Panavia Tornado GR.4

[AjD]

Having been asked a few times to put these photos up I thought I'd show you all how my Tonka's (edit: Fin, haha!) coming along. Progress is slow but it's getting there. I'm still not 100% happy with it and there's still work to do but one day it might work out!

In-progress Neomega office, being re-worked from GR.1 standard to GR.4:

Almost complete cockpit but with some weathering and tweaking still to do:

Forward fuselage with Flightpath additions plus scratch-built open maintenance bays and doors:

Rebuilt airbrake housing, fuel dump nozzle and tail:

Close-up of the re-worked tail fin:

Paragon dropped flaps fitted to the port wing:

Some damage to repair on the underside and detail to add, including the actuators:

Work in progress on improving the reverse-thrust mechanism which is rather blandly moulded on the kit:

The beginnings of a Ground Power Unit to go on the eventual diorama:

Comments/suggestions on how to improve it welcome!

Andy

Edited April 30, 2012 by AjD

[spike7451]

Looks good so far!

Couple of points

Moving map display in front cockpit is replaced with a digital display-

Cockpit floor is non slip black paint (use fine grit glasspaper cut to shape to simulate it)

See my sticky here

Mervs sticky bits...

Inside of maintainance bay doors are gloss red but the bays are light grey.

If you are doing a diorama with Ground power the are a couple of more doors to open up.

see photo

Merv (ex RAF Tornado Armourer)

Edited July 3, 2008 by spike7451

[F-32]

Been looking really carefully at these pics and for the life of me I can't figure out which bit you're not happy with - it all looks sweet!

[periklis_sale]

WOW!!!!

Amazing work mate....i will follow closely the build!!!!

[AnonymousDFB1]

This is looking a bit good

[daz greenwood]

Oh! Another Tonk..........oooooooooooops I mean fin!

[James G]

Good stuff mate, the open panels look the business!

Cheers

James

[AjD]

Thank you all very much. I'm still not quite happy with the finish in some areas but with a bit more work it'll be ok I'm sure.

Merv - Much appreciated - a great help. These photos are a bit old actually as I have now replaced the display in the front with the MFD screen. The external doors have also been opened up but I made a slight cock up inside one so it'll have to come out so I can start again! Thank you for pointing out the non-slip black paint in the pit, I hadn't noticed that despite having seen those piccies before so you get brownie points for that comment! Ta muchly!

One thing I am still struggling on is finding pictures of ground support equipment used around the Tornado but at least that stage is a long way off yet.

Thank you all again.

Andy

[spike7451]

HAS's have their own power supplly's for the jets because of the dangers of exhaust fumes from the GPU's.The Houchin would be painted up the same way as thi lifter;

Telic;

[AjD]

Thanks again Merv!

[speedlimit]

Looking great! I'll be watching your thread for my future FIN build.

Eric

[mtd350]

Ooooooooooo

Henley forklifts, don't see many of them now .

Looks very much like the side of the Maintainance Hanger at Basrah Airport

Oh yes

Nice Fi.. em sorry TONKA

Edited July 5, 2008 by mtd350

[spike7451]

Ooooooooooo

Henley forklifts, don't see many of them now .

Looks very much like the side of the Maintainance Hanger at Basrah Airport

Oh yes

Nice Fi.. em sorry TONKA

It was. AND it's NOT A TONKA!!!!

[mtd350]

It was. AND it's NOT A TONKA!!!!

Well I've worked with them for nearly 20 years and we called them TONKAS when they came into service

and replaced the TOOMS I aint heard them called any different

TOOM TONKA kinda flows off the tounge

where as TOOM FIN doesn't work does it?

Who cares anyway they'll soon be replaced by the FOON or is it TIFFY?

Ah the banter

[hatchet]

Well I've worked with them for nearly 20 years and we called them TONKAS when they came into service

You're the first person who's worked on them, that I've heard of, who have used the word Tonka!

Merv's worked on them for quite some time too

[spike7451]

Well I've worked with them for nearly 20 years and we called them TONKAS when they came into service

and replaced the TOOMS I aint heard them called any different

TOOM TONKA kinda flows off the tounge

where as TOOM FIN doesn't work does it?

Who cares anyway they'll soon be replaced by the FOON or is it TIFFY?

Ah the banter

Ahhhh...You must be an F3 guy...

LOL! It's just I cant stand the term 'Tonka! ....Now Toom,that's different..That was a n other classic jet.PhanTOOM fits but TONKAdo sounds too much like a cheap Japanese car!

[mtd350]

TONKAdo sounds too much like a cheap Japanese car!

FINado sounds like ?

Sounds Scandinavian but everybody knows it's not that good

Yep you are correct F3's ,but even when I've been on Det with GR's never heard them called FIN's

Anyway I can see I'm flogging a and we've wandered so i'll get my

[spike7451]

TONKAdo sounds too much like a cheap Japanese car!

FINado sounds like ?

Sounds Scandinavian but everybody knows it's not that good

Yep you are correct F3's ,but even when I've been on Det with GR's never heard them called FIN's

Anyway I can see I'm flogging a and we've wandered so i'll get my

Neither have I! Cant even recall hearing them called 'Tonka' when I was still in all them years ago . (Must be a civvie thing that caught on..... )

Anyway, I have a taxi coming...Need a lift?

[Boxster]

Oh goody goody! I can follow this thread to build mine!!!

Nice cockpit tho!

B

[AjD]

Argh! Disaster strikes!

Got the cockpit installed then came back this morning, opened the super glue to do another job and the pot split! Managed to sweep mostly everthing out of the way except one of the seats which is completely ruined! Argh that's gutting!

Have emailed Neomega to see if I can get hold of a replacement so fingers crossed. Just when you think you're making progress hey...!

Edited August 3, 2008 by AjD

[Craig S]

Gutted! hope the damage isn't too severe, and on the plus side that frankly amazing cockpit is intact. Superb!

[AjD]

Thanks Craig.

The seat's lost though unfortunately. It's turned white, as if dipped in 1/48 scale rock-hard snow! This is one of those moments where you want to throw the whole thing at the wall and stomp off in a huff but I'm hoping to hear back from Neomega soon. It'll be recoverable if I can get my mitts on another Mk.10A.

[AjD]

OK, so despite the disaster with the seat I've cracked on in the hope that I'll get a replacement through the post...!

Fuselage glued togeather and the resin tub installed, plus the nose gear bay after detail:

A quick test fit of the instrument coaming, although I still need to work on the projector to improve it before fitting the HUD:

Still work to do on the intake walls to starboard:

The avionics bay still needs a matt varnish and I've also got to start work on rebuilding the refuelling probe. The Italeri (extended) probe is a bit too sparse and beefy for my liking so I'm using the tip and rebuilding the rest from scratch:

I'm relatively pleased with the way the front panel and new MFD came out although it still pains me to see only one seat:

The remaining MB Mk.10A isn't quite right, for a start it needs another matt coat so I may well tweak that a bit:

It's starting to look like the front end of a Tornado...I think!

Hope I'm not boring everyone with my little escapade! Strangely, posting on here and seeing a bit of progress is all that's keeping me going on it at the moment!

I'd really appreciate suggestions if anyone spots any mistakes.

Oh, and Merv, if you're out there (!), do you know what that little open door on the nose looks like inside?

Cheers,

Andy

[Jelly]

Just superb Andy!

Love the bays all opened up, they look great.

Marcus

[eoin6661]

Hope I'm not boring everyone with my little escapade! Strangely, posting on here and seeing a bit of progress is all that's keeping me going on it at the moment!

I'd really appreciate suggestions if anyone spots any mistakes.

Oh, and Merv, if you're out there (!), do you know what that little open door on the nose looks like inside?

Cheers,

Andy

Andy

Not too sure what little door you mean, I've got this which shows the red inner colour of the LOX and SMS panels and the ground earth point, not too clear though. There's a panel on the opposite side as well for the ground power

I've got a few more old ones I'll dig out and try and scan, although unfortunately I never took many at the time, mainly GR1s as well