Hi,
at Fliegerhorst Erding/Memmingen the German Luftwaffe has begun scrapping off the first plane of the Tornado fleet two days ago. Also that day an Alpha Jet and some ex-SIGINT Atlantiques faced the axe of the executioner …
With the Eurofighter entering service, the Bundeswehr is going to reduce the Tornado fleet drastically from 240 down to 85 aircraft, only JaboG 32 will keep operating Tornado ECRs, while the surviving Tornado IDS´ will remain with the AG 51.
Link to a German forum, 3 pics … 😮 🙁
http://www.flugzeugforum.de/forum/showthread.php?t=22196&page=1&pp=10
EDIT: Forgot – you´ve got to register to view the pics, so here with permission of flying-wings.com:
By: Peter - 19th March 2005 at 17:22
Is cockpit collecting not that big in Germany? Would there not be any interest in the main instrument panel shown in the photo of the dismantled toronado?
By: Bruggen 130 - 19th March 2005 at 14:24
Tornados being scrapped? I’m getting old, Tonkas historic? I suppose so – liked the prototype colours for the ADV and IDF. Actually the early German Navy ones looked quite funky – any photos?
Just the one from the German Navy,the Hall 1984 🙂
Phil.
By: Charley - 19th March 2005 at 13:01
There’s a Tornado in a scrapyard near Water Orton, Bimringham. You can see it from the M42. Makes me feel old to see them scrapped already but I suppose they have served far longer than many aircraft in former times that were obselete within a year or two of entering service due to advancing technology.
By: DGH - 19th March 2005 at 10:17
It’s funny how you’re view of some aircraft changes. When the Tonka’s were replacing the last of the Lightnings I really hated them, then over the years you see them at airshows and you start to warm to them ( probably because there ain’t much else like it left in the RAF ). Now it seems a real shame to see them getting chopped, but we cant save them all.
By: Papa Lima - 18th March 2005 at 22:10
As a former employee of BAe dating from the time of the Tornado prototypes, these are among the saddest pictures I have seen – and it makes me feel really ancient, too! Thank goodness one of my “old” aircraft is still safe and sound at Cosford.
By: Seafuryfan - 18th March 2005 at 21:22
German Efficiency
There’s German efficiency for you – that Tornado looks almost like a cube of metal. What a surreal sight, it seems not that long ago when the Tonkas came into service early Eighties with much fanfare.
There’s an awful lot of them to get rid of. Agree with the earlier post – the Kreigsmarine (sp?) tornados in Grey and white looked good.
By: Will J - 18th March 2005 at 20:54
😀 😀 😀
But probably true 😮
By: John C - 18th March 2005 at 20:29
It’s Historic clearly – if a few of these aircraft aren’t allocated for preservation we’ll be moaning about our shortsightedness in 30 years time. We’ll also be arguing about the HLF funding a Tornado to the skies campaign and wondering why the CAA won’t let a civilian organisation fly it. We’ll probably be remembering the golden days of manned flight as well, and moaning about how pilotless aircraft have no soul.
JC
Cynic
By: Maple 01 - 18th March 2005 at 20:15
Tornados being scrapped? I’m getting old, Tonkas historic? I suppose so – liked the prototype colours for the ADV and IDF. Actually the early German Navy ones looked quite funky – any photos?
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March 18, 2005 at 4:37 pm