Panavia Tornado

INTRODUCTION

The Panavia Tornado is a twin engine fighter jet which was initially the initiative of a multi-nation collaboration between the UK, and partners Germany, Italy and the Netherlands, through later the UK and Germany were the only remaining stakeholders in the venture. The Tornado later became one of the most successful fighter jets in Western Europe, having a long and distinguished career over several major conflicts in over 30 years of service. The Tornado was an early pioneer of the variable swept wing design which allowed excellent operation at both low and high speeds by the use of a moving wing angle between around 25 to 67 degrees. Over time the Tornado has has many technical upgrades, and the latest model, the GR4, was officially retired by the Royal Air Force in 2019.

OUR AIRCRAFT

The Tornado training simulator was one of our most recent large exhibit acquisitions, following the disbandment of the Tornado squadrons in 2019. This Aviation Training Device was used by training fast jet pilots prior to being posted onto the Tornado. Due to the size of the fleet, there were a number of training simulators similar to this which were latterly based at RAF Cosford. The intention was to familiarise and teach jet pilots instrument training. These training simulators were produced specially for the RAF's pilot training programme, and were operated by an instructor at the rear of the simulator. This seat would have bbeen one of the early starting points for all Tornado pilots in the RAF, and we are pleased to retain some of that history.

WHAT'S NEXT

The simulator is used for aviation training and engineering courses at the Future Skills Centre at Exeter. There is scope in the future for some of the on board electrical systems to be restored.