Tornado Themed Build?

[AeroplaneDriver]

So this Marc the RAF will retire the Tornado after 40 years of faithful service.  It has served in near constant combat theaters since 1991, which is kind of a historic milestone in and of itself. 

So is anyone interested in a Tornado Themed Build starting on the day of the last RAF Tornado flight in late March and lasting 40 days to commemorate its 40 years of service?

[PR19_Kit]

Sounds a great idea, but with my record of un-completed GB entries I doubt I'd even get as far as swinging the wings..............

[Thorvic]

Actually its been in a combat theatre since its first deployment as it was the main strike aircraft for the RAF and Luftwaffe/Marineflieger to the end of the cold war, do they didn't use them in anger but they were on the highest level of readiness for war on  real front line where they were more than likely to be the target than the attacker !.

A good call and the RAF have been repainting aircraft in historical schemes ready for its finale.

[Weaver]

Yes that's a decent idea. Off the cuff thoughts:

Canadian F.3s as a replacement for the Voodoos. Maybe they bought F-16s instead of F-18s to replace the F-104s & F-5s, but then needed something heavier for the domestic air-defence role. Note that Canada was in the MRCA programme at the start.

Australian GR.1s to fulfil the F-111 role after the latter was cancelled back in the 1960s. Maybe the Aussie ones would be hybrids with F.3 fuselages and Hindenburger tanks but GR.1 radomes/avionics to get the maximum range strike platform.

Other middle-eastern export customers apart from Saudi Arabia. Oman, Kuwait and Jordan would seem possibles. Oman actually decided to buy Tornados at one point but then cancelled.

Dutch GR.1s. The Netherlands was also in MRCA in the early days.

Dutch/Belgian/Danish/Norwegian GR.1s. Maybe the Starfighter/F-16 nations elected to buy fewer F-16s in the '70s and wait for the Tornado to fulfil their strike requirements?

JASDF Tornados. Japan considered the Tornado IRL before opting for the Mitsubishi F-2.

Spanish Tornados. What if Spain had joined Panavia in the way they later joined Eurofighter?

Taiwan and South Korean ECRs:  both showed an interest in real life.

More traditional recce version than the real GR.1A, with the main radar removed (I think they'd keep the TFR) and a nose full of cameras. The F.3 radome might be a suitable base for this, rescribed with a smaller TFR radome at it's tip, windows cut in the side and a canoe fairing for a front-facing one.

French GR.1s . Bought instead of Mirage 2000Ns as a trade-off for the Panavia nations buying Mirage 2000s/4000s as fighters to replace the F-4Ms, F-4F and F-104S.

South African GR.1s, bought to replace their Buccaneers in a timeline where there was no arms embargo.

Indian GR.1s, built under licence as a follow-on program to the Jaguar.

Comedy build #1: 1/48th fin on a 1/72nd fuselage, or 1/72nd fin on a 1/144th fuselage to honor the 'Fin' nickname.

Comedy build #2: take the spare fin from #1 and put it in a sea diorama, sticking straight up out of the water and heading for a swimmer in Jaws fashion.

[zenrat]

Yes that's a decent idea. Off the cuff thoughts:

Canadian F.3s as a replacement for the Voodoos. Maybe they bought F-16s instead of F-18s to replace the F-104s & F-5s, but then needed something heavier for the domestic air-defence role. Note that Canada was in the MRCA programme at the start.

Australian GR.1s to fulfil the F-111 role after the latter was cancelled back in the 1960s. Maybe the Aussie ones would be hybrids with F.3 fuselages and Hindenburger tanks but GR.1 radomes/avionics to get the maximum range strike platform.

Other middle-eastern export customers apart from Saudi Arabia. Oman, Kuwait and Jordan would seem possibles. Oman actually decided to buy Tornados at one point but then cancelled.

Dutch GR.1s. The Netherlands was also in MRCA in the early days.

Dutch/Belgian/Danish/Norwegian GR.1s. Maybe the Starfighter/F-16 nations elected to buy fewer F-16s in the '70s and wait for the Tornado to fulfil their strike requirements?

JASDF Tornados. Japan considered the Tornado IRL before opting for the Mitsubishi F-2.

Spanish Tornados. What if Spain had joined Panavia in the way they later joined Eurofighter?

Taiwan and South Korean ECRs:  both showed an interest in real life.

More traditional recce version than the real GR.1A, with the main radar removed (I think they'd keep the TFR) and a nose full of cameras. The F.3 radome might be a suitable base for this, rescribed with a smaller TFR radome at it's tip, windows cut in the side and a canoe fairing for a front-facing one.

French GR.1s . Bought instead of Mirage 2000Ns as a trade-off for the Panavia nations buying Mirage 2000s/4000s as fighters to replace the F-4Ms, F-4F and F-104S.

South African GR.1s, bought to replace their Buccaneers in a timeline where there was no arms embargo.

Indian GR.1s, built under licence as a follow-on program to the Jaguar.

Comedy build #1: 1/48th fin on a 1/72nd fuselage, or 1/72nd fin on a 1/144th fuselage to honor the 'Fin' nickname.

Comedy build #2: take the spare fin from #1 and put it in a sea diorama, sticking straight up out of the water and heading for a swimmer in Jaws fashion.

So that's Dizz's first week scheduled.  But what'll he do after that?

[PR19_Kit]

More traditional recce version than the real GR.1A, with the main radar removed (I think they'd keep the TFR) and a nose full of cameras. The F.3 radome might be a suitable base for this, rescribed with a smaller TFR radome at it's tip, windows cut in the side and a canoe fairing for a front-facing one.

........and longer wings. 

[NARSES2]

Well it certainly fits into what the Theme Build category was initially devised for 

I'm more than happy to set the board up for you if you decide to go ahead with it (you'd need to let me know the dates) and it would be "self running" as far as I'm concerned, mainly because I think I'll be quite heavily involved in the next Group Build.

Chris

[Hobbes]

Hm, I just started a Tornado build that would fit nicely...

[Steel Penguin]

there was my plan for the spare one I picked up dirt cheap
MRCA    Malaren Racing Classic Airframe
the Tornado air racing version, centreline camera pod for the TV viewers, possibly tanks, nice high vis colours   

[kitbasher]

Great idea.  I'd join in but 40 days would be too short for me.  Three months and I'd be in.

[Lord_Voyager]

I've never built for your group... I think this would be a great place to start! I've also not built a Tornado either... but I like the idea of Canadian markings...

[Spey_Phantom]

count me in 

[Captain Canada]

Cool. I could see trying to build one. I remember falling in love the first time I saw a pic of one...that wrap around camo 

[AeroplaneDriver]

What would you guys think of starting immediately (I too just started a Tornado) and running up to the RAF's Tornado retirement date, planned for late March. Gives a bit over 2 months. 

[Hobbes]

Sounds good to me,