Timeline

50 Years of Operation

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1967 
19-08-67 Multi Role Aircraft for 1975 (MRA 75) Joint Working Group formed comprised of Belgium, Netherlands, Germany & Italy. Canada joined later.
1968 
06-68 BAC Warton demonstrate the effectiveness of a teflon bearing within a wing pivot
01-07-68 Britain joined the MRA 75 Joint Working Group.
17-07-68Conceptional Phase Memorandum of understanding signed (Phase 1)
25-10-68 Initial Statement of Work produced-
15-12-68Initial Management Organisation formed
19-12-68 Joint Working Group issues first statement of work.
1969 
02-69Individual property rights and sharing of confidential information rules implemented.
14-03-69 Multi Role Combat Aircraft (MRCA) configuration adopted, PA100 single seat aircraft and PA200 dual seat aircraft.
Baseline configuration set for the RB199.
26-03-69 Panavia GmbH formed.
14-05-0692nd Memorandum of Understanding signed.
01-06-69 Turbo Union formed.
07-69 Netherlands back out of Panavia.
04-09-69 RB199-34R chosen as power plant.
28-08-69 Avionica systems formed.
09-69 NAMMA formed.
10-10-69 4th MoU Signed
1970 
28-02-70 Work share provisions finalised.
04-70 Project definition completed. Definition Phase Final Report Generated
22-07-70 5th Memorandum of Understanding signed for nine flying prototypes and one static test airframe.
1971 
27-09-71 RB199 run on test bed.
10-71 Texas Instruments contracted to provide radar for IDS.
1972 
11-72 First airframe assembly begins.
1973 
15-03-736th Memorandum of understanding signed for six pre series airframes.
19-04-73 Vulcan engine test bed flies.
1974 
08-04-74 Prototype P01 rolled out at Manching.
14-08-74 Prototype P01 flies.
21-08-74 Prototype P01 second flight.
09-74 MRCA renamed Tornado.
11-10-747th, 8th & 9th Memorandums of Understanding signed
30-10-74 Prototype P02 flies.
11-74 Buccaneers begin testing avionics.
1975 
07-75 First in flight re-fuelling.
05-08-75 Prototype P03 flies.
02-09-75 Prototype P04 flies.
26-11-75 First flight off Tornado with non Panavia pilot.
05-12-75 Prototype P05 flies.
20-12-75 Prototype P06 flies.
1976 
29-07-76 Batch 1 production order placed.
01-76 Prototype P05 crashed on landing at Caselle.
30-03-76 Prototype P07 flies.
15-07-76 Prototype P08 flies.
04-10-76 Prototype P03 aquaplaned off the runway at Warton.
1977 
05-02-77 Prototype P09 & Pre series P11 fly.
14-03-77 Pre series P12 flies.
05-77 Batch two signed off
1978 
10-01-78 Pre series P13 flies.
01-04-78 RAF Cottesmore reactivates and prepared to be the home of the TTTE
22 to 25-05-78 Tornado Steering Committee meeting at RAF Cottesmore
24-11-78 Pre series P15 flies.
1979 
08-01-79 Pre series P14 flies.
26-03-79 Pre series P16 flies.
08-05-79 MoU for TTTE formation signed at RAF Cottesmore
12-06-79 Prototype P08 crashes into the Irish Sea with the loss of the crew, Russ Pengelly and Sqn Ldr John Gray
09-08-79 F.2 ZA254 flies, David Eagles and Roy Kennard
1980 
01-07-80 TTTE receives its first British Tornado, ZA320, crewed by Paul Millett and Ollie Heath
18-07-80 F.2 ZA267 flies
18-11-80 F.2 ZA283 flies
02-09-80 TTTE receives its first German Tornado, 43+05
1981 
05-01-81 TTTE starts it first conversion course
26-01-81TTTE formally opened
05-08-81 Order for 18 F.2 airframes ordered within Batch 4
29-06-81 TWCU receives its first Tornado, ZA542
05-08-81 Batch three signed off
09-81 TTTE achieves flight time of more than 500 hours
09-11-81 WaKo receives its first Tornado, 43+28 (German TWCU)
1982 
06-01-82 First Tornado delivered to a British front line Squadron, No. 9 formed at Honington, ZA586
23-04-82 No. 617 Squadron receives its first Tornado, ZA601
29-06-82 No. 27 Squadron receives its first Tornado, ZA609
02-07-82 MFG1 receives its first Tornados
08-82 TTTE achieves full strength of 48 airframes; 22 German, 19 British, 7 Italian
20-09-82 TWCU receives its first Batch 3 Tornado, ZA365
1983 
15-07-83 No. 15 Squadron receives its first Tornado, ZA411
27-09-83 No. 9 loses its first Tornado, ZA586
13-012-83 No. 16 Squadron receives its first Tornado
10-05-83 TWCU performs first overseas deployment to Goose Bay, Canada
27-07-83 JBG31 receives its first Tornado, 43+93
07-09-83 TOEU formed at Boscombe Down
1984 
01-01-84 TWCU takes on its shadow designation, No. 45 Squadron
05-01-84 Batch 6 signed off
05-03-84 First flight of a production F.2, ZD900
13-06-84 No. 31 Squadron receives its first Tornado, ZD712
18-06-84 155 Gruppo receives its first Tornado, MM7043
27-06-84 TTTE achieves 30,000 flying hours
27-07-84 JBG32 receives its first Tornado, 44+36
16-08-84 No. 17 Squadron receives its first Tornado, ZD742
01-11-84 F2 OCU formed at RAF Coningsby
1984 
11-04-85 No. 14 Squadron receives its first Tornado, ZD842
06-05-85 Sqn Ldr Rod Sargent becomes the first service pilot to reach 1,000 hours
02-09-85 JBG33 receives its first Tornado, 44+86
10-10-85 ZA361(B-57) of TTTE becomes the first Tornado to reach 1,000 hours
10-85 No. 27 Squadron take first and second place for the LeMay trophy, first and second for the Meyer trophy and second place for the Mathis trophy
11-10-85 First RSAF students arrive at TTTE
20-11-85 First production F.3 flies, ZE154
1986 
28-02-86 MM55000(I-50) or TTTE becomes the first Italian Tornado to reach 1,000 hours
28-07-86 First F.3 enters squadron service, ZE159
11-09-86 MFG2 receives its first Tornados 45+12, 45+13
1987 
01-04-87 F3 OEU formed at RAF Coningsby,
No. 29 Squadron formed
23-10-87 JBG34 received its first Tornado, 45+61
1988Flight hours passes 500,000
01-01-88 No. 5 Squadron formed at RAF Coningsby
01-07-88 No. 11 Squadron formed at RAF Leeming
01-11-88 No. 11 Squadron declared to SACLANT
1989 
24-05-89 MFG1 accumulate 50,000 flying hours
21-07-89 First F.3 loss, ZE833
1991 
07-01-91 First ADV reaches 1,000 hours, ZE252
05-91 TTTE clocks up 100,000 hours
1992Flight hours passes 1,000,000
23-11-92 One million orders processed by NAMMA using NOSECS
1993 
24-03-93 Last ADV delivered to Royal Air Force, ZH559
30-09-93 No. 27 Squadron stood down ( unit became No. 12 Squadron)
1997 
15-12-97 MM55003(I-43) of TTTE becomes the first Italian Tornado to reach 3,000 hours
31-12-97 Last RB199 passes through D Hangar TTTE, RAF Cottesmore
2002 
17-02-02 First GR.4 loss