Second to None, a pair of II(AC) Squadron’s GR1As roll out after landing at Laarbruch in dirty weather. From an oil painting by noted aviation artist Mike Rondot. (Mike Rondot, www.collectair.co.uk/second-to-none)
XV(R) Squadron Tornados queue up to take fuel from a TriStar.
A GR1 of XV Squadron, in its 85th anniversary livery, powers up for take-off.
A GR4 of 41(R) Squadron (the operational evaluation unit) touches down at Liverpool Airport. (Les Hendry, www.leshendry.com)
A GR4 at low level, wings swept forward for manoeuvrability. (Ian Sykes)
Hugging the contours, a GR4 at low level. (Ian Sykes)
GR4 during a firepower demonstration. (Ian Sykes)
Top, Middle and Above: Three lined up for take-off. (Les Hendry, www.leshendry.com); The business end. (Les Hendry, www.leshendry.com); Taxiing in at dusk. (Les Hendry, www.leshendry.com)
‘Contact’. Note: the apparent hose distortion is caused by the canopy Perspex. (Photo from www.jet-prints.com by permission of Claus Mayerhofer)
Closing up. (Photo from www.jet-prints.com by permission of Claus Mayerhofer)
The GR4 which was decorated to mark thirty years of RAF Tornados. It carries a RAPTOR pod under the fuselage. (Les Hendry, www.leshendry.com)
The same aircraft touches down. (Les Hendry, www.leshendry.com)
Top and Above: On patrol; The last of the many. Representatives of the four remaining squadrons airborne in October 2015 under the leadership of the aircraft painted in fortieth anniversary colours. (©Crown copyright, MOD)
The squadrons represented are XV(R) Squadron, 12 Squadron, IX(B) Squadron and 31 Squadron. By all accounts, three of the five aircraft were due to be broken up for spares during the week following this flight. (© Crown copyright, MOD)
Armourers labour to load ALARM missiles.
Top, Middle and Above: GR1s of 14 and 31 Squadrons refuel from a VC10, while a further 31 Squadron machine waits its turn. The fin of the 14 Squadron aircraft shows typical staining from the reverse thrust used routinely on landing; Deployed ops. GR1s under the sunshades in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia. The apron is shared with the French, whose Mirage 2000 aircraft may be seen in the background; A GR1 loaded with two JP233 weapons.
The Cold War is over, and thereby came opportunities none of the Cold War generation had ever expected. Here, GR1s of 31 Squadron escort MiG-21s of the Hungarian air force towards Fairford to participate in the International Air Tattoo.
GR1s with a Gulf Conflict workhorse, a Victor K2.
Post-Gulf War, GR1s with a KC-135. The boom has a short ‘donkey dick’ hose-drogue adaptor to make it compatible with probe-equipped receivers. The nearer GR1 is in peacetime 17 Squadron markings. The further aircraft remains in ‘desert pink’, although its 617 Squadron fin flash has been reapplied.