(Image: Ben Montgomery Aviation Photography, reproduced with permission)
In January we reported that Panavia Tornado ZA547 had notched up 7,500 flying hours, making it the ‘fleet leader’ with more hours in the air than any other active Tornado GR4. But soon after that article was written, it appears that the machine was retired from service and sent to RAF Leeming for RTP – reduce to produce, a technical term for parts reclamation and scrapping.
(Image: Lightningboy2000, cc-nc-nd-4.0)
Tornado ZA547 was a relatively early production airframe that first flew in June 1981. The aircraft later received a specially painted tail fin to mark one million hours flown by the type (above). But now it seems that ZA547′s airframe hours have finally been maxed out, as either fatigue or the need for a major service have grounded the jet for good.
With the UK’s Tornado GR4 fleet set to be fully phased out by around 2018, aircraft are being retired on a rolling basis when their times come for a major overhaul. Like last year’s air show display aircraft ZA404, the former fleet leader may already be little more than a gaunt and gutted shell, ready to be melted down and recycled.
Keep reading – check out more retired and RTP’d Tornado GR4s
