Tornado Travel Warning

[Des]

A friend who has had to stop driving asked if I could bring him across to the Montrose Airfield Museum which I arranged for this morning.

 

We were about to leave the main site for the off-site hangar where among other displays is a cutaway Hunter F.1 when staff mentioned it was closed because of a Tornado GR.4 being delivered.     It is on the way out anyway but by that time one wing had been reattached and the aircraft was being swung round so that the other side would be facing the crane.

 

Tornado ZD744/092 had been transported by road from RAF Marham and was being reassembled by a team from JARTS based at Boscombe Down.     According to staff the aircraft should be completely rebuilt over the weekend and the hangar reopened to the public in a couple of weeks once the display has been rearranged.

 

Not a bad excuse for being late for lunch though . . . . . there was a Tornado blocking the road and I have photos to prove it !!!

 

 

 

 

[RichG]

Wow it certainly confirms my impression that the Tornado (at least in GR.4 form) had a rather pronounced nose down attitude when on the ground. I didn't think it was that severe though... and that's without the tail!  Better think about some serious oleo surgery when I build my 1/32 Italeri kit... 😆

 

Rich

[Des]

38 minutes ago, RichG said:

Wow it certainly confirms my impression that the Tornado (at least in GR.4 form) had a rather pronounced nose down attitude when on the ground.

 

The camber of the road and a run off downhill to the left into the more level parking area where they were assembling the aircraft  maybe exaggerate the undeniable nose-down appearance a little. 

[Britman]

On 5/20/2022 at 8:58 PM, Des said:

 

The camber of the road and a run off downhill to the left into the more level parking area where they were assembling the aircraft  maybe exaggerate the undeniable nose-down appearance a little. 

It doesn't seem to have any engines either.

 

Keith

[junglierating]

Or fuel

[Des]

1 hour ago, Britman said:

It doesn't seem to have any engines either

 

Would imagine that the exhausts at least will be fitted and while not certain about the engineering suspect that they will be installed a lot easier if they are attached to the engines.     

 

Entire convoy had apparently arrived on Thursday and when I passed on Friday the fuselage was on its wheels , one wing was being fitted and the other was still on a low loader , another low loader with fin and tailerons was brought forward as I left but there were other fully covered artics on site which may well have contained other odds and ends such as engines.

 

No idea what kind of fit it will end up with but the inner pylons with 'big tanks' were already in the hangar.

 

One of the museum staff was saying that the roof trusses and lights in the hangar were 15 feet off the ground but the fin rises to over 19 so once it is installed between the trusses I do not imagine it will move very far ever again.