Tornado fires flares (1 Viewer)

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How could someone who likes such fine aircraft as the Lanc not like the warhorse that is the Tornado? It thrashed the yanks for precision bombing in Giant Voice etc and the ADV is a very pretty plane. Would have made a good bomber destroyer as per its original purpose but has been overtaken by events. I think with AMRAAm it would still put up a good fight. I recall how the yanks kept the ADVs back so they could steal all the glory in the Gulf Wars so any criticism of this plane cannot be backed up by any combat. I also read that the Tornado is the fastest plane extant at low level (where the real work is done). Groundcrews like it too coz everything's in reach and engine changes are a PoC.... plus of course it is great at airshows!
 
Fairly unreliable though, the ground crews I know who worked on the Tornado always complained about having to make sure twice the number of aircraft were prepared than were needed just to make sure enough were serviceable for a mission due to the number of technical errors in a preflight. They also had to work all night at exercises like red flag repairing everything that went wrong whereas the americans could petty much go home after a quick once over with their F-15E Strike Eagles. The Tornado is the better aircraft but the Strike Eagle is less work to do a similar job.

To compare it to cars the F-15E is a Corvette compared to the Tornado's TVR. :fadein:
 
I see what you mean.

While the Tornado has doen well in exercises etc it has had a mixed career in action. The GR1 has distinguished itself but we can see now how crazy those runway denail attacks with the JP233 were.

The ADV has never been in actual combat. Probably never will. Follows the great tradition of the RAF Lightning (and F4). Probably the last RAF fighter to see action was the Hunter. Maybe you can count the Harrier GR3 I dunno.

Interesting words about ground crews. I remember that TV doc on Maple Flag (Top Guns) and how much they had to do on the planes. They are fairly easy to work on but if things keep breaking down then it's no consolation. Sounds to me that either the failing components are under-specced or someone needs to do so quality control before strapping them on to the plane. What a contrast with the Hawk.
 

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