USAF Tornado WHIF: ZR 640019

[Mossie]

At the risk of thread hijacking, whats the story behind the ADV Tonka?











***added image and split this portion of the discussion into a separate topic***

[tigercat2]

What is the ADV Tonka?


Wes W.

[tigercat2]

The Black Tornado was just something I threw together and slapped some USAF decals on it; it just happened to be in the photo with the Arado.   Back story is that the USAF purchased several squadrons worth for use, perhaps as a reciprocal action for the RAF purchasing F-111Ks.

Will attempt to get more photos of the Arado; I replaced the 6 original (Jumo?) engines with two large fan jets; I assumed in this what if world that Fan Jet technology was more advanced in the 50s that in our time line.  Besides, I had a set of engines from a semi-scrapped A-10 that I thought would look good.

Wes W.

[Jeffry Fontaine]

I thought it was a reconnaissance version of the Tornado in USAF markings at first glance since you were using the "ZR" tail code for Zweibrucken, GE which was the home of the 26th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing from 01.31.1973 – 07.31.1991. 

I suppose the Tornado could have been adapted to the tactical reconnaissance role once the guns were removed to make space for the SLAR system.  Add an IR system in the belly along with a couple of vertical and oblique camera ports added on just under the intakes displacing some of the avionics and fuel to other locations on the airframe.   

[B777LR]

What is the ADV Tonka?


Wes W.

Air Defence Variant

[jcf]

'Twas one of those coulda beens, a published whif from 1979:



Jon

[Mossie]

Looks good in black!  Part of the reason I asked was because I've been meaning for a while to a version of the Tornado in Jon's article & I started a thread some time ago.  I will get around to it eventually, just a matter of time.

Thread here:
http://www.whatifmodelers.com/index.php/topic,15027.0/highlight,usaf+tornado.html

And some profiles here:
http://www.whatifmodelers.com/index.php/topic,18043.0/highlight,usaf+tornado.html

[Maverick]

Jeffry,

There is a recce variant of the Tornado fielded by the RAF.  The GR.1A with linescan, cameras, etc.

Regards,

Mav

[tigercat2]

Thanks for the kind words on the Tornado.  When I built it several years ago, I did not realize it was an ADV; I just grabbed it from the Stash to build as a USAF bird for the What if world.  Some other non-US fighters operated by the USAF in this particular What if World are the EE Lighning, Draken, Viggen, MiG-23, MiG-29, Lansen, and a few others.  I have photos, if there is any interest.  Also in this particular What if World are Navy birds operated by the USAF; F-8, A-5, A-4, F2H and a few others. 


Wes W.

[B777LR]

Oh yes, can we see them all?

[PR19_Kit]

There is a recce variant of the Tornado fielded by the RAF.  The GR.1A with linescan, cameras, etc.

Current Recce Tonkas are GR4As, although it's tough to tell them if you're not directly in front of them. The GR4 variants have two undernose IR/laser guidance pods whereas GR1s only have one. 

All Tornadoes have IFR capability too, albeit with probes rather than US style sockets. ADV Tonkas have permanent retractable probes on the port side and strike Tonkas have removable ones scabbed onto the starboard side. No, I have no idea why they should be different, but  they are.

[Mossie]

Another way to tell the variants apart is the cannon armament, again, not always easy unless you can see them from both sides.  The the GR.1 had two Mausers, the GR.1 had one, the port side cannon being replaced by recce gear.  The GR.4 has a single Mauser, which you can tell apart from the GR.1A due to the extra IR pod Kit mentioned.  The GR.4A has no cannon armament.

[Weaver]

There is a recce variant of the Tornado fielded by the RAF.  The GR.1A with linescan, cameras, etc.

Current Recce Tonkas are GR4As, although it's tough to tell them if you're not directly in front of them. The GR4 variants have two undernose IR/laser guidance pods whereas GR1s only have one. 

All Tornadoes have IFR capability too, albeit with probes rather than US style sockets. ADV Tonkas have permanent retractable probes on the port side and strike Tonkas have removable ones scabbed onto the starboard side. No, I have no idea why they should be different, but  they are.

Tornado IDS was a compromise between RAF (longer range) and Luftwaffe/AMI (shorter range) requirements, hemce the removeable IFR probe and optional fin tank (not fitted in German/Italian airacraft.

Tornado ADV was to a purely British requirement and so no compromise was neccessary. Also the ADV's longer fuselage and different radar setup made more room for a retractable probe.

It's a shame the ADVs are being scrapped: if the RAF had more money, they could be very useful as SEAD/Recce aircraft, since they have more fuel than the IDS, more speed (better fineness ratio) and  more powerful engines, which would allow them to lift the RAPTOR pod higher. F.3s operated as improvised SEAD aircraft in Iraq in 2003 with ALARMs on GR.1 fuselage pylons.

[tigercat2]

Oh yes, can we see them all?

Here are some of the photos; some have appeared before.  These are totally What Ifs, but that is the fun of this forum; no rules, just right!!

Wes W.

[PR19_Kit]

Rules? What's a rule? 

That USAF Draken is a cracking little thing, nice one.