Panavia Tornado
Panavia Tornado
Role:
All-weather close air support/battlefield interdiction,
interdiction/counter-air strike, naval strike and
reconnaissance aircraft.
DESIGN FEATURES:
Continuously variable-geometry shoulder wings, with
leading-edge sweep angles from 25o (minimum) to 67o
(maximum) on movable portions (limited to 63o when
2,250 litre drop tanks carried), 60o on fixed inboard
portions; modest overall dimensions; high wing loading
to minimise low-altitude gust response; swivelling wing
pylons to retain stores alignment with fuselage.
LANDING GEAR:
Hydraulically retractable tricycle type, with
forward-retracting twin-wheel steerable nose unit.
Single-wheel main units retract forward and upward into
centre section of fuselage. Emergency extension system,
using nitrogen gas pressure.
POWER PLANT:
Two Turbo-Union RB199-34R turbofans, fitted with bucket
type thrust reversers and installed in rear fuselage
with downward-opening doors for servicing and engine
change. Mk 101 engines of early production aircraft
nominally rated at 38.7 kN (8,700 lb st) dry and 66.0
kN (14,840 lb st) with afterburning (uninstalled); RAF
aircraft have engines downrated to 37.7 kN (8,475 lb
st) in squadron service (37.0 kN; 8,320 lb st dry for
TTTE) to extend service life. Mk 103 engines,
introduced in May 1983 (engine number 761), dry rated
nominally at 40.5 kN (9,100 lb st) uninstalled (38.5
kN; 8,650 lb st for RAF) and provide 71.5 kN (16,075 lb
st) with afterburning. RAF ordered 100 modification
kits in 1983 to upgrade Mk 101 engined aircraft to Mk
103 standard. VG air intakes locked open on RAF
aircraft.
ACCOMMODATION:
Crew of two on tandem Martin-Baker Mk 10A zero/zero
ejection seats under Kopperschmidt one-piece,
rear-hinged, upward-opening canopy.
AVIONICS:
Comms: GEC-Plessey PTR 1721 (UK and Italy) or Rohde &
Schwarz (Germany) UHF/VHF transceiver; Telefunken
SystemTechnik UHF/ADF (UK and Germany only); SIT
emergency UHF with Rohde & Schwarz switch; BAe HF/SSB
aerial tuning unit; Rohde & Schwarz (UK and Germany) or
Montedel (Italy) HF/SSB radio; Ultra communications
control system; GEC-Marconi central suppression unit
(CSU); Leigh voice recorder; Chelton UHF communications
and landing system aerials and Siemens (Germany) or
Cossor SSR-3100 (UK and Saudi Arabia) IFF transponder.
Radar: European built Texas Instruments multimode
forward-looking, terrain-following ground-mapping radar.
ARMAMENT:
Fixed armament comprises two 27 mm IWKA-Mauser cannon,
one in each side of lower forward fuse-lage, with 180
rds/gun. Other armament varies according to version,
with emphasis on ability to carry wide range of
advanced weapons. GEC-Marconi stores management system;
Sandall Mace 355 and 762 mm (14 and 30 in) ejector
release units standard on UK Tornados; German and
Italian aircraft use multiple weapon carriage system
(MWCS) ejector release units. ML Aviation CBLS 200
practice bomb carriers also standard. Battlefield
interdiction version capable of carrying weapons for
hard or soft targets. Weapons carried on seven fuselage
and wing hardpoints: one centreline pylon fitted with
single ejection release unit (ERU), two fuselage
shoulder pylons each with three ERUs, and, under each
wing, one inboard and one outboard pylon each with
single ERU. Among weapons carried (see also Current
Versions) are B61 and UK WE177B nuclear bombs;
Sidewinder air-to-air, and ALARM or AGM-88 HARM
anti-radiation missiles; JP233 low-altitude airfield
attack munition dispenser; Paveway II and III
laser-guided bomb; Maverick, Sea Eagle and Kormoran
air-to-surface missiles; napalm; BL755 cluster bombs
(277 kg; 611 lb Mk 1 or 264 kg; 582 lb Mk 2); MW-1
munitions dispenser; 1,000 lb bombs; smart or retarded
bombs; BLU-1B 750 lb fire bombs; Mk 83 1,000 lb and Mk
82 500 lb bombs; Mk 20 Rockeye cluster bombs; Matra 250
kg ballistic and retarded bombs; Lepus flare bombs;
LAU-51A and LR-25 rocket launchers. Apache standoff
weapons dispenser from 1996.
Aircraft Measures:
Length: 54 ft., 10 in.
Height: 19 ft., 6.75 in.
Wingspan:
swept: 28 ft., 2 in.
unswept: 45 ft., 7 in.
Loaded Weight: 60,000 lbs.
Aircraft Performance:
Maximum Speed: Mach 2.2
Service Ceiling: 70,000 ft.
Range: 1,525
Thrust: 33,840 lbs.