Page 89 - History of War - Issue 25-16

PANAVIA TORNADO

Developed by Rolls
Royce, the twin
engines proved reliable
and easy to service
Inset above:
Afterburning engines
inject fuel into the
exhaust gasses
POWERPLANT construction, which enabled in-service “THE ENGINES HAD
The engines employed a modular
Rolls-Royce designed the RB199 engine the entire engine. This gave improved eficiency, AFTERBURNER CAPABILITY,
switching of engine modules without changing
speciically for the Panavia Tornado. Using
technology and skills learned during the enabling aircraft to be quickly returned to WHERE FUEL IS IGNITED
Corncorde airliner development, the new engine service after receiving any damage.
Tornado aircraft lew with two RB199
was test lown in a special pod beneath a engines, with at-the-time very advanced digital INTO THE EXHAUST SYSTEM
test Vulcan bomber, in the same way that the
Olympus engine had been for Concorde. The had afterburner capability, where fuel is ignited TO GIVE A MASSIVE
controls to reduce pilot workload. The engines
inal engine design was manufactured in the
same way as the aircraft – in a joint consortium into the exhaust system to give a massive INCREASE IN POWER FOR
of engine companies called Turbo Union that increase in power for short periods. The
engines also incorporated reverse thrust for
was made up of Rolls-Royce, Germany’s MTU improved braking performance when landing. SHORT PERIODS”
and Italy’s FIAT Avio.
ARMAMENT The under-wing

stores had to work
The very nature of its original design philosophy meant that Tornados in conjunction with
across the different air forces carried remarkably diverse payloads. the variable wing
Under the main fuselage there were four light-duty and three heavy- technology, but offered
duty ‘hard points’ for mounting weapons. Another four under-wing excellent versatility
mounting points could carry 9,000 kilograms of bombs and other
stores, ranging from long-range ferry tanks, short-range tactical fuel
tanks that could be used supersonically, and air-to-ground and air-to-
air missiles. Originally Two Mauser cannons were also mounted on the
starboard side of the fuselage but one was removed in later variants.
A Tornado could carry any combination of AIM Sidewinder,
ASRAAM, Maverick, Brimstone or even ALARM anti-radiation
missiles for targeting insurgents using electronic devices. Bombs
it could carry included Paveway, BL755 cluster bombs or even
tactical nuclear weapons.
Additional uses for the mounting points included long-range fuel
tanks plus external avionics pods including Rafael listening pods,
laser targeting and Sky Shadow electronic countermeasures and
jamming equipment.

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