1:72 Panavia Tornado GR.1/F2/F3

One airframe, two entirely different roles

The Panavia Tornado came about as a joint project of Britain, Germany and Italy, and in British colors it served in two roles that had almost nothing to do with each other. The GR.1 version was a low-flying strike machine with a variable-geometry wing, trained for runs at low level below the radar horizon. The F.2 version and the more numerous F.3 that followed it had a lengthened fuselage, a different radar and responsibility for the airspace over the North Sea, that is for intercepting long-range bombers far from the coast.

Whom the sheet covers

The list carries the codes of the strike squadrons No. 9, No. 14, No. 15, No. 16, No. 20, No. 27 and No. 31, that is of units stationed both in Germany and at home in the British Isles, and with them the famous No. 617 Squadron. The interceptor version is represented by No. 5 and No. 11 Squadrons. A curiosity are three non-combat entries: the markings of a test pilots' school, of a conversion and trials unit and of a maintenance flight that kept the machines running between deployments.

One airframe in three coats

Worth noting is the serial number ZA614, which appears in the list three times: with No. 27 Squadron, with No. 617 Squadron and with the maintenance flight. For a modeler it is an invitation to build the same aircraft at different stages of its life, which with British machines moving between units was nothing exceptional.

Working in a small scale

In 1:72 scale the squadron codes and serial numbers are small and their legibility stands or falls with the base. It pays to level the surface first with gloss varnish, to work with tweezers with smooth jaws and to let every part dry thoroughly before moving on to the next. The gray finish of British Tornados is merciless to any shiny rim around a decal.