tweeky

I was at Binbrook 80-85. I was on one of the Sqn. LTF never did QRA it was only the two operational Sqn's that held Q, and in my time there only F6's were on Q. As for the missile's we usually had Firestreak's fitted to the F3's and the sole T5's. But LTF flew more T5's and F3's with a mix of missiles. Their only F6 had a ferry ventral (no guns). The Firestreak's are easier to model as they flew with wings the redtop's flew without the main wings attached (a fatigue thing) as your photo shows. When between sorties the flaps were always up and the Airbrakes tucked away.

colouring looks like standard Nitrogen bottle colours black cap and grey body abet very light grey. Same as standard ground equipment colouring.

I think it was used after the toom downed the jag in Germany.

Try a placard in a Fighter cockpit like as lightning... on a QRA scramble its something else to stop the jet from going. Cockpit was already full of "extra" things. Believe me us Liney's knew when the jets were "final armed"

Why Its FOD. We taped the switches up easier to store if needed to remove.

The wording is wrong and the placement would be as close to the bottom of the ladder. Putting them on the bottom rung stops you getting up the ladder.

Whilst serving on Lightning's at Binbrook if the Sqn was operating live armed aircraft (Very rare) then the area around the armed aircraft would have the Big "aircraft Armed" signs around the pan/ASP and on the access ladder (like shown in the earlier posts). As for the Cockpit no placards or signs. The pilot has to look at the F700 this is the servicing document in that is an armament section so the crew should know what there carrying. this said the Trigger and the missile selection switches has tape applied to them so that any disturbance of switches could be seen. This practice didn't happen on QRA tho. just the aircraft armed signs on the Q sheds and surrounding area and the access ladder.

There were 7 skin gauges on the Lightnings all showing the hydraulic accumulator nitrogen pressure part of the Before flight servicing to check them. Each skin gauge refered to a different system the two shown in the Video were F/S = feel system and T/P was tail planes.

we didn't bother doing this in 82/83 when both operational Sqn (5&11) went out to Cyprus but im guessing it would be eggshell or semi gloss like the camo/grey schemes were.

it was a temporary type paint and the people painting the jets were the ground crews. As for the wings been spread all Gr1's had there wings spread on the ground, putting the wings back with tanks and fin fuel puts the CofG very close to the back of the main undercarriage and the jets could sit on the bottom.

Its a Teflon type (non stick) paint and it a dark grey colour (not far off the camo grey the Gr1's were in) its also found around the tail planes for the moving shroud and on the underside in the pylon swept areas http://data3.primeportal.net/hangar/mark_hayward/tornado_gr.1b/images/tornado_gr.1b_05_of_12.jpg credit to Mark Hayward photo. Here's the Pylon swept area as seen on the F3 Gr1's were the same.

Was the F2 fitted with then, the were after the F2A upgrade ? And the T4 did that have probes fitted.

The following Lightning's flew with IFR probes, F mk2a, F mk3 F mk6 and T mk5.

No it couldn't jettison the tank, well in the 80's they couldn't and I think early on in its service the decision to make the system inop was made due to possible damage to the Main Spar when the ERU,s fired. Big thing to dump of a wing. You should try working on them when they were fitted.

For normal day to day Flying/Training Lightning's carried no Ammo but two 30mm Cannons. As for missiles The port station carried a drill missile (had DRILL stenciled on the missile body and a blue band) No seeker head was fitted just a steel or some other material in its place. Why? the ladder was on the port side and the missile could be hit with the ladder so to preserve the stock of seeker head glass this was the same for both missile types. The Stbd station carried and Acquisition missile this had a seeker head and all the associated equipment to allow the missile track and cool the seeker head this had AQUI stencilled on the body and a pinkish band around the missile . The Firestreak Missile was Green all over. The Redtop however was light grey/sliverish with green steering fins and rear tail cone Redtops also didn't carry the main wings on these two types of missiles. Live missiles were carried on QRA ,Station generation exercises and transit flight to RAF Valley prior to MPC (missile practice camp) on both station. Again the Firestreak was green all over but with a Yellow and brown band around the missile these denoted High explosive and rocket motor, also visible on was the two rows of proximity fuse windows (in the new Airfix kit there are decals). As for the Redtop it carried the same yellow and brown markings. The triangular steering fins and tail cone were the same green but and also in green the main wings were fitted. Proximity fuse's were a little harder to spot on the Redtop there was only 4 on the missile body. Live Firestreak bellow you can see the proximity windows in the FWD section of the missile note the red covers on the windows on the jet behind. also the missile delivery/storage trolley can be seen under the gunport with the red "noddy cap" used to protect the seeker head glass. Of couse the photo of the missile is inert they wouldn't put a live missile in a museum. This link might help as to the meaning of the banding and colour's used http://www.fast-air.co.uk/raf-nato-weapons-markings/