Some Funnies

Originally posted by Barry Churcher
Phil is right Alex, that truly is a good story and who cares if it is a myth or not.

Not wanting to rain on your parade, but I spent 18 years at Marconi Portsmouth being the Air Weapons Test Equipment Manager.

Have to be a bit glib about Tornado systems obviously as you can never de-sign the Official Secrets Act. . . . . . .

The RAF does not fly armed aircraft over populated areas, which would be most all of the UK, RAF bases are available for aircraft arming that permit unpopulated flight paths to the range or we simply go to China Lake in the States.

Tornados have a radar warning device that presents the pilot with data of the location and nature of the radar in use.

Sky Shadow, a wing mounted pod which looks like a drop tank, would be quite capable of taking out the Fuzz radar gun, however, it would have the airports, µW phone links and much other stuff away as well.

The inference is the missile is "ALARM" - Air Launched Anti Radar Missile. Pilot intervention would be needed to confirm target, arm and launch. Perhaps later variants are full auto but in that case over-flying England would have had the whole production run auto-fired against civilian targets here.

Maybe an element of truth but hugely embellished I think.

R.