(Image: Brian Hodgson, reproduced with permission)
Readers with an interest in aviation may have noticed that over the past few months we’ve been loosely following the ongoing wind-down of the RAF’s Panavia Tornado fleet. Last November we documented the withdrawal of Tornado GR4A ZA404 from service, when the 30-year-old airframe was sent to RAF Leeming in North Yorkshire for ‘RTP’ – reduce to produce, aka parts reclamation and scrapping. And since the former 617 Squadron jet had been a mainstay of the 2013 airshow circuit and Urban Ghosts’ favourite Tornado, we decided to find out exactly why it had been retired.
(Image: Brian Hodgson, reproduced with permission)
ZA404 first took to the sky on January 6, 1983 wearing the grey-green camouflage scheme that was standard on British jets during the Cold War. It was one of 30 reconnaissance versions of the Tornado, designated GR1A (later GR4A), which saw the Mauser cannon in the nose replaced by sideways-looking infrared sensors.
(Image: Jarco Hage, reproduced with permission)
Despite its ageing airframe, constant updates have ensured the Tornado remains one of the world’s most capable strike aircraft. But as numbers are reduced over the next few years as the fleet gradually winds down, individual machines are being retired for a variety of reasons.
According to a freedom of information request, ZA404 was due for major servicing, and thus the decision was taken to dispose of the aircraft. This also explains why 404 retained an older dark grey camoflage scheme and black radome. Tornados are repainted during major servicing, says the Ministry of Defence, and ZA404′s last major overhaul was in 1998 before the lighter grey scheme was introduced.
(Image: Ryan Douglas, reproduced with permission)
Furthermore, as a reconnaissance Tornado devoid of guns, ZA404 was latterly only used for training, and was not required for deployments to places like Afghanistan. The aircraft was flown to Leeming last October and RTP was set to commence in early January, meaning 404 is likely being dismantled in a hangar at this moment.
(Image: Ben Montgomery Aviation Photography, reproduced with permission)
The Tornado fleet leader, meanwhile, has notched up around 7,500 hours flying time and remains in service today. The aircraft, ZA547 (above), is a relatively early production Tornado that first flew in June 1981. It is seen sporting a commemorative paint job marking one million hours of flying by the Tornado fleet.
Browse more articles in our Military category, and connect with us on Facebook.
