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Tornado F3's Swan Song


Johann_Olivier

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When will the Tornado F3 finally be retired from RAF service? Being from South Africa, I really would like to see it flying before it's grounded forever.

PS: If only I've spent less money on my hobby, I would have been able to afford a grand trip to the UK some time ago already!

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When will the Tornado F3 finally be retired from RAF service? Being from South Africa, I really would like to see it flying before it's grounded forever.

PS: If only I've spent less money on my hobby, I would have been able to afford a grand trip to the UK some time ago already!

I've been told it is going out of service in October this year.

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The F3 will be retired in March 2011 as that is when the Typhoon takes over 111 Sqn at Leuchars, the first four 6 Sqn Typhoons should now be there and there is a flypast at the Airshow this Saturday to mark their official arrival as the F3's did when the Phantoms were there.

Graham.

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Great to see RAF Typhoons coming to their second (ahem) third operational base.

Still, it will be bittersweet to see the Tornado go after such excellent service to UK air defence. :crying:

I honestly get quite melancholic when I see an F.3 rumble by these days...ah well, that`s progress I guess.

Ian (bah humbug)

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Later this month (18th and 19th) there will be a military exhibition in Ostrava, Czech Republic which will be the F.3's final public exhibition outside the British Isles prior to it's retirement.

You bet I'm going to be there! I've seen Tornados of any sort fly far too few times in my life. Wouldn't want to miss my last chance to see an F.3 in the flesh.

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The F3 will be retired in March 2011 as that is when the Typhoon takes over 111 Sqn at Leuchars, the first four 6 Sqn Typhoons should now be there and there is a flypast at the Airshow this Saturday to mark their official arrival as the F3's did when the Phantoms were there.

Graham.

  But that all depends on the Ministry of Defence & Funny Walks tho doesn't it?...I mean if the need new wallpaper in the CDS's orrifice..er I mean office,something will have to go.....

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The F3 will be retired in March 2011 as that is when the Typhoon takes over 111 Sqn at Leuchars, the first four 6 Sqn Typhoons should now be there and there is a flypast at the Airshow this Saturday to mark their official arrival as the F3's did when the Phantoms were there.

Graham.

Dont think 111 sqn will stand up will Typhoon next year , if ever, 6 sqn will replace treble one at Leuchars and I would guess that as soon as there are enought aircraft / aircrew aviable and trained to carry out the QRA Tornado F3 will be withdrawn

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The F3 will be retired in March 2011 as that is when the Typhoon takes over 111 Sqn at Leuchars, the first four 6 Sqn Typhoons should now be there and there is a flypast at the Airshow this Saturday to mark their official arrival as the F3's did when the Phantoms were there.

Graham.

Graham

you know you are getting old when you can remember the Tornado taking over from the Phantoms

Trouble is I can recall the Phantoms taking over from the Lightning !

And - very hazily - being at a show when the Blue Diamonds displayed in their "front line" Hunters albeit as an under 10 !

:clif:

John

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More than a bit ironic that it was an inproperly working radar in the early Tornado F.3s that kept the Phantom around so long.

Ahh the Blue Circle radar....................... the first intercepts on the Ruskies the Typhoon has done were with a Tornado to vector them onto it.

Graham

you know you are getting old when you can remember the Tornado taking over from the Phantoms

Trouble is I can recall the Phantoms taking over from the Lightning !

And - very hazily - being at a show when the Blue Diamonds displayed in their "front line" Hunters albeit as an under 10 !

John

Tell me about it, they even had the Hastings at the BOB day at Saints when I was on my course, but even now they are flying the Pumas I worked on, the Chinooks I worked on and the VC10s I worked on............. The Jags they still have I worked on but alas the Wessex, that queen of the sky is no more with them.

Edited by TonyT
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The F3 will be retired in March 2011 as that is when the Typhoon takes over 111 Sqn at Leuchars, the first four 6 Sqn Typhoons should now be there and there is a flypast at the Airshow this Saturday to mark their official arrival as the F3's did when the Phantoms were there.

Graham.

No Tiffies yet but the colours arrived yesterday

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Hi,

This is my first post on Britmodeller.com and I'm happy to make it in a thread about the Tornado F Mk 3 which I quite liked.

Is it possible that few F 3's will linger on in test establishments or with BAeS? I think that ZE155 spent a lot of time with BAeS, but I don't know if she's still "alive".

Cheers, Stefan.

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Hi,

This is my first post on Britmodeller.com and I'm happy to make it in a thread about the Tornado F Mk 3 which I quite liked.

Is it possible that few F 3's will linger on in test establishments or with BAeS? I think that ZE155 spent a lot of time with BAeS, but I don't know if she's still "alive".

Cheers, Stefan.

Hi Stefan,

Good to know that I was the reason for you to post on this forum for the first time. The Tornado F3 is one of my favourite aircraft. Will be sad to see it go :crying: . Better looking than its replacement, the Typhoon I think.

PS: Can't help you with your question regarding post-operational use though. Maybe one of the more knowledgeable blokes on here can help?

Cheers,

Johann

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Graham

you know you are getting old when you can remember the Tornado taking over from the Phantoms

Trouble is I can recall the Phantoms taking over from the Lightning !

And - very hazily - being at a show when the Blue Diamonds displayed in their "front line" Hunters albeit as an under 10 !

:clif:

John

"you know you are getting old when you can remember the Tornado taking over from the Phantoms"...ha!...that's not old! Happened in my teen years, and that was just the other day ;) What I can't remember was being so cynical and grumpy then as I'm now. Neither all the aches and pains that are so prevalent these days :hmmm:

Edited by Johann_Olivier
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Hi,

This is my first post on Britmodeller.com and I'm happy to make it in a thread about the Tornado F Mk 3 which I quite liked.

Is it possible that few F 3's will linger on in test establishments or with BAeS? I think that ZE155 spent a lot of time with BAeS, but I don't know if she's still "alive".

Cheers, Stefan.

We don't have any more F3s at BAE - our last F3 left Warton last year. It's possible that QinetiQ might continue to fly one or two, but I don't know.

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We don't have any more F3s at BAE - our last F3 left Warton last year. It's possible that QinetiQ might continue to fly one or two, but I don't know.

Thanks, Bobski.

I don't know if ZE155 was indeed the last one, but I always found that an interesting airframe.

I remember reading in AFM that she was the first British fighter to cross the Atlantic without refueling in the air. This was during the testing of the 4x Hindenburger tank configuration. I doubt that any other British (or anyone else's) fighter did that after her.

Cheers, Stefan.

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Mag I was reading said Leuchars this year will be it's last display, but they dont know what it is going to do, then it will retire in march 2011.

Edited by TonyT
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Ahh the Blue Circle radar....................... the first intercepts on the Ruskies the Typhoon has done were with a Tornado to vector them onto it.

Blue Circle. That good old fallback. As fitted to Tornado F2 and early F3.....At least MCS worked! (most of the time)

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