC (<4.1 A) to the power supply board, the device can be powered for avionics enthusiast use. The AMLCD has a built in menu for selecting the airplane type: GR1, GR4 or F3, a self test and a display test like a grid pattern and color bars shown in the picture. BAE Systems announced that, in December 2013, it had test-flown
11484-508: The short time of 5 hours 20 minutes (9 hours being regarded as the norm). He graduated to Siskin IIIA advanced trainers, and his flying ability was assessed as exceptional. In September 1932 he joined No. 17 Squadron RAF at Upavon , where he began flying Bristol Bulldog fighters. While with 17 Squadron he took part in the Royal Air Force display at Hendon in June 1933, demonstrating low flying in
11600-720: The swing-wing EWR-Fairchild-Hiller A400 AVS Advanced Vertical Strike (which has a similar configuration to the Tornado) from 1964 to 1968. In 1968, West Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, Italy and Canada formed a working group to examine replacements for the Lockheed F-104G Starfighter multi-role fighter-bomber, initially called the Multi Role Aircraft (MRA) , later renamed as the Multi Role Combat Aircraft (MRCA) . As
11716-425: The two white domes at the top of the display containing the light sensors for automatic brightness regulation and the white buttons. The newer digital version is mainly recognisable by the black buttons with big white dots on them. The replacement AMLCD version has a color display instead of the original green monochrome display. A new feature is that the AMLCD has a bezel that reduces the angle of view. The main goal of
11832-493: The two-seat version being the Panavia 200. The RAF was to have the two-seat version. The avionics on the aircraft were developed by another ad hoc European company, Avionica, formed by Elliott (UK), Elektronik System (West Germany) and SIA (Italy). The Tornado first flew in 1974. The first director of flight operations was Wing Commander Roland Beamont . Marketing of the plane was directed by Jeffrey Quill from 1969–76, who had been head of marketing at SEPECAT. The RAF flew
11948-521: The unit cost was expected to be only $ 2.9m. Around 1965, the UK ( BAC ) had been negotiating with France ( Dassault Aviation ) to produce the AFVG (Anglo-French Variable Geometry), which looked remarkably similar to what became the Tornado. The project failed due to the French manufacturer wanting to produce its own all-French variable geometry aircraft (the experimental Dassault Mirage G ) which first flew in 1967, and never entered service, being cancelled in
12064-544: The wings are swept back, the exposed wing area is lowered and drag is significantly decreased, which is conducive to performing high-speed low-level flight. The weapons pylons pivot with the angle of the variable-sweep wings so that the stores point in the direction of flight and do not hinder any wing positions. In development, significant attention was given to the Tornado's short-field take-off and landing ( STOL ) performance. Germany, in particular, encouraged this design aspect. For shorter take-off and landing distances,
12180-556: The year before) and Fiat Aviazione (which became Aeritalia that year). It was planned to produce more than 1,000 aircraft. An aircraft was needed to counter the perceived threat from Russian aircraft such as the MiG-25 Foxbat and the Su-15 Flagon aircraft, which had been in service since around 1967. A multi-purpose aircraft was needed to allow a long production run and to lower costs per aircraft ( unit price ). In 1970,
12296-697: Was Allen Greenwood , of BAC in Weybridge . In 1989, the German involvement became DaimlerChrysler Aerospace (DASA). On 15 September 1986, the Munich offices (which also housed the Bavarian State Office for Environmental Protection) were damaged by a bomb. The aircraft was originally known as the MRA-75, the MRCA and the ACA. Design work began in May 1969. By 1970, it was known as the Panavia 100, with
12412-563: Was a British test pilot who served on secondment with the Royal Air Force and Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve during the Second World War . He was also the second man to fly the Supermarine Spitfire after Vickers Aviation's chief test pilot, Joseph "Mutt" Summers . After succeeding Summers as Vickers' chief test pilot, Quill test-flew every mark of Spitfire. Quill's work on the aircraft aided its development from
12528-632: Was assigned to BAC (now BAE Systems ) in the United Kingdom; the centre fuselage to MBB (now part of Airbus ) in West Germany; and the wings to Aeritalia (now Leonardo ) in Italy. Similarly, tri-national worksharing was used for engines and equipment. A separate multinational company, Turbo-Union , was formed in June 1970 to develop and build the RB199 engines for the aircraft, with ownership split 40% Rolls-Royce , 40% MTU , and 20% FIAT . At
12644-432: Was built into the flight controls, such as the centrally located stick . Because the Tornado's variable wings enable the aircraft to drastically alter its flight envelope, the artificial responses adjust automatically to wing profile changes and other changes to flight attitude. As a large variety of munitions and stores can be outfitted, the resulting changes to the aircraft's flight dynamics are routinely compensated for by
12760-495: Was controversial: one political party launched an unsuccessful legal bid to block the deployment as unconstitutional. In support of the Afghanistan mission, improvements in the Tornado's reconnaissance equipment were accelerated; enhancing the Tornado's ability to detect hidden improvised explosive devices (IEDs). The German Tornados were withdrawn from Afghanistan in November 2010. Defence cuts announced in March 2003 resulted in
12876-511: Was delivered to West Germany on 19 December 1987. Export customers were sought after West Germany withdrew its objections to exporting the aircraft; Saudi Arabia was the only export customer of the Tornado. The agreement to purchase the Tornado was part of the Al-Yamamah arms deal between British Aerospace and the Saudi government. Oman had committed to purchasing eight Tornado F2s and
12992-514: Was educated at Lancing College , which overlooked Shoreham aerodrome , at that time a small grass field with old hangars and a wooden hut for a flying club. While at Lancing, Quill became Captain of Gibbs House (1930) and Prefect (1931). He played in the Cricket XI (1930–31); Football XI (1929–30); and was Sergeant in the Officers' Training Corps , Cert. A. Long before he left school in 1931,
13108-419: Was introduced into service in 1979–1980. Due to its multirole design, it was able to replace several different types of aircraft in the adopting air forces. The Royal Saudi Air Force (RSAF) became the only export operator of the Tornado, in addition to the three original partner nations. A training and evaluation unit operating from RAF Cottesmore , the Tri-National Tornado Training Establishment , maintained
13224-481: Was later attached to 1837 (Fighter) squadron, which was shore-based. During his time with the Navy he made more than 75 deck landings. The distinguished naval test pilot Eric Brown later wrote: "Jeffrey was an inspired choice, as he had the analytical mind of a superb test pilot, trained to find answers to any flight problem." By the time Quill returned to Supermarine he knew the problems thoroughly, having deck-landed all
13340-602: Was still looking for a replacement for its Avro Vulcan strategic bomber and Blackburn Buccaneer strike aircraft. Britain and France had initiated the BAC/Dassault AFVG (from "Anglo-French Variable Geometry") project in 1965, but this had ended with French withdrawal in 1967. Britain continued to develop a variable-geometry aircraft similar to the proposed AFVG, and sought new partners to achieve this. West German EWR with Boeing then with Fairchild-Hiller and Republic Aviation had been developing design studies of
13456-691: Was to be reduced to 85, with the type expected to remain in service with the Luftwaffe until 2025. The aircraft being retained have been undergoing a service life extension programme. Currently, the Luftwaffe operates Tornados with Tactical Wings Taktisches Luftwaffengeschwader 33 in Cochem/ Büchel Air Base , Rhineland-Palatinate and with Taktisches Luftwaffengeschwader 51 "Immelmann" in Jagel, Schleswig-Holstein . Jeffrey Quill Jeffrey Kindersley Quill , OBE , AFC , FRAeS (1 February 1913 – 20 February 1996)
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