Screaming Tornado

[wingslinger]

Within a few minutes of being at Newark Air Museum yesterday I could hear an incoming fast jet... we glanced up and saw a screaming Tornado above. I had an 85mm lens on so couldn't get too close to it.... but I liked the Buccaneer foreground:

On closer inspection I'm thinking that this is a GR4 from 617 Sqn RAF Lossiemouth... anyone tell for sure with this:

Thanks

Martin

Edited February 17, 2008 by wingslinger

[buccymad]

yup 617sqn ....and xv on the tail=15sqn,possibly an amalgimation of both sqns due to budgetary constraints

[upnorth]

Could be a 15 Sqn machine that got a fin cap from a 617 machine in maintenance.

I was talking to a Tornado pilot at an airshow back in september and I was remarking on all the various shades of grey the panels on his aircraft had and he told me that these days the maintenance crews aren't given the resources to repaint a panel to match the aircraft its going onto, they just stick it on and if it fits, that's the only thing that matters.

So its quite concievable that a 15 sqn aircraft needed a new fin cap and an old 617 marked one was what was handy.

[Mentalguru]

CHRIST_ you can zoom in like that with a CAMERA!!!!

Is it like a sort of mini hubble telescope or summat

[Gary West]

Could be ZA562 - RAF Marham. See link for larger picture.

ZA562

[Gary C]

Yep, would seem to be ZA562, couple more here

one

two

According to this it's now with 31 squadron. I think we should all chip in and buy it some new decals

[wingslinger]

I knew you guys would have the answer... it's as if the RAF are playing a giant game of what-if... ;-)

M

[wingslinger]

CHRIST_ you can zoom in like that with a CAMERA!!!! Is it like a sort of mini hubble telescope or summat

My D3 shoots full frame at over 4000 x 3000 pixels (12megapixel).... if I crop right into it (on the Tornado) it gives me an image that's about 600 pixels across, which is no good for printing but fine for showing on a the web

M

[Jelly]

Could be ZA562 - RAF Marham. See link for larger picture.

ZA562

Is it me, or is that panel just right of the roundel hanging off!!! Looks ready to shoot down the intake!!

[Richard E]

Is it me, or is that panel just right of the roundel hanging off!!! Looks ready to shoot down the intake!!

I think that's the pilot's kick in step and yes, it does look slightly loose.

[Vickers McFunbus]

According to this it's now with 31 squadron. I think we should all chip in and buy it some new decals

The RAF Tornado GR4 fleets AFAIK are now becoming centralised at each base, so rather than the Sqns "owning" their own airframes, they're centralised under the "wing" - hence I suspect Sqn marking will become a thing of the past on the majority.