The Tornado F2 had a troubled introduction to service. Unloved by its crews and procured as a political imperative, it was blighted by failures and was developed to counter a threat that disappeared. Modified rapidly before it could be sent to war, the Tornado F3 eventually matured into a capable weapons system, but despite datalinks and new air-to-air weapons, its poor reputation sealed its fate. The author, a former Tornado F3 navigator, tells the story from an insider's perspective from the early days as one of the first instructors on the Operational Conversion Unit, through its development and operational testing, to its demise. David Gledhill reflects on its capabilities and deficiencies and analyses why the aircraft was mostly underestimated by opponents. Although many books have already described the Tornado F3, the author's involvement in its development will provide a unique insight into this complex and misunderstood aircraft programme and dispel some of the myths surrounding it.

About the Author
David Gledhill trained as a navigator and flew the Phantom and Tornado F3 on squadrons and as an instructor. Eventually becoming the executive officer on the Tornado Operational Conversion Unit, he also commanded No. 1435 Flight in the Falkland Islands. He was responsible for many of the development programmes and operational testing of the Tornado F3, both in the MOD and at The Air Warfare Centre, throughout the aircraft's service life. Gledhill's first book was the critically acclaimed The Phantom in Focus: A Navigator's Eye on Britain's Cold War Warrior.


Book Information
ISBN 9781781553077
Author David Gledhill
Format Hardback
Page Count 288
Imprint Fonthill Media Ltd
Publisher Fonthill Media Ltd