Qatar’s first Typhoon had previously flown in primer colours. Now it sports its final livery.
On May 9, 2022, the first Typhoon destined for the Qatar Emiri Air Force flew for a test flight from Warton, UK, sporting a new two-tone grey colour scheme along with the QEAF markings.
Using the radio callsign “TARNISH 10”, the fighter performed a standard take-off, carried out a 1-hour test flight and then landed back at airfield home of the BAE Systems facilities with a straight-in approach. The photos in this post were taken by our friend and contributor Simon Pearson-Cougill at Warton yesterday.
The aircraft, serial ZR505 had already flown in primer colours at the end of last year (on Nov. 25, 2021). Now the aircraft has been given the Qatari roundel, Qatar’s flag on the tail, and code QA404.
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The new camouflage scheme is the same used on the Dassault Rafale and Boeing F-15QA aircraft of the QEAF.
Back in 2017, the QEAF ordered 24 Typhoons along with nine Hawk Mk167 jet trainers, the first two of those were delivered to the joint Hawk training squadron at RAF Leeming: similarly to what has been done with 12 Sqn, the joint RAF-QEAF Typhoon squadron at RAF Coningsby where Qatari pilots are currently being trained, the joint Hawk squadron will train QEAF and RAF pilots and will be home to Qatar’s Hawk T2 Mk167 aircraft.
The first Typhoons are planned be delivered to the QEAF later this year.
