ZD899 was used as a trials/development aircraft by BAE, and flew until ~2004 before meeting the same fate as other F.2s and being used for spare parts to repair F.3s
ZD902 was used at Boscombe Down as a research aircraft designated Tornado F.2A and codenamed TIARA.
ZD902 with the experimental GEC-Marconi Type 260 or “FIRSTSIGHT” Infra-Red Search and Track test unit on the nose, and likely NAVFLIR pods under the fuselage. It was also used for trialling things like helmet-mounted sight/cueing systems, replacing analogue instruments with “glass cockpit” displays, and wide-angle diffractive HUDs similar to the F-16C’s LANTIRN HUD.
ZD902 flew at Boscombe Down until 2011. It is now in private ownership in the USA being restored to an airworthy condition. The owner, Jared Isaacman used to post some pretty interesting clips of their progress, on instagram - the link above to the cockpit photos is from there
@Gunjob
Is the Tornado loosing 99% of its pitch authority whenver its elevators take any kind of damage correct correct?
Just seems like the Tornados’s damage model is incredible fragile compared to most. In various other aircraft it would certainly affect handling, but only in the Tornado does practically render the aircraft unflyable, even relatively minor damage.
and its not the only area, I’ve had the fuselage go yellow before and loose all ability to go above about mach 0.9
Might be a bit of a headache to model but its not really any different to para-ret bombs. They just need to figure out how to loft it to LEO before deploying the chute.
There was a brief overlap of about 3 years, though I think it was only ever cleared on the GR.1B?
First GR.4 delivered in 1997, Sea Eagle retired in 2000.
Now, don’t mind me laughing manically in the corner at the thought of lobbing a few Storm Shadows or a dozen Brimstones.
Officially retired, yes, but any actually left in service is another question. I know that when the Sea Harrier FA2 entered service in 1993, there was only 3 left. Id assume by the time of 1997. That number had probably gone down.
