Reassembling ex-TTTE Tornado GR1 ZA361 at New York, Lincolnshire

(Image: Phantom OCU; Tornado GR1 ZA361 at New York, Lincolnshire)

In addition to its role as a front-line Eurofighter Typhoon base and home of the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight, RAF Coningsby operates a number of Tornado GR4 strike aircraft, under the banner of No. 41 (R) Squadron. The unit, which also flies several Typhoon FGR4s, serves as the RAF’s test and evaluation squadron (TES), developing tactics, weapons and defensive systems for deployment on the operational fast jet fleet.

Less well known, however, is that a couple of miles down the road in the tiny Lincolnshire hamlet of New York, another Panavia Tornado bomber sits in a semi-dismantled state in a farm yard.

(Image: Dave Collins)

The aircraft, serial number ZA361, is an early production Tornado GR1 airframe that once flew as part of the Tri-National Tornado Training Establishment (TTTE) at RAF Cottesmore in Rutland.

(Image: Dave Collins)

At its peak, the TTTE trained some 160 Tornado crews each year from Germany, Italy and the UK. It consisted of three squadrons and operated aircraft from all three partner nations.

(Image: Phantom OCU)

Tornado GR1 ZA361, which first flew in February 1981 and was delivered to the RAF two months later, on April 28, was one of around 19 British Tornado jets on the charge of the TTTE at the time.

(Image: Phantom OCU)

The aircraft, which is currently understood to be up for sale, was the 42nd production Tornado IDS (interdictor/strike) to be rolled out of the factory near Preston in Lancashire.

(Image: Phantom OCU)

Unlike many early TTTE airframes, which were withdrawn from use and scrapped after the training establishment disbanded in 1999 (in favour of national operational conversion units in each partner country) ZA361 was kept on charge and served as a ground trainer before its empty shell was put out to pasture in a remote corner of RAF Marham in Norfolk.

(Image: Phantom OCU)

ZA361 was one of around 86 Tornado GR1 airframes not selected for the mid-life upgrade programme to GR4 standard. The aircraft ultimately came up for disposal, and rather than falling into the hands of a scrap dealer, it was snapped up by Lightning Logistics of New York, Lincolnshire.

(Image: Phantom OCU; EE Lightning XS416 at New York, Lincolnshire)

The company, which has its own Facebook page documenting Tornado ZA361’s steady reassembly, also owns an English Electric Lightning T5, serial number XS416, the twin-seat training version of the UK’s awesome high performance Cold War interceptor.

(Image: Graham Tiller; Tornado ZA361 photographed in 1998)

The photograph above shows ZA361, coded B-57, during more lively days at RAF Mildenhall on May 24, 1998, shortly before it was withdrawn from flying duties. Below, a few miles from where the old GR1 stands today, a more active Coningsby Tornado GR4 takes to the sky, call sign Rebel 80.