1/48. Tornado IDS front fuselage doubt

[SouthViper]

this Pic is only for illustration purpose here, 

 

Hello

I have the new Tornado IDS kit, from Revell, in 1/48 scale, and I realized that the side fuselage next to the cockpit is not straight as indicated by several drawings in books, profile magazines of this aircraft.

In this kit the fuselage comes straight out of the center of the fuselage, and going towards the Radar section it makes a smooth "fold" at the Pilot's cockpit just before the windshield, where it has

a hexagon-shaped antenna or sensor in lighter color (which I couldn't identify exactly what it’s for)

and is lighter in color.

I had several other Tornado IDS kits, including Revell 1/32 and none of them seemed to have this smooth fold in that section of the fuselage.

Could anyone help to clarify?

Mario

 

 

 

Edited February 4, 2021 by SouthViper

[Des]

Not quite sure what you mean but working forwards from the windshield the fuselage continues forward with raised rain clearance ducts immediately ahead of the glass.   

 

First panel line ahead of that area is actually the hinge line for a rearward hinged section of fuselage containing the radar equipment and the small aerial on the top surface is/was for IFF like the one below and slightly further aft.   

 

Next panel line forward is for another rearward hinged section of fuselage onto which the radome is fitted and when folded back exposes the radar scanner.

 

Both of these sections of fuselage fold to port.

 

There are quite subtle changes of angle and shape across all three sections that make up this area although my experience is that these are more obvious in photographs under certain lighting conditions than they might actually appear to the naked eye on the actual aircraft.