Tornado F.3 retires from the RAF

[TobyV]

At the risk of starting a political debate - which I assure you is not my intention (!) - another type leaves the RAF:

http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/20 ... video.html

Its a child of the eighties like me . I remember making a cardboard model of the Tornado IDS from a booklet sold in Marks & Spencer circa 1989/90 when it and the ADV were the latest and greatest*. Random piece of trivia for you!

So thats the Harrier, Nimrod (except R.1?), Dominie and Jetstreams gone - anything else due for retirement soon?





*Blue Circle radars notwithstanding

[forthbridge]

Yup and lets not forget 111 Sqn are now disbanded
http://www.thecourier.co.uk/News/Fife/a ... blers.html
http://www.thecourier.co.uk/News/Fife/a ... o-f3s.html

[DaveB]

I think it's probably true to say the F3's enjoyed an extended 'in service' time due to the late arrival of the Typhoon.. different in every way from the Nimrod and Harrier which were pulled without replacement. The Jetstream and Dominie have been replaced albeit not with like for like aircraft I remember at the time that the F3.. as good as it was would have fallen woefully short of expectations if pitted against any other current front line fighter.. unlike the GR4 which has been at the front end of hardware of this type for a long time. When/if they figure out how to make the Typhoon do the same.. it's days will also be numbered

As it happens, I passed a couple of what I think were GR7's on the M3 this Wed gone.. both on low loaders heading for London. The airframes were completely empty so I guess they were going somewhere for display. One if not both were ZD registrations

ATB
DaveB

[John]

Does anyone know what the intention is with the bulk of the Harriers, will the go the way of the mighty Ark and end up here?
http://www.edisposals.com/is-bin/INTERS ... =OfferList

Kind regards

John