48 // TORNADO TRIBUTEsomething quite unlike what had gone before.
The Tornado introduced many firsts, and
the ground school was a long technical affair,
where we wrestled with complex systems,
such as multifunction gearboxes and cross-
drive clutches, as well as command stability
augmentation systems (CSAS) – or fly-by-
wire. Each had multiple redundancies, so
we were clearly planning to take this jet into
harm’s way. Aircraft starts were known to
take 30-40 minutes and the dreaded CSAS
built-in test equipment (BITE) and inertial
navigation alignment were particularly fickle.
However, you couldn’t help but marvel at
the sheer stability and ease of operation
of the aircraft (once you got it airborne).
Weapon conversion training was covered
nationally, and on graduation from TTTE, RAF
aircrew said farewell to their new Italian and
German friends and moved to the Tornado
Weapons Conversion Unit (TWCU) at RAF
Honington, Suffolk. Here we learned how
that stability and computing power suddenlyIntroduction
I
first strapped into a Tornado
GR1 at the Tri-National Tornado
Training Establishment (TTTE)
at RAF Cottesmore, Rutland in 1984 as a
22-year-old flying officer. I didn’t really
have much of a reference, as I had come
straight through flying training and the most
complex aircraft I had flown was a Hawk T1,
whose sole navigation aid was a compass
that seemed to be permanently toppled.
The Tornado appeared to offer a bewildering
array of technology, from fly-by-wire to
terrain-following radar, an inertial navigation
system, glass displays and – wait for it- a 64KB main computer (yes, 64KB).
Some of the older members of the course
had a different perspective borne from
their previous experiences on Jaguars,
Buccaneers, Lightnings and Vulcans – just
about every combat aircraft type in the RAF
inventory was making way for the huge
expansion plans of the Tornado fleet – but
each one of us knew that we were seeing
A tough
act to follow
Above left: The front cockpit of the GR4 features
hands on throttle and stick (HOTAS) controls
plus the addition of a new head-down display
with digital map generator (DMG). The Tornado’s
avionics were state of the art at the time of
introduction, but even with the GR4 upgrade, the
jet’s cockpit is now dated. Jamie Hunter
Below: Two Tornado GR4s, one each from No 14
Squadron (nearest camera with Brimstone and
ALARM) and No 12 (Bomber) Squadron near their
Lossiemouth base in 2006. The drawdown of
the Tornado GR Force has seen several famous
squadrons disbanded to take up new roles. No
14 Squadron re-emerged as a Shadow R1 ISTAR
operator, while No 12(B) Squadron will be a future
RAF/Qatari-manned Typhoon unit. Jamie HunterTornado
Tribute
AFM’s regular columnist, Air
Power Association President,
Air Marshal (Ret’d) Greg
Bagwell CB, CBE, introduces
our special coverage of the Royal
Air Force’s Tornado GR Force,
as it prepares to call time on an
unmatched combat record.