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93-616: The Panavia Tornado Air Defence Variant ( ADV ) is a long-range, twin-engine swing-wing interceptor aircraft developed by the European Panavia Aircraft GmbH consortium. It was a specialised derivative of the multirole Panavia Tornado . Development of the Tornado ADV formally commenced in 1976. It was primarily intended to intercept Soviet bombers as they were traversing across the North Sea with

186-414: A " swing wing ", is an airplane wing , or set of wings, that may be modified during flight, swept back and then returned to its previous straight position. Because it allows the aircraft's shape to be changed, it is an example of a variable-geometry aircraft. A straight wing is most efficient for low-speed flight, but for an aircraft designed for transonic or supersonic flight it is essential that

279-527: A brochure on the UKVG proposal; various proposals would be issued to cover the use of multiple different engines. The quick production of a demonstrator aircraft, powered by a pair of Rolls-Royce/MAN Turbo RB153 turbofan engines, was also mooted. As solely funding for the UKVG was unrealistic, the British government pursued partners within its fellow NATO members, promoting the concept of developing and procuring

372-460: A common NATO strike aircraft. In July 1968, a memorandum of understanding was signed between Britain, West Germany , Italy , the Netherlands , Belgium , and Canada . This memorandum eventually led to the launch of the multinational Multi-Role Combat Aircraft (MRCA) project, which successfully produced a variable geometry aircraft for the strike, reconnaissance, and interception missions in

465-579: A complete round of wind tunnel tests, the British Government failed to provide financial backing for the work, allegedly due to budget constraints at the time . Independently from Baynes, British engineer Barnes Wallis was also developing a more radical variable-geometry concept, which he called the wing controlled aerodyne, to maximise the economy of high-speed flight. His first study was the Wild Goose project. Subsequently, Barnes devised

558-561: A configuration for the TFX (Tactical Fighter Experimental) program, which resulted in the development of the General Dynamics F-111 , a sizable twin-engined aircraft intended to perform multiple roles. The F-111 is the first production aircraft to feature a variable-geometry wing and it, along with other systems such as terrain following radar and turbofan engines outfitted with afterburners , were innovative technologies for

651-527: A lack of airborne threats materialising in the theatre, the F3s were withdrawn and returned to European bases that same year. As part of the Delivering Security in a Changing World White Paper, on 21 July 2004, Defence Secretary Geoff Hoon detailed plans to reduce the number of Tornado F3 squadrons by one to three squadrons. This represented 16 aircraft and was the first stage in the transition to

744-499: A number of further studies, including a wing controlled aerodyne in response to OR.346 for a supersonic STOL fighter-bomber, then as BAC two further submissions: the Type 583 to meet Naval ER.206 and Type 584 to meet NATO NBMR.3, both also being V/STOL requirements. In 1960, Maurice Brennan joined Folland Aircraft as its chief engineer and director; he soon set about harnessing his experience of variable-geometry wings. Accordingly, such

837-531: A percentage of total wingspan ) between the wing pivots. By adopting a wider spacing, this not only reduced the negative aerodynamic effects of changing wing sweep, but also provided a larger fixed wing section which could be used for landing gear or stores pylons . This could, in fact, be adapted to more-or-less existing airframes, which the Soviets accordingly did, such as with the Sukhoi Su-17 (based on

930-504: A plug immediately behind the cockpit, which had the unexpected benefit of reducing drag and making space for an additional fuel tank (Tank '0') carrying 200 imperial gallons (909 L; 240 U.S. gal) of fuel. The artificial feel of the flight controls was lighter on the Tornado ADV than on the IDS. Various other differences were present amongst the aircraft's avionics, displays, guidance systems and software packages. The Tornado F2

1023-407: A radical aircraft configuration for high-speed flight, which he regarded as distinct from the conventional fixed-wing aeroplane and called it the wing controlled aerodyne. His previous work on the stability of airships had impressed on him the high control forces that could be exerted on the body of an aircraft, through very small deflections. He conceived of a simple ichthyoid (fish-like) fuselage with

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1116-609: A six-foot scale model , at speeds of up to Mach 2. However, in 1957, British government decided to withdraw backing from many aeronautical programs, including Wallis' work. Despite this lack of backing, the Swallow attracted international attention for some time. During late 1958, research efforts were temporarily revived through cooperation with the Mutual Weapons Development Programme of NATO , under which all of Wallis' variable geometry research

1209-479: A sliding wing root or larger tail stabiliser, must be incorporated to trim out the changes and maintain level flight. The added weight of the sweep and trim mechanisms eat into the performance gains, while their complexity adds to cost and maintenance. By moving the wing pivots outboard and only sweeping part of the wing, the trim changes are reduced, but so too is the variation in span and accompanying operational flexibility. British engineer Barnes Wallis developed

1302-590: A small angle during flight. This allowed longitudinal trim in the absence of a separate horizontal stabiliser. The concept would later be incorporated in Barnes Wallis's wing-controlled aerodyne. During the Second World War , researchers in Nazi Germany discovered the advantages of the swept wing for transonic flight, and also its disadvantages at lower speeds. The Messerschmitt Me P.1101

1395-756: A successful air defence fighter... The RSAF's experience with the first eight Tornado ADVs was negative". In 1990, the RSAF signed several agreements with the US to later receive deliveries of the McDonnell Douglas F-15E Strike Eagle , and thus had a reduced need for the Tornado ADV; Saudi Arabia chose to convert further orders for up to 60 Tornado ADVs to the IDS strike variant instead. During 1991, during Operation Desert Storm over neighbouring Iraq, RSAF Tornado ADVs flew 451 air-defence sorties, operating in conjunction with RSAF F-15s. In 2006, it

1488-438: A variable wing. No other control surfaces were needed. Subtle movements of the wings were able to induce the small deflections which controlled the direction of flight, while trim was maintained by adjusting the angle of sweep to compensate for the varying position of the centre of lift at different speeds. For supersonic flight a delta-planform lifting body is more suitable than a simple ichthyoid. A conflict also arises between

1581-454: A wing was combined with the firm's Folland Gnat light fighter for two different concepts – one tailless and one using with a conventional tail – for a multipurpose fighter/strike/trainer, designated as the Fo. 147. It had a unique mechanism for wing sweep that combined tracks on the fuselage sides and the underside of the wings, which was actuated by hydraulically -driven ball screws positioned at

1674-542: Is higher than that of an unswept wing. These tradeoffs are particularly acute for naval carrier-based aircraft . A variable-sweep wing allows the pilot to use the optimum sweep angle for the aircraft's speed at the moment, whether slow or fast. The more efficient sweep angles available offset the weight and volume penalties imposed by the wing's mechanical sweep mechanisms. Its greater complexity and cost make it practical mostly for military aircraft . A number of aircraft, both experimental and production, were introduced between

1767-473: Is not necessary to sweep the port and starboard wings in the same sense - one can be swept back and the other forward, as in the oblique wing . Varying the sweep asymmetrically by small amounts was also fundamental to the principle of the wing controlled aerodyne. The earliest use of variable sweep was to trim the aeroplane for level flight. The Westland-Hill Pterodactyl IV of 1931 was a tailless design whose lightly swept wings could vary their sweep through

1860-932: Is not the same as dynamic data . Real-time data can be dynamic (e.g. a variable indicating current location) or static (e.g. a fresh log entry indicating location at a specific time). Real-time economic data, and other official statistics , are often based on preliminary estimates, and therefore are frequently adjusted as better estimates become available. These later adjusted data are called " revised data ". The terms real-time economic data and real-time economic analysis were coined by Francis X. Diebold and Glenn D. Rudebusch. Macroeconomist Glenn D. Rudebusch defined real-time analysis as 'the use of sequential information sets that were actually available as history unfolded.' Macroeconomist Athanasios Orphanides has argued that economic policy rules may have very different effects when based on error-prone real-time data (as they inevitably are in reality) than they would if policy makers followed

1953-678: The Al-Yamamah arms deal , for the provision of various military equipment and services. The September 1985 deal involved the purchase of a large number of Tornado aircraft; including the Tornado ADV variant, along with armaments, radar equipment, spare parts and a pilot-training programme for the inbound fleet, in exchange for providing 600,000 barrels of oil per day over the course of several years. The first Al-Yamamah agreement ordered 24 Tornado ADVs and 48 Tornado IDSs. The RSAF received its first ADV on 9 February 1989. U.S. analyst Anthony Cordesman commented that "the Tornado ADV did not prove to be

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2046-557: The Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-23 fighter and the Sukhoi Su-24 tactical bomber, both of which flew in prototype forms around the end of the 1960s and entering service during the early 1970s. During 1962, Tupolev's design team, recognising room for improvement on the recently introduced Tupolev Tu-22 bomber, begun work on an extensively redesigned derivative that incorporated a variable geometry wing, intended to address

2139-524: The North Sea and Northern Atlantic in order to maintain its airborne patrol . The capability of its weapon systems was a dramatic improvement over its predecessors. Compared with the Phantom, the Tornado had greater acceleration, twice the range and loiter time, and was more capable of operating from short 'austere' air strips. Older aircraft were reliant on a network of ground-based radar stations, but

2232-872: The Royal Air Force (RAF). The necessity to procure a modern interceptor was primarily driven by the threat posed by the sizable strategic bomber fleet then being operated by the Soviet Union , in particular the Tupolev Tu-22M , a recently introduced supersonic bomber. Even at the onset of development on what would become the Tornado IDS ( interdictor / strike ) in 1968, the possibility of a variant dedicated to air defence had been quietly considered. While several American aircraft had been evaluated for meeting this requirement, they were all determined to be unsuitable. Despite Britain's strong interest in

2325-524: The Sukhoi T-4 designs. Designated as the Tupolev Tu-160 , it entered operational service with the 184th Guards Heavy Bomber Regiment located at Pryluky Air Base , Ukrainian SSR , during April 1987. The aircraft is the largest and heaviest combat aircraft, the fastest bomber in use and the largest and heaviest variable-sweep wing airplane to have ever flown as of 2020. A variable-sweep wing

2418-503: The Swallow , a blended wing tailless aircraft, which was envisioned to be capable of making return flights between Europe and Australia within ten hours. Later on, the Swallow was increasingly viewed as a potential supersonic successor to the subsonic Vickers Valiant , one of the RAF's V bombers . During the 1950s, several modes of the Swallow were subjected to promising tests, including

2511-411: The camber or chord of the wing automatically to adjust to the flight regime; this technique is another form of variable geometry . A straight, unswept wing experiences high drag as it approaches the speed of sound, due to the progressive buildup of sonic shockwaves. Sweeping the wing at an angle, whether backwards or forwards, delays their onset and reduces their overall drag. However it also reduces

2604-556: The 1940s and the 1970s. The majority of production aircraft to be furnished with variable-sweep wings have been strike-oriented aircraft, such as the Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-27 , Tupolev Tu-22M , and Panavia Tornado . The configuration was also used for a few fighter/ interceptor aircraft , including the Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-23 , Grumman F-14 Tomcat , and the Panavia Tornado ADV . From the 1980s onwards,

2697-680: The 1970s negated many of the disadvantages of a fixed-wing configuration. No new variable-sweep wing aircraft have been built since the Tu-160. In 2015, the Russian Ministry of Defence announced plans to restart Tu-160 production, citing the aging of the current aircraft and likely protracted development of its eventual replacement, the PAK DA project. Production restarted in 2021, marking the first new variable sweep airframes to be produced in 29 years. Real-time data Real-time data

2790-465: The 2003 invasion of Iraq and operated by No. 11 Squadron RAF . According to aviation historian Michael Leek, from the onset of the type's development, the Tornado ADV encountered "...controversy and many questions over the ADV's performance and suitability - controversy which stayed with the aircraft for much of its service life". The Tornado ADV was designed to serve in the role of an interceptor against

2883-603: The AFVG, as it was working on two competing in-house projects: the variable geometry Mirage G and the Mirage F1 . According to aviation author Derek Wood, both Dassault and the French Air Force were unenthusiastic participants in the AFVG, the former wanting to pursue its own indigenous variable geometry aircraft, while the latter had determined that the type did not align with its future equipment plans. In June 1967,

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2976-485: The F3's Foxhunter radar was capable of performing much longer and wider scans of surrounding airspace; the Tornado could track and engage targets at far greater distances. The Tornado also had the ability to share its radar and targeting information with other aircraft via JTIDS/Link 16 and was one of the first aircraft to have a digital data bus , used for the transmission of data between onboard computers. On 5 November 1984,

3069-648: The F3's replacement, the Eurofighter Typhoon , which entered operational service with the RAF in 2005. In April 2009, it was announced that the Tornado F3 force would be reduced to one squadron of 12 aircraft in September 2009. The last operational Tornado F3s in RAF service were retired when No. 111 (F) Squadron, located at RAF Leuchars , was disbanded on 22 March 2011. In addition to the RAF's Tornado F3s, in 2007, QinetiQ leased four Tornado F3s from

3162-515: The F3, but without the engine upgrade) however, only the one F2A, the Tornado Integrated Avionics Research Aircraft (TIARA) was ever converted, having been customised by QinetiQ for unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) trials at MoD Boscombe Down . In November 1987, No. 29 (Fighter) Squadron became the first RAF squadron to be declared operational with the Tornado ADV. The combat debut of the Tornado F3

3255-556: The French government announced their withdrawal from the AFVG project ostensibly on the grounds of cost. Despite the AFVG programme's collapse, the design was revamped by BAC into a larger strike-oriented variable geometry aircraft. Holding contracts were issued to BAC to support the project, which had been re-designated as the United Kingdom Variable Geometry (UKVG) aircraft. In November 1967, BAC issued

3348-569: The Iraqi theatre. Several shortcomings with the Tornado F3 were still present during the Gulf War, such as the lack of modern IFF and secure communications equipment. Partially due to this, they largely performed patrols further back from Iraqi airspace where encounters with enemy aircraft were less likely; no Tornado F3s engaged enemy aircraft. From August 1990 to March 1991, the RAF's F3 detachment flew more than 2,000 combat air patrol sorties. In

3441-541: The MOD for the purpose of conducting weapons testing activities. QinetiQ's force of four F3s remained flying beyond the RAF's retirement of the type, in their latter service they were being used for aerial testing of the new MBDA Meteor air-to-air missile, and thus were the only flying examples in the UK for a time. Their final mission was flown on 20 June 2012, and the last three flown to RAF Leeming for scrapping on 9 July 2012. In

3534-702: The MoD signed a contract for a further upgrade to allow for these midcourse updates. This upgrade, together with updated IFF , was known as the AMRAAM Optimisation Programme (AOP) and was incorporated in the remaining F3 fleet between December 2003 and September 2006. A further upgrade, disclosed in early 2003, was the integration of the ALARM anti-radiation missile to enable several Tornado ADVs to conduct Suppression of Enemy Air Defenses (SEAD) missions. The F3's existing radar warning receivers formed

3627-549: The P.45 light attack/trainer to AST 362. This work fed into a joint Anglo-French programme to develop a variable geometry strike aircraft – the Anglo French Variable Geometry Aircraft (AFVG). This multirole aircraft was to be equipped with a variable geometry wing and was intended to perform the strike , reconnaissance, and interceptor roles. However, as early as 1966, the French aircraft manufacturer Dassault began to actively undermine

3720-489: The RAF and RSAF retired their Tornado ADV fleets in the early 2010s; the type has been replaced in both services by the Eurofighter Typhoon . The origins of the Tornado ADV can be traced back to the issuing of RAF Air Staff Requirement 395 (ASR.395), which called for a long-range interceptor to replace both the English Electric Lightning F6 and McDonnell Douglas Phantom FGR2 then in service with

3813-445: The RAF to lease 24 Tornado F3s from the RAF for a period of ten years. The lease included 96 Sky Flash TEMP missiles (a lower standard than the version in RAF service), training, logistical supply for ADV-specific equipment and access to the RAF facility at Saint Athan. During March 1995, the training of the first AMI pilots commenced at RAF Coningsby while technicians gained experience at RAF Cottesmore and Coningsby. On 5 July 1995,

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3906-694: The TSR-2 was terminated during the flight testing phase primarily due to the programme's spiralling costs. To replace the TSR-2, the Air Ministry initially placed an option for the American General Dynamics F-111K ; while the F-111K was promoted as being cheaper, this too was terminated during January 1968 on grounds of cost. Following the TSR-2's cancellation, BAC moved their variable-geometry work to Warton, there submitting

3999-415: The Tornado ADV demonstrated its noticeably superior supersonic acceleration to the Tornado IDS, even while carrying a full weapons loadout. The test programme was greatly aided by the use of real-time telemetry , which broadcast live data from in-flight aircraft back to technicians on the ground. The Tornado ADV's differences compared to the Tornado IDS include a greater sweep angle on the wing gloves, and

4092-733: The Tornado F-3 became the definitive variant operated by the RAF. It was also operated by the Italian Air Force (AMI) and the Royal Saudi Air Force (RSAF). The AMI leased the type during the 2000s as an interim aircraft while awaiting delivery of multirole Eurofighter Typhoon fighters. During its service life, the Tornado ADV received several upgrades which enhanced its aerial capabilities and enabled it to perform Suppression of Enemy Air Defenses (SEAD) missions in addition to its interceptor duties. Ultimately, both

4185-741: The Tornado F.3 (originally F.Mk3) was declared operational. In order to maintain the Tornado F3 as an effective platform up to its planned phasing out date of 2010, the Ministry of Defence initiated the Capability Sustainment Programme (CSP). This £125 million project, announced on 5 March 1996, involved many elements, including the integration of the ASRAAM and AIM-120 AMRAAM air-to-air missiles, and radar upgrades to improve multi-target engagement. Additionally, it entailed improvement in pilot and navigator displays, along with

4278-459: The Tornado F3 reportedly proved troublesome to maintain at operational readiness while based outside the UK. Following lengthy delays in the Eurofighter programme to develop a successor to the F3 interceptor, the RAF initiated a major upgrade program in the late 1990s to enhance the aircraft's capabilities, primarily by integrating several newer air-to-air missiles. During 2003, the Tornado F3

4371-524: The Tu-22's poor handling characteristics more so than bolstering its efficiency at high speeds. As of 2014 more than 100 Tupolev Tu-22M strategic bombers are in use. During the late 1950s and early 1960s, Britain was developing the BAC TSR-2 , a supersonic low-level strategic bomber. Later variants of the type would have been fitted with variable-geometry wings. However, on 1 April 1965, development of

4464-727: The US Navy procured the Grumman F-14 Tomcat to replace the canceled F-111B fleet interceptor during the 1970s. The F-14 was a more nimble fighter than the F-4 Phantom II and, unlike the F-111, its variable-sweep wings automatically adjusted over its speed range, and could be moved even during turns. Furthermore, the wings could be swept forward for tight "bat" turns in close quarters aerial combat, as well as rearwards for dash speeds. Rockwell adopted variable geometry for

4557-672: The aftermath of the Gulf War, the RAF maintained a small squadron of F3s in Saudi Arabia to continue routine patrols of Iraqi no-fly zones . The 1990s saw multiple occasions in which the Tornado F3 engaged in active combat. Between 1993 and 1995, several were used to escort NATO aircraft engaged in Operation Deny Flight over Bosnia ; in 1999, the type conducted combat air patrols during Operation Allied Force in Yugoslavia. During these extended overseas deployments,

4650-509: The aim of preventing a successful air-launched nuclear attack against the United Kingdom. In this capacity, it was equipped with a powerful radar and beyond-visual-range missiles . Having been based on the multinational Tornado IDS, development was relatively quick. Originally, the programme was solely pursued by the United Kingdom. The first prototype performed its maiden flight on 27 October 1979; two further prototypes followed in

4743-487: The air defence concept, it proved to be unattractive to the other European partners on the Tornado project, leading to its development being pursued solely by the United Kingdom. On 4 March 1976, the development of the Tornado ADV was approved and it was announced that 165 of the 385 Tornados that were on order for the RAF would be of the air defence variant. In 1976, the British Aircraft Corporation

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4836-399: The basis of an Emission Location System (ELS), which can be employed to detect and locate operational radar systems in the aircraft's vicinity, while two ALARM missiles could be carried on pylons under the fuselage. Twelve aircraft, sometimes known by the unofficial designation Tornado EF3, were converted under an Urgent Operational Requirement (UOR) as part of the build up to Operation Telic ,

4929-556: The capabilities of either the AMRAAM or ASRAAM missiles. AMRAAM typically uses two mid-course updates after launch to refresh target information prior to its own seeker taking over; however, the CSP did not include the necessary datalink to provide this capability. The ASRAAM was not fully integrated, which prevented the full off-boresight capability of the missile being used. However, in June 2001,

5022-488: The capacity to carry four underwing Sidewinder missiles rather than two, and automatic wing sweep control. Upon its entrance into service, the principal armament of the Tornado F3 was the short-range Sidewinder and the medium-range Skyflash missiles, the latter being a British design derived from the American AIM-7 Sparrow . Perhaps the most prominent of the innovations incorporated into the Tornado F3

5115-457: The deletion of their Krueger flap , deletion of the port cannon , a longer radome for the Foxhunter radar, slightly longer airbrakes, and the fuselage being lengthened by 1.36 m; the latter change permitted the carriage of four Skyflash semi-active radar homing missiles. This stretch was achieved by altering the Tornado's forward fuselage, which was built in the UK, via the addition of

5208-571: The design and manufacturing quality. The F-111B, intended for the US Navy , was cancelled in 1968 due the aircraft's weight and performance issues, as well as its inadequacies for the service's fighter requirements. Several variants, such as the FB-111A strategic bomber model, featured elongated wings to give a greater range and load-carrying capability. The F-111's wing featured pivoting pylons (two under each wing) which automatically adjusted to

5301-400: The development of such aircraft were curtailed by advances in flight control technology and structural materials which have allowed designers to closely tailor the aerodynamics and structure of aircraft, removing the need for variable sweep angle to achieve the required performance; instead, wings are given computer-controlled flaps on both leading and trailing edges that increase or decrease

5394-419: The earlier swept wing Sukhoi Su-7 ). The limitation of the wide spacing, however, was that it reduced the benefits of variable geometry as much as it reduced their technical difficulties. As such, producing new, "clean-sheet" Soviet designs remained desirable. For this, TsAGI devised a more narrowly-spaced arrangement somewhat similar to that of the F-111. This design was used, albeit at different scales, for

5487-488: The early 1990s, the Italian Air Force ( Aeronautica Militare Italiana , or AMI) identified a requirement for a fighter to boost its air defence capabilities pending introduction of the Eurofighter Typhoon , expected around 2000. These fighters were to operate alongside the service's obsolescent F-104ASA Starfighters . The Tornado ADV was selected from, amongst others, the F-16. On 17 November 1993, Italy signed an agreement with

5580-548: The end of the conflict, the partially complete P.1101 was recovered and transported to the United States , where it was studied in depth by Bell Aircraft . However, due to a lack of documentation as well as some structural damage sustained, Bell decided against completing the aircraft itself. Instead, a close copy, known as the Bell X-5 , was constructed with wings that enabled the sweep angle to be altered mid-flight. As

5673-459: The era. Despite this head start in the field, development of the F-111 was protracted; flight testing of the F-111A model only ended in 1973. During 1968, cracks were discovered in the F-111's wing attach points , the issue also has been attributed with the loss of an F-111 in the following year. Accordingly, the attach points were structurally redesigned and subject to intensive testing of both

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5766-578: The first aircraft was accepted by the AMI and was flown to its Italian base the same day. Delivery of the first batch was completed by the end of year; these aircraft were deployed at Gioia del Colle in Southern Italy. The second batch was delivered between February and July 1997, these aircraft were of a slightly higher specification. In early 1997, the AMI announced that it was cancelling a series of scheduled upgrades to its Tornado fleet, stating that it

5859-524: The first interim Tornado F2 was first delivered to the RAF. These aircraft were primarily for training by No. 229 Operational Conversion Unit RAF . From July 1986, the F2's short career came to an end as they were replaced as the improved Tornado F3 entered service; the interim aircraft were promptly placed into storage. Originally, the Tornado F2s were intended to be updated to Tornado F2A standard (similar to

5952-400: The form of the Panavia Tornado. Following the AFVG effort, Dassault Aviation constructed a prototype fighter, the Mirage G, completing two aircraft, the Mirage G4 and G8, in 1968. Furthermore, Dassault also worked in cooperation with the American manufacturing interest Ling-Temco-Vought to develop the LTV V-507 , which was submitted for US Navy's VFX project . From the VFX submissions,

6045-526: The lease agreement), and a lack of equipment. During 2000, amid considerable delays in the Eurofighter programme, the AMI started its search for another interim fighter. While the Tornado ADV was a candidate once again, any long term extension to the lease arrangement would have involved the associated aircraft to be upgraded to RAF CSP standard along with structural modifications to extend the airframes' service life, officials considered such commitments to not be cost effective. In February 2001, Italy announced it

6138-412: The much larger Advanced Manned Strategic Bomber (AMSA) program that produced the B-1 Lancer bomber, intended to provide an optimum combination of high-speed cruising efficiency and fast, supersonic penetration speeds at extremely low level. The B-1's variable-sweep wings provide a relatively high level of lift during takeoff and landing, while also generating little drag during a high-speed dash. When

6231-514: The nose as an interim measure until they could be fitted with the radar sets. The ballast was nicknamed Blue Circle , which was a play on the Rainbow Codes nomenclature, and a British brand of cement called Blue Circle . Quantity production of the Tornado ADV started in 1980 and continued through to 1993. On 20 November 1985, the Tornado F3 made its maiden flight. Enhancements over the Tornado F2 included RB.199 Mk 104 engines, which were optimised for high-altitude use with longer afterburner nozzles,

6324-438: The overall span of a given wing, leading to poor cruise efficiency and high takeoff and landing speeds. A fixed wing must be a compromise between these two requirements. Varying the sweep in flight allows it to be optimised for each phase of flight, offering a smaller aircraft with higher performance. However it has disadvantages which must be allowed for. As the wing sweeps its centre of lift moves with it. Some mechanism, such as

6417-452: The pivot mechanism he had developed, NASA also insisted on implementing a conventional horizontal stabiliser to ease the issues of trim and manoeuvrability. Although it was no longer the wing-controlled aerodyne that Wallis envisaged, it would prove a more practical solution than either his or Bell's. Swallow research led to several new configurations, including the adoption of a compact folding tail section and canards . Barnes' work inspired

6510-424: The replacement of several of the onboard computer systems. The CSP saw the removal of a non-standard state of aircraft; various upgrades, in particular to the Foxhunter radar, had led to a situation described as "fleets within fleets". The Foxhunter radar caused difficulties in the upgrade programme, in particular the integration of the new AMRAAM missile. Cost-saving decisions meant that the CSP did not fully exploit

6603-420: The same rules but had more accurate data available. In order to better understand the accuracy of economic data and its effects on economic decisions, some economic organizations, such as the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis , Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia and the Euro-Area Business Cycle Network (EABCN), have made databases available that contain both real-time data and subsequent revised estimates of

6696-531: The sweep angle. Subsequent swing-wing aircraft, such as the Panavia Tornado and Sukhoi Su-24 , would also be similarly equipped. In the Soviet Union , military planners had also formulated similar requirements, which led to TsAGI , the Soviet aerodynamics bureau, performing extensive studies into variable geometry wings. TsAGI evolved two distinct designs, differing mainly in the distance (expressed as

6789-517: The threat of Soviet bombers, rather than as an air superiority fighter for engaging in prolonged air combat manoeuvering with various types of enemy fighters. In order to perform its anti-bomber primary mission, it was equipped with long range beyond visual range missiles such as the Skyflash , and later the AMRAAM ; the aircraft also had the ability to stay aloft for long periods and remain over

6882-413: The variable sweep wing. He devised a method of varying the tail geometry as well in order to stabilise the centre of lift; no sliding mechanism was necessary, instead, the wing wake interacted with the variable tail to effect the necessary trim changes. During 1949 and 1951, Baynes filed patent applications associated with this work. While the design reached the physical modelling stage and was subject to

6975-444: The wing be swept. Most aircraft that travel at those speeds usually have wings (either swept wing or delta wing ) with a fixed sweep angle. These are simple and efficient wing designs for high speed flight, but there are performance tradeoffs. One is that the stalling speed is increased, necessitating long runways (unless complex high-lift wing devices are built in). Another is that the aircraft's fuel consumption during subsonic cruise

7068-434: The wing sweep angle necessary for trim and the optimal angle for supersonic cruise. Wallis resolved this by moving mass, typically the engines, out to the wing tips and swivelling them as the wing swept in order to maintain the thrust line. In the asymmetric engine-out condition, the remaining engines could be swivelled to divert the thrust line closer to the centre of pressure and reduce the asymmetry to manageable levels. It

7161-494: The wing swept back, the root also slid forwards, maintaining the centre of lift in a constant position. A variable-sweep wing of this sliding type was flown on the prototype Grumman XF10F Jaguar in 1952. However, flight testing of the F10F proved to be unacceptable, albeit for other factors such as a lack of engine power and considerable controllability issues. During the late 1940s, British engineer L. E. Baynes started studying

7254-424: The wing's inner ends. The wings could be swept from 20 degrees to 70 degrees; at the 70-degree position, longitudinal control was maintained by wing tip-mounted elevons , while this was provided by a retractable canard arrangement when swept at the 20-degree position, using full auto- stabilisation . By providing trimming functionality via the canard, the necessity of a large tailplane was eliminated. The Fo. 147

7347-688: The wings were set to their widest position the aircraft had considerably better lift and power than the B-52, allowing the B-1 to operate from a much wider variety of bases. Rockwell submitted its proposal in January 1970, competing against bids by Boeing and General Dynamics. The B-1's development was authorised in October 1981 as a stopgap between the increasingly vulnerable B-52 and the more capable Advanced Technology Bomber (ATB). Initial operational capability

7440-530: The year after. The initial production model, the Tornado F2 , entered service with the Royal Air Force (RAF) in 1986. The Tornado F2, which was only produced in small numbers, lacked key features such as radar , due to development issues. Accordingly, it was quickly followed by the Tornado F3, which was introduced in 1989. Featuring optimised RB.199 Mk 104 engines, an expanded missile capacity, and automatic wing sweep control system amongst other improvements,

7533-509: Was an automatic manoeuvre device system that enabled the flight control computer to automatically adjust the level of wing sweep to maintain optimum flight characteristics. This function was similar in concept to the automatic sweeping wing (ASW) capability of the American Grumman F-14 Tomcat , a capability that greatly enhanced manoeuvrability, but was not present on any previous Tornado IDS and ADV models. During 1989,

7626-481: Was an experimental jet fighter which was, in part, developed to investigate the benefits of varying wing sweep. Its sweep angle mechanism, which could only be adjusted on the ground between three separate positions of 30, 40, and 45 degrees, was intended for testing only, and was unsuitable for combat operations. However, by Victory in Europe Day , the sole prototype was only 80 per cent complete. Following

7719-709: Was announced that, in addition to Saudi Arabia's contract to purchase the Eurofighter Typhoon, both the Tornado IDS and ADV fleets would undergo a £2.5 billion program of upgrades, allowing them to remain in service to at least 2020. Despite this, by 2011, the Eurofighter had taken over from the Tornado ADV in the air-defence role. Data from Jane's All The World's Aircraft 1993–94 , General characteristics Performance Armament Avionics Related development Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era Variable-sweep wing A variable-sweep wing , colloquially known as

7812-474: Was claimed to have been capable of speeds in excess of Mach 2, being limited by the heat buildup generated by high speed flight. Ultimately, the concept would not be developed to the prototype stage while the RAF showed little interest the prospective variable geometry trainer. During the 1960s, the first programmes to produce mass production variable-sweep aircraft commenced. In the United States, such

7905-468: Was contracted to provide three prototype aircraft. On 9 August 1979, the first prototype was rolled out at Warton ; it performed its maiden flight on 27 October 1979, piloted by David Eagles . The second and third development aircraft made their first flights on 18 July and 18 November 1980 respectively. The third prototype was primarily used in the testing of the new Marconi/Ferranti AI.24 Foxhunter aircraft interception radar . During flight testing,

7998-401: Was made in the 1991 Gulf War ; a total of 18 aircraft were deployed to Dhahran , Saudi Arabia in support of coalition forces. In order to best prepare these aircraft for active combat, they were progressively upgraded under a crash programme with improved radar, enhanced engines, superior defensive countermeasures, and multiple adaptions to the weapons systems that improved combat performance in

8091-619: Was one of the assets used in Operation Telic , Britain's contribution to the Iraq War . An expeditionary force composed of No. 43 (F) and No. 111 (F) Squadrons (known as Leuchars Fighter Wing), and No. 11 Squadron RAF and No. 25 Squadron RAF (known as Leeming Fighter Wing), was deployed to the region to carry out offensive counter-air operations. The Tornado F3's of Leuchars Fighter Wing operated all over Iraq, including missions over and around Baghdad, throughout Operation Telic. Due to

8184-471: Was placing priority for funding on the in-development Eurofighter instead. The Tornado proved to be fairly unreliable in Italian service, reportedly achieving serviceability rates of 50% or less. Air Forces Monthly this attributed the poor performance to the AMI having underestimated the different support requirements of the aircraft versus the Tornado IDS, a lack of spare engines (which were not included in

8277-580: Was reached on 1 October 1986 and the B-1B was placed on nuclear alert status. The Soviet Union also opted to develop a large strategic bomber equipped with variable geometry wings. During the early 1970s, Tupolev's design, which was initially designated Aircraft 160M , featured a lengthened blended wing layout and incorporated some elements of the Tu-144 , competed against the Myasishchev M-18 and

8370-547: Was selected as the winning design used by Boeing 's entry in the FAA 's study for a supersonic transport , the 2707 . However it evolved through several configurations during the design stage, finally adding a canard, and it eventually became clear that the design would be so heavy that it would be lacking sufficient payload for the fuel needed. The design was later abandoned in favor of a more conventional tailed delta wing . The advent of relaxed stability flight control systems in

8463-474: Was set to lease 35 F-16s from the United States as its new interim fighter. Accordingly, the AMI returned its Tornados to the RAF; the final aircraft arrived at RAF Saint Athan on 7 December 2004. A single aircraft was retained by the Italian Air Force for static display purposes. On 26 September 1985, Saudi Arabia and Britain signed a memorandum of understanding towards what would be widely known as

8556-546: Was shared with the Americans. According to aviation author James R. Hansen, American aerospace engineer John Stack was enthusiastic on the concept, as were numerous engineers at NASA ; however, the United States Department of Defense was opposed to committing any resources to the project. Wallis collaborated with NASA's Langley Laboratory on a design study for a variable-sweep fighter. Although it used

8649-519: Was the initial version of the Tornado ADV in RAF service, a total of 18 aircraft were built. Making its first flight on 5 March 1984, it was powered by the same RB.199 Mk 103 engines used by the IDS Tornado, capable of four wing sweep settings, and fitted to carry only two underwing Sidewinder missiles . Serious problems were discovered with the Foxhunter radar, which meant that the aircraft were delivered with concrete and lead ballast installed in

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