Tornado arrives at new Hawarden collection

Panavia Tornado F3 ZE966 arrived by road at the Tornado Heritage Centre at Hawarden airfield on 18 February from Wroughton near Swindon, where it had been in storage. The aircraft is almost totally complete, so it is anticipated that only a four-to-eight-week restoration period will be required in Hawarden’s Hangar 4 before the aircraft can be lifted onto a purpose-built concrete apron, where it will remain on permanent display.

Decommissioned in July 2007 and donated to the Museum of Science and Industry in Manchester four months later, the aircraft never went on display there and was moved from Manchester to the Science Museum’s storage facility at Wroughton in March 2014. The aircraft was the 800th production Tornado and the 160th ADV (Air Defence Variant), making its first flight in November 1989 and serving with No 43 Squadron at Leuchars and 11 at Leeming. It was donated to the new Tornado Heritage Centre in September 2016.

Very smart-looking Tornado F3 ZE966 being unloaded at Hawarden on 18 February.
STUART CASE