New boxing of Italeri Tornado

[Stokey Pete]

2 hours ago, Rockie Yarwood said:

Now that is cool! At first glance I thought it was CGI...

My old man was the luckiest dude ever. I spent days sat on the same hillsides and all I ever photographed, were Hawks, or the occasional grey Tornado.

He sits up there on a different day and ‘gets’ all manner of exotic goodies flying through the valleys. You should see some of the mind boggling shots of Strike Eagles he produces. 

[Zola25]

5 hours ago, Stokey Pete said:

My old man was the luckiest dude ever. I spent days sat on the same hillsides and all I ever photographed, were Hawks, or the occasional grey Tornado.

He sits up there on a different day and ‘gets’ all manner of exotic goodies flying through the valleys. You should see some of the mind boggling shots of Strike Eagles he produces. 

Is that the Mach Loop? - I keep watching video after video on YouTube. I need to go there someday 

 

I wanted to go to Star Wars Canyon as well, but I understand that the good viewing spots have been closed after a horrible F/A-18E crash

 

/Niels

[Stokey Pete]

55 minutes ago, Zola25 said:

Is that the Mach Loop? - I keep watching video after video on YouTube. I need to go there someday 

 

I wanted to go to Star Wars Canyon as well, but I understand that the good viewing spots have been closed after a horrible F/A-18E crash

 

/Niels

It’s is Mach’ Loop. It’s a brilliant, and frustrating place in equal measure. You can sit there all day and see nothing. The next day, you could be visited by half the Air Force in one day. 

[Tony T]

Waffle 

Edited October 29, 2022 by Tony T
waffle removal

[Dave Williams]

Looks like the sprue shots are up on Italeri’s page.

 

https://www.italeri.com/en/product/3044

 

It looks like the only new parts are in that small rectangular box to the lower left of the center circle on the sprue with the intake ductwork.  This was empty on the previous boxings.  Looks like a new nose gear leg?  Didn’t know it was different on the IDS than on the ECR or GR4.  Strangely, the front IP doesn’t look like it was changed and still has the square center display instead of the round display normally seen on IDS versions (was the IDS IP updated later in life?).  That’s the one change I figured they would make to the kit.  Unsurprisingly (to me) they didn’t change the weapons sprue.  I wonder what weapons they will tell you to use.  The JDAMs?

[JayBee]

5 hours ago, Dave Williams said:

Looks like the sprue shots are up on Italeri’s page.

 

https://www.italeri.com/en/product/3044

 

It looks like the only new parts are in that small rectangular box to the lower left of the center circle on the sprue with the intake ductwork.  This was empty on the previous boxings.  Looks like a new nose gear leg?  Didn’t know it was different on the IDS than on the ECR or GR4.  Strangely, the front IP doesn’t look like it was changed and still has the square center display instead of the round display normally seen on IDS versions (was the IDS IP updated later in life?).  That’s the one change I figured they would make to the kit.  Unsurprisingly (to me) they didn’t change the weapons sprue.  I wonder what weapons they will tell you to use.  The JDAMs?

 

 

Early Tornados have two shock absorbers (scissors?) on the nose gear leg. Later the back one was removed.

 

It also seems to me the middle part of the spine after the cockpit is new. There is a black disc cover for antenna, only IDS have this.

 

I can only speak for German upgrades:

 

The round display of the front IP was replaced during Assta 2/3 upgrade (and the mid display tab in the rear cockpit) Some new RWR antennas on the fuselage were also also added.

 

In ASSTA 3.1 upgrade they replaced the the left and right display tabs in the rear cockpit

 

You can find more of the Assta upgrade here

 

 

[Tony T]

Thanks for posting the link.

 

Hmmm... twist or stick?  Wait for some ResKit Kormorans then go for this third edition me thinks. 

Have the Aires-for-Revell pit which apparently fits the Italeri remarkably well, so we're getting there.

 

Tony

 

 

[Dave Williams]

On 10/28/2022 at 6:41 PM, JayBee said:

 

 

Early Tornados have two shock absorbers (scissors?) on the nose gear leg. Later the back one was removed.

 

It also seems to me the middle part of the spine after the cockpit is new. There is a black disc cover for antenna, only IDS have this.

 

I can only speak for German upgrades:

 

The round display of the front IP was replaced during Assta 2/3 upgrade (and the mid display tab in the rear cockpit) Some new RWR antennas on the fuselage were also also added.

 

In ASSTA 3.1 upgrade they replaced the the left and right display tabs in the rear cockpit

 

You can find more of the Assta upgrade here

 

 

Thanks for the info.  It looks like the IP is wrong for the 1984 Italian option, as a minimum, and not sure when/if the same was done to Italian AF tornados later in life.  Also disappointing that they didn’t include a recon pod for the German option, since I believe the ones sent to Afghanistan were from AG-51 and used for recon only.  Have to look through my stash as I think I’ve got a HaHen Telelens pod around somewhere.

[Dave Williams]

Just got the kit in from Italy.  It’s pretty much as discussed above.  The main change is a second nose gear leg that has both front and rear scissors, which according to Italeri is supposed to be only used for the newest (2009) Italian bird.  The circular black disc cover is also added, as mentioned by JayBee.  The  plastic IPs haven’t changed from the ones originally released In the GR.4, so you are expected to modify them for the IDS.  Fortunately, they’ve changed the PE fret, and have added the round center display, as well as the earlier displays for the upper corners for the front IP.  A little flat, but at least it a little better than just decals after you scrape the relevant areas off of the plastic panel.  For the upper part of the rear IP, some mods, cutting and using different parts for two of the options, and some scratch building and a decal MFD for the newest Italian aircraft (similar to the later Italian option in the ECR kit).  For changes to the center area of the lower rear IP for the same late option, you’re limited to just decal replacements, which looks very tacky on a kit of this price and level of cockpit.  No changes for weapons, so you’re pretty much on your own for early last century IDS aircraft.  The only A-G ordnance listed for use are the HARMs and 2000lb JDAMs, and only for certain decal options.  Like the ECR kit, you only get the standard drop tanks and the non-RAF centerline pylons.

 

Edit:  looks like they also added parts for the early center top display of the rear IP with the two large circular instruments on top.

Edited November 29, 2022 by Dave Williams