1/48 Tornado GR.1 with Paveway IIs and Tiald Pod for Balkan Ops

March 17, 2025 · in Aviation · 1/48 Camo GR.1 RAF Tonka Tornado · 14 ≡ · 160

This was a long project that I'd wanted to do for a while. I've always loved the late Cold War/early 1990s RAF Tornado GR.1 camouflage schemes; and I'd come across a blurry photo of a 617 Squadron Tonka taking off for ops over the Balkans in the 1990s with a combination of unusual white and blue fin stripe, squadron colours and white-yellow radome and APU intake markings.

Due to the blurry and low-res primary reference photo, I had to do some research online to find better quality photos of other Tornados with similar fin and yellow paint marks to get them right for my 617 bird, and ordered a nice Xtradecal aftermarket squadron markings set, some union jack decals of various sizes for model boats and some lovely Brassin Paveway IIs and Tiald Pod to complete the pictured loadout.

Kit-wise I used the only real option available, which was the Revell 1:48 kit; in this case the RAF retirement scheme boxing. I must admit that despite the nice surface detail, this was the worst model kit building experience I've had - really difficult plastic to work with; terrible fit in multiple areas; incorrectly labelled and numbered parts in the instructions; and the need to build it in a completely different order to that called for in order to have a chance of getting things lined up. I'm grateful to the many modellers who have come before me and posted guides on construction online for help and inspiration!

Having whinged about the kit though, I enjoyed painting it a lot and I'm really pleased with the end result - she looks the part to my eyes at least and is even better looking in person than on camera.

For any who want to see how she went together etc, I've done a short slideshow build video: https://youtu.be/n7Z15AAlhoQ?si=s5t2zJaqUdYBwfEp

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