Table of Contents
- 1 Is the Panavia Tornado any good?
- 2 How far can a Panavia Tornado fly?
- 3 Is Panavia Tornado still in service?
- 4 Are Tornado aircraft still flying?
- 5 What aircraft replaced the Tornado?
- 6 When did the Panavia Tornado air defence variant first fly?
- 7 Is the tornado still a valid aircraft?
- 8 Why was the Tornado ADV so special?
“It provided a world-beating capability to fly in cloud, at night, at 250 ft., being undetected by enemy air defenses.” Because of the nuclear threat, the Tornado could fly old-school if its avionics systems went down, with crews using a map and stopwatch as well as night vision goggles if the conditions required.
Tornado fact file
| Date: | 1989 |
|---|---|
| Mark: | F.3 |
| Crew: | 2 (pilot, navigator) |
| Top speed: | 1,490 mph (2,400 km/h) |
| Range: | 1,151 miles (1,853 km) |
How fast is Panavia Tornado?
| Panavia Tornado | ||
|---|---|---|
| Performance | ||
| Maximum speed | Mach 2.2 clean | Mach 1.8 with stores |
| Cruising speed | 921 mph | 1,482 km/h |
| Range | See Notes |
In March 2019, the Royal Air Force (RAF) formally bid farewell to its remaining Panavia Tornado GR4/GR4A interdictor/strike aircraft. The Panavia Tornado is the product of a tri-national consortium, which sought to develop a new MRCA in the 1970s to replace several aircraft fleets in service with the involved nations.
Are Tornado aircraft still flying?
The Tornado, nicknamed the Tonka, is being retired by the RAF after four decades, in a flypast today. The RAF Tornado will fly for the final time today, bringing to an end four decades of distinguished operational history with the British armed forces.
What did the Panavia Tornado replace?
In the long term, it is planned to replace the Tornado IDS/ECR fleet in Italian service with the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II, with the final Italian Tornado scheduled to be phased out in 2025.
What aircraft replaced the Tornado?
In April 2020, it was reported that the German defense ministry plans to replace its Tornado aircraft with a split purchase of 30 Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornets, 15 EA-18G Growlers, and 55 Eurofighter Typhoons.
The Panavia Tornado Air Defence Variant ( ADV) was a long-range, twin-engine interceptor version of the swing-wing Panavia Tornado. The aircraft’s first flight was on 27 October 1979, and it entered service with the Royal Air Force (RAF) in 1986.
When did the F2 tornado ADV first fly?
The Tornado F2 was the initial version of the Tornado ADV in Royal Air Force service, with 18 being built. It first flew on 5 March 1984 and 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.
Is the tornado still a valid aircraft?
The Tornado still is a kickass aircraft, and many of the technologies now present in the Eurofighter Typhoon were first deployed in the Tornado. If fuselage fatigue isn’t an issue, I’d say it is perfectly valid even today, even without further upgrades, even for NATO countries.
Why was the Tornado ADV so special?
The Tornado ADV was designed to serve in the role of an interceptor against 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.