Instant Sunshine Tornado

[Hobbes]

(moved to its proper place)

Way back in 2005 I took part in a one-week build but didn't finish my project. I tried and failed to scratchbuild some ALCMs. I shelved the project, and the unfinished Tornado has been eyeing me accusingly from the build pile ever since. But recently I acquired a number of ALCMs off of a B-1 or B-52 kit in a trade, and this is the result.

It's 1981. The Cold War is in full swing. Great Britain still has a sizable force in West Germany. One of its roles is nuclear deterrent: after some disastrous experiments with submarine-launched missiles, it has been decided that the deterrent should remain with the RAF. The Vulcan is no longer considered to be capable of penetrating Soviet air defences even at low level, and the nuclear role is transferred to the RAF's newest acquisition, the Tornado GR.1. Nuclear freefall bombs are replaced with the new Boeing AGM-86B ALCM.

The GR.1 can carry up to 4 ALCMs as seen here. The German-based Tornadoes are assigned targets in western Russia; thanks to the long range of the ALCM, the Tornado can release the missiles over eastern Germany, close enough to base that it does not need external fuel tanks.  







The kit is the Airfix GR.4 built without the GR.4 bits.

[GTX]

Well done - I must admit, when I saw Instant Sunshine Tornado, I thought of a Tornado in anti-flash white...

Regards,

Greg

[kitnut617]

Hmmm! now that is very nice --- and interesting too 

[Captain Canada]

Great idea ! She looks wicked with those 4 cruise missiles.....excellent !

[NARSES2]

Glad she got finished Harro