1:48 Panavia Tornado IDS '50 Years' (Build and Paint)

The real subject

The Panavia Tornado is a combat aircraft developed jointly by Great Britain, Germany and Italy. The IDS version is the strike one: it is meant to carry its weapons to the target at low altitude and high speed. Its most conspicuous feature is the variable-sweep wing, which spreads for takeoff and landing and folds back against the fuselage in flight. The crew consists of two men seated one behind the other, a pilot and a navigator, and power comes from a pair of turbofan engines. The prototype first flew in August 1974.

The 50 Years form

The kit is presented in the anniversary form marked 50 Years. Unlike ordinary gray camouflage, commemorative finishes for anniversaries tend to be bold, and it is exactly for them that a release like this is bought. Which particular machines and which marking option are in the package is given in the manufacturer's instructions.

Building and painting

• Before you start gluing, go through the whole instruction sheet and sort the parts out in advance.
• Separate the parts with sprue nippers and sand the mark left behind; do not break them off by hand.
• Dry-fit the movable wing before gluing and decide in which position the model is to stay.
• Glue the glazing on after the fuselage has been painted; you will save yourself covering a large area.
• Lay the paint down in thin coats, because one heavy coat floods the engraving.
• Apply the decals over a gloss base, because on a matte one a milky edge stays under the film.

Who it is for

For builders of contemporary combat aircraft in 1:48 scale who want the Tornado in a bold commemorative finish. The model is supplied unassembled and unpainted. The range of accessories differs between sets carrying the Build and Paint addition, so check the package contents against the manufacturer's data on the packaging.