Tornado GR.4 1 of 4 – The (Not Quite So) Old Grey Ladies Of Lossiemouth

[Des]

A pun on a Grampian Television documentary on the Avro Shackleton AEW.3 which is well worth tracking down but with the Italeri 1/32 Tornado GR.4 about to make its debut and the Revell 1/48 kit of the same about to be re-released the following images of squadron aircraft in daily training that are neither wearing special marking schemes nor (in general) loaded down with all sorts of exotic live weaponry might be of interest.

 

An oversimplified summary of Tornado GR.1/4 colour schemes could be that the RAF Tornado GR.1 variants were originally painted in a wraparound camouflage of Dark Green/Dark Sea Grey with red/blue national markings and a black radome which carried over to the early GR.4 variant conversions.     Excepting some GR.1B in a trial single tone grey by the turn of the century this began to change to Dark Sea Grey top surfaces over Dark Camouflage Grey sides and undersurfaces with reduced size national markings and retaining the black radome however by the middle of the decade or so this began to change to an overall Medium Sea Grey colour scheme with grey radome and for some reason a much narrower tail flash.       Along with  these  there were over the years other colour trials , special colour schemes as well as temporary ARTF finishes for specific operations – Desert Pink for the 1991 Gulf War , Grey for later Middle East operations and the 2003 war as well as white for Arctic exercises.   

 

With such a variety of colours in use over the years mismatched underwing stores and the very occasional airframe panel were not unknown prior to the introduction of the overall Medium Sea Grey colour scheme.     However afterwards it became increasingly normal to see Tornado GR.4 in a multitude of colours (albeit mainly shades of grey) with a mix of panels from both grey schemes along with a touch of Air Defence Greys and many other shades that were quite unrelated to any of these.     In addition radome colour did not necessarily fit in with the predominant airframe scheme while drop tanks and stores were sometimes in multiple shades from across GR.1/4 and F.3 service life.     Although a permanent tail number system based on production order had been introduced early in the new century some users preferred their previous letter codes along with or instead of this.      Add a gradual decline in squadron markings being applied or changed as aircraft swapped squadrons as well as variations in the style of what was applied and individual aircraft took on a very unique appearance.

 

Regarding underwing stores both sizes of drop tank were regularly seen although when a third was carried on the starboard fuselage carrier it would only be the smaller 1500 Litre tank (tanks on both carriers would seem to have been a ferry fit).     Although inert (or even more rarely live) weaponry was not unknown in day-to-day activities the principle training store was a CBLS on the forward station of one or both fuselage carriers , although a TIALD or later Litening designator pod would not be unusual on the port position.      The GR.1/4 was wired to carry an operational BOZ Dispenser Pod on the starboard outer wing pylon and a Sky Shadow ECM Pod to port although it was not unusual for a pair of the same pod to be carried with that on the ‘wrong’ side at least being inert ballast with blue marking bands.    Ballast BOZ pods often had a flat rear face instead of dispenser tubes and on occasion ballast Sky Shadow lacked the bulges along their sides.     Shoulder rails were not always fitted on the inner wing pylon but when used at least one might carry an inert finless AIM-9 acquisition round later replaced by a like-purposed ASRAAM on one pylon and a white painted RAIDS instrumentation pod on the other either on a standard launch rail or BOL launch rail/countermeasures dispenser.     

 

The RAPTOR Reconnaissance Pod which could be carried by a GR.4 began to enter service during ‘Operation Telic’ in 2003 and eventually the internal recce equipment on the GR.4A was inhibited and surviving airframes (which were less flexible for contemporary operation) were distributed across the fleet to preserve flying hours on mission aircraft.     An inverted ‘T’ aerial for communication with ground forces was introduced on some aircraft post-2003 for operations over Iraq and Afghanistan.

 

The following images of a few of the eighty or so different GR.4 I seem to have photographed there illustrating some of these anomalies were all taken at RAF Lossiemouth in Moray over a number of years , some on base during visits for various exercises but  mainly ‘over the fence’ which at that time was conveniently waist high.     Due to the transfer of aircraft around units markings where worn do not necessarily indicate the squadron using them at the time and where tail numbers are not carried those assigned are shown in (brackets).     On some but not all of the aircraft some of the forward starboard fuselage panels are clearly stained and  outlined as a result of recent cannon use and have yet to be cleaned , this did not tend to be a permanent feature.    When time permits I hope to add additional GR.4 from other locations including ‘special’ schemes.

 

 

(015)/ZA406 in June 2008 carrying No.2 Squadron nose markings with a RAIDS Pod on the starboard inner pylon shoulder launch rail as well as TIALD Designator Pod and a CBLS on the fuselage carriers

 

 

 

 

 

022/ZA453 in May 2009 carrying No.12 Squadron markings with a flat ended ballast BOZ Dispenser Pod on each outer wing station, CBLS on the fuselage carriers and mismatched small droptanks

 

 

 

 

 

023/ZA456 in May 2009 without squadron markings with a Sky Shadow ECM Pod on each outer wing station (that to starboard lacks di-electric panels) , TIALD Designator Pod and CBLS (grey nose/green body) on the fuselage carriers

 

 

 

 

 

027/ZA462 in April 2008 carrying No. XV(R) Squadron fin markings with a flat ended ballast BOZ Dispenser Pod on each outer wing station , a finless AIM-9 acquisition round on the port inner pylon shoulder launch rail and CBLS on the fuselage carriers

 

 

 

 

(032)/ZA473 in July 2009 carrying 14 Squadron nose markings with a flat ended ballast BOZ Dispenser Pod on the starboard outer wing station , inert ALARM Missile on the outer face of both inner wing pylons, three inert triple Brimstone Missile Launchers and a TIALD Designator Pod on the fuselage carriers

 

 

 

 

 

050/ZA560 in May 2009 without squadron markings with a finless AIM-9 acquisition round on the port inner pylon shoulder launch rail , Litening Designator Pod and inert Paveway IV PGM on the fuselage carriers

 

 

 

 

062/ZA596 in May 2009 without squadron markings with a with a flat ended ballast BOZ Dispenser Pod on each outer wing station , BOL launch rail/countermeasures dispenser on the starboard inner pylon shoulder station , Litening Designator Pod and inert Paveway IV PGM on the fuselage carriers

 

 

 

 

 

072/ZA609 in May 2009 without squadron markings and carrying a Litening Designator Pod on the port fuselage carrier

 

 

 

 

 

077/ZD707 in October 2012 without squadron markings with a RAIDS Pod on the starboard inner pylon shoulder launch rail

 

 

 

 

 

080/ZD712 in April 2008 carrying No.14 Squadron tail markings on the starboard fin only with a BOZ Dispenser Pod on both outer wing stations (that to port being a flat ended ballast shape) , mismatched small droptanks and a CBLS on both fuselage carriers

 

 

 

 

085/ZD719 in July 2009 carrying No.14 Squadron markings with a flat ended ballast BOZ Dispenser Pod on the starboard outer wing station and an inert 1,000 Bomb on the port fuselage carrier

 

 

 

095/ZD747 in October 2010 carrying No.14 Squadron nose markings with a BOZ Dispenser Pod on each outer wing station (that to port being a flat ended ballast shape) , a finless AIM-9 acquisition round on the port inner pylon shoulder launch rail and a CBLS on both fuselage carriers

 

 

 

 

126/ZG727 AJ-J (a former GR.4A) in October 2009 carrying No.617 Squadron markings with a Sky Shadow ECM Pod without side bulges and d-electric areas on nose and tail on the port outer station

 

 

133/ZG771 in October 2012 carrying No.13 Squadron markings with a Sky Shadow ECM Pod without side bulges and d-electric areas on nose and tail on the port outer station

 

[Stephen]

Fantastic pictures and a wealth of information. Thanks for sharing them. 

[Red Dot]

Superb thread, even though I doubt I would ever  make a Tornado

 

Andy

[canberraman]

A great set of images and an informative and enlightening reference source for anyone building a GR4. Thanks for sharing.

 

Mark

[eng]

Brillant set of images, fantastic variety of squadrons and armament. 

 

I believe the CBLS used on the Tornado's is the CBLS200 series which is slightly longer than the CBLS100 used on other types such as the Hawk, and in days gone by the Jag and Harrier.

 

Eng

 

[Selwyn]

17 hours ago, eng said:

Brillant set of images, fantastic variety of squadrons and armament. 

 

I believe the CBLS used on the Tornado's is the CBLS200 series which is slightly longer than the CBLS100 used on other types such as the Hawk, and in days gone by the Jag and Harrier.

 

Eng

 

Also all the "Paveway II" bombs are actually PW IV!

[Des]

4 minutes ago, Selwyn said:

Also all the "Paveway II" bombs are actually PW IV!

 Thanks for that , amended accordingly and Yubitsume performed on yet another finger joint.

[72modeler]

Yowzah! If you can't build a GR4 with correct stores and pods after studying these photos and text, you have NO business calling yourself a modeler! Thank you so much for sharing these with us!

Mike

[exdraken]

Wow, so many so nice photos!

A shame it is retired now....

 

By the way, is Typhoon doing recce already,

What about the range of the Tornado replacement with a strike  load out?

Any info out there? 

[Des]

18 hours ago, exdraken said:

By the way, is Typhoon doing recce already,

Although RAF missions in the Middle East have been described as armed reconnaissance as far as I have read the recce aspect involves using whatever ISR capacity is available through use of the Litening Pod.

 

RAPTOR obstructs the undercarriage doors when fitted on the centreline so that is a 'no-no' and there was at one time mention of fitting some of its sensors in a standard centreline tank but I think that got dropped and anything I have read since seems to centre around whatever replacement is eventually procured for Litening.     So much for what was initially hailed as a Jaguar replacement.

[Sluffer77]

Super set of pics, many thanks for sharing. 
   

[pacificmustang]

Fantastic post Des, very useful

 

Bruce