Iconic Fast Jet Goes On Display In Imperial War Museum

One of the most significant fast jets used by the RAF during the last 27 years has gone on display at the Imperial War Museum in Duxford, near Cambridge.

The Tornado GR4 has been deployed to Afghanistan and Libya but now has a new home in the museum, which displays some of the most famous aircraft in the world, including the Spitfire, Lancaster and Vulcan bomber.

Pilot Kieran Gilroy, who has been flying Tornadoes in the RAF since 2014, flew the museum’s Tornado in the Middle East. He said it was quite nostalgic seeing it come through the hangar.

He added: “It’s my first operational type and it’s now in a museum - I don’t know what that says about my age. 

"It’s a good home for is actually, it’s quite nice that it’s going to be preserved here.”

The Tornado GR4 is one of the world's most successful combat proven fast jets. They were used more than Typhoons during Nato air strikes in Libya in 2011 because they were equipped with Brimstone, the latest 500lb Paveway IV laser and GPS-guided bomb.

The museum will work closely with those who have Tornado - to collect, tell and preserve their stories.

Amanda Mason, the curator of the museum, said: “To have this aircraft here that’s served in some of those significant operations, Afghanistan and counter Isis operations it’s really good to be able to talk to our visitors more about those conflicts from people who’ve experienced them.”

The Tornado flew for the first time in 1974 and entered service in 1980. The Tornado fleet is due to retire in 2019, the date having been brought forward from the original deadline of 2025.