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Hold on to your hats, another large Tornado is on the way (from Italeri)
Tornado IDS
From Italeri
1/32nd Scale
Kit. #2520
Four colour choices included in the box
ETA: The kit will be released in the first weeks of November.
The Subject: Panavia Tornado IDS
Tornado IDS (Interdiction Strike) carries out air-to-ground attack missions, maritime strike and tactical reconnaissance. This is the core version of the Tornado and was adopted, with some variations in detail, by all the Air Forces of the Partner Nations of the consortium, and the Royal Saudi Air Force.
A marking used inside this boxing, Panavia Tornado IDS, registration MM7024 / 36-41 seen in Belgium in 2006. The lightning bolt on the tail was removed by that time.
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The IDS was the first European military aircraft to be designed with fly-by-wire flight controls and specialised for ground attack, although also capable of conducting anti-shipping and reconnaissance missions at extremely low altitudes.
A camouflaged Tornado IDS no# MM7029/6-07 from Italian AF/6Stormo, shot taken in September 1989. An option that is not just grey!
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The RAF identified the attack version as the GR.Mk.1, while the other Air Forces operators retained the original IDS designation. The only significant difference between the aircraft constructed for the three nations was that the British GR.Mk.1 incorporated an extra fuel tank in the tail fin. The RAF subsequently developed two further specific variants, the GR.Mk.1A, optimised for photo-electronic reconnaissance, and the GR.Mk1B, dedicated to the anti-shipping role. The latest version that was serving with the RAF is the GR.Mk.4, the first prototype of which first flew in May 1993, and which has today completely replaced all the preceding versions flown in the RAF. Furthermore, the German and Italian Tornado aircraft were equipped with dedicated reconnaissance pods.
Panavia Tornado IDS registration MM7015 / 6-32, shown here in Germany in 2022 is also a colour choice, (although the box version was from 2009.)
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Subsequently, the Marineflieger and Aeronautica Militare introduced the required modifications to allow their Weapon System to operate the Kormoran anti-ship missile. Like the RAF, both Luftwaffe and Aeronautica Militare initiated Mid Life Upgrade programmes for the modernisation of their fleet, extending the operational life of the aircraft until potentially 2035 with improving the capabilities of the aircraft to adapt to modern cockpit ergonomics, displays, computing, communications, counter-measures and precision weapons technology.
Panavia Tornado IDS 44+97 German Air Force is one of the choices in the box.
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228 - ROYAL AIR FORCE
210 - LUFTWAFFE
112 - MARINEFLIEGER
99 - AERONAUTICA MILITARE
96 - ROYAL SAUDI AIR FORCE
A Saudi version is NOT in the box, but it surely will feature on some aftermarket decal maker's shelves soon?
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Italeri's new 32nd scale Tornado ECR Kit
After the earlier releases of the Tornado ECR and Tornado GR. 4 to the public, here comes the IDS version.
The two previous boxings of Tornado in 32nd scale, with the GR4 & Tornado ECR variants being popular kits for Italeri.
Although there is not much in information about the kit we can be sure of these features:
The kit will be around 250-400 parts
- Photo-etched details will be included
- A Removable RB199 engine with support trolley is included
- Retracted or extended flaps and slats
- Movable ailerons
- Radome can be opened or closed with a fully detailed radar
- Open or closed thrust reversers
- Open or closed air brakes
- Rubber tyres - Movable variable geometry wings and pylons
- Rubber cover for wings entry point
- Colour instruction booklet
- Super decals sheet for 4 versions
The kit will be released in the first weeks of November.
You can get Italeri's kits from Italeri directly from their website or from their distributors worldwide.