RAF - News by Date THE TORNADO F3 IS NAMED RAF’S GREATEST POST-WW2 FIGHTER JET IN RECENT RAFBF POLL The RAF Benevolent Fund (RAFBF), the RAF’s leading welfare charity, recently held a poll to discover the RAF’s greatest post-World War Two fighter jet. Thousands of votes were cast but the Tornado F3 nudged ahead of the Phantom and the Hunter, winning with a total of 1,437 votes. The Phantom came a very close second with just 37 votes less and the Hunter finished with 1,259. 5,900 people voted and the results have created a lot of interest and debate. Following the success of this poll, the RAF Benevolent Fund is now asking people to cast their votes for the most iconic RAF figure of World War Two. At the moment Air Chief Marshal Dowding is in the lead with 27% of the vote, however Group Captain Bader, Marshal of the RAF Harris and Wing Commander Gibson are close behind. The question has led to some great discussion about what constitutes an iconic figure, and plenty of debate about the merits of the RAFBF’s proposed candidates. The poll will be open until the end of January and can be found at 90 faces of the RAF Benevolent Fund. The results of the older votes can be found at 90 faces of the RAF Benevolent Fund » Polls archive. The polls are featured on ‘90 faces of the RAF Benevolent Fund’, the charity’s special 90th anniversary microsite, which includes 90 different stories about the RAFBF’s work using a variety of anecdotes in text, audio and video format. The site features articles about the people the charity helps, the people who fundraise for them and the ways the RAF Benevolent Fund currently supports today’s highly-stretched RAF.
90 faces of the RAF Benevolent Fund Got my doubts about the Tornado, but that's a vote added for Harris from me.
Well I voted for Harris as well. What? no Leigh-Mallory or Bader? The "Big Wing" guys not getting a look-in??
I voted for Harris. In line with recent threads, I think the post-war historiography had overshadowed his contribution. I find it a close call between Harris and Dowding. Dowding made sure that there was still a war left for us to fight after 1940. As for Fighters, I find it hard to judge because none of them have really seen any prolonged action, not enough to be really tested anyway. Now, if it were to include Fleet Air Arm aircraft, it would be the Sea Harrier hands down. Did anyone see the other poll on there, for most important US-built RAF Aircraft? The Phantom won that one, with the Dakota and Chinook only getting a few % of the vote. I know they're not as sexy as fighters, but the workhorses always get a raw deal.
As for Fighters, I find it hard to judge because none of them have really seen any prolonged action, not enough to be really tested anyway. Now, if it were to include Fleet Air Arm aircraft, it would be the Sea Harrier hands down. I have to say I agree James. The Harrier's performance during the Falklands War surely must make it top!
As for Fighters, I find it hard to judge because none of them have really seen any prolonged action, not enough to be really tested anyway. Now, if it were to include Fleet Air Arm aircraft, it would be the Sea Harrier hands down. I have to say I agree James. The Harrier's performance during the Falklands War surely must make it top! As an air platform I think its got it all, and theres something very British about it too. The thing is, the RAF GR Harriers are quite distinct from the old Sea Harriers. Plus the Harrier GR's are about battlefield support, rather than air defence. By all accounts using the GR's from the aircraft carriers in place of the Sea Harriers isnt working too well, almost idential aircraft but very different electronics fit - espec the radar.
*Cough* The Sea Harrier only saw action for a short period of time during the Falklands. The whole conflict from invasion only lasted 10 or so weeks. It has however been used in Ops since obviously like Bosnia (A rather good book about some Hereford chaps rescuing a pilot - I think the pilot was called Sharkey) and I did get treated to a display of aerial beauty as two came into attack Basra runway and broke left and right at the end of the runway pumping chaff...I did shit my pants on that occasion Tornado's were flying numerous shorties in both Gulf wars...I think its fair to say she is one of if not the most used air frame on post WW2 operations (Thats Britishish). Oooo and lets not forget the Jaguar Was the chap or chapette who did the poll actually in the RAF
I suppose it depends how much we want to split hairs over the word 'Fighter' The Falklands might have been short but it was a case of a handful of aircraft against an Air Force, whereas in the Gulf the Iraqi Air Force pretty much melted away.
All things considered - Weather, Enemy, AAA, Duration and the like I'd still go with the Tornado but then again I'm not a Crab
The Tornado is not a Fighter aircraft in the true sense. When I left school in 1966 and started my Aircraft engineering apprenticeship, which led to me working in the Toolroom on the tooling for the M.R.C.A. or Multi Role Combat Aircraft, that was later named the Tornado. Whilst the Tornado has a good track record I doubt if it could out perform the Typhoon currently in service. Both are excellent planes, but the Typhoon is a lot smaller and made up of composite construction and thus lighter and very very agile. A true fighter plane. Regards Tom
Tom, The Typhoon is multi-role too. Due to financial costs and restraints I suspect you will never ever see a aircraft employed in the RAF solely as a Air to Air Fighter. As with all the armed services flexibility is the name of the game. Build something that can be a jack of all trades but will probably never be a master of one sadly. Regards Andy
Tom, The Typhoon is multi-role too. Due to financial costs and restraints I suspect you will never ever see a aircraft employed in the RAF solely as a Air to Air Fighter. As with all the armed services flexibility is the name of the game. Build something that can be a jack of all trades but will probably never be a master of one sadly. Regards Andy I agree Andy, It is just that they are totally different planes and perform different roles, but can overlap. Having seen the Typhoon peforming I cannot see a large swing wing plane being able to outmanouevre the Typhoon. Regards Tom
Totally agree Tom, the days of F14 Tomcats (Loved those babies) to F111's and other swing wing's is long gone. The RAF just seem to keep things for longer than other western powers, bless em. I seem to recall one of the Russian aircraft designers adopted the Typhoon style shorter 'wings' near the cockpit first....Possibly Sukhoi ??? Anyway I wonder if the Typhoon has been used operationally yet and how effective they are Regards Andy
I think the "swing-wings" generation of aircraft have been falling out of favour since the inception of the planes such as F-16's and F-18's. I do love the F-14 and F-111
Ger, I don't even think the US have any in service now...I know they said farwell to the F-14's quite a few years ago. Andy
I know that the Americans had terrible Problems with their F111, which was supposed to replace the cancelled TSR2, but failed to materialise. Even the designers of the Tornado had problems with the Torsion box and must have been a headache for the technical designers to solve. Incidentally the Germans had a prototype swing wing (Worked on a rail system) in store at the Oberamagau factory, which was captured by the Americans and the "Bell" aircraft technicians liberated the contents and designs Messerschmitt Me P.1101 - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia P.1101 Regards Tom
Now that does look like a Sabre....Tom I think we may get told off for straying off the path and onto the moor
Totally agree Tom, the days of F14 Tomcats (Loved those babies) to F111's and other swing wing's is long gone. The RAF just seem to keep things for longer than other western powers, bless em. I seem to recall one of the Russian aircraft designers adopted the Typhoon style shorter 'wings' near the cockpit first....Possibly Sukhoi ??? Anyway I wonder if the Typhoon has been used operationally yet and how effective they are Regards Andy Andy, They are called canard wings and have been around a long time. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canard_(aeronautics) Libellula Miles M.39B in flightRoleFighterManufacturerPhillips & Powis/Miles AircraftDesigned byMiles WW2 British attempt with canard wing configuration. Regards Tom
