An excellent clip shows the Special Color Tornado IDS rolled out last year by the Italian Air Force.
On Oct. 27, 2016 the RSV (Reparto Sperimentale Volo), the Italian Air Force Test Wing responsible for the development, testing and validation of all the flying “hardware” (aircraft, sensors, weapons, etc.) based at Pratica di Mare, near Rome, rolled out a Tornado IDS sporting a special color scheme.
The new livery applied to the “Tonka” serialled CSX 7041, celebrates the 60th anniversary of the 311° Gruppo (Squadron) the unit responsible of the aerial displays of all the ItAF aircraft at the airshows in Italy and abroad and one of the world’s most advanced aerospace testing and experimental centers.
The paint job was designed and applied by Drudi Performance, the company founded by Aldo Drudi, who designs helmets and leathers for Valentino Rossi and many other racers.
The aircraft, officially presented on Oct. 27, 2016 during a ceremony held at Pratica di Mare airbase, has since then become quite famous: a couple of scale models (including a die-cast version and the brand new 1/48 kit) have been produced by the Italian manufacturer of models Italeri.
The following video shows the making, roll-out and flying of the “311° Gruppo-special.”
An eye-catching special colored Tornado IDS for the 60th anniversary of 311° Gruppo.
On Oct. 27, the Italian Air Force officially rolled out a Tornado IDS in a special livery at Pratica di Mare airbase, near Rome, Italy.
The aircraft, serialled CSX 7041, celebrates the 60th anniversary of the 311° Gruppo (Squadron) of the RSV (Reparto Sperimentale Volo), the Italian Air Force Test Wing responsible for the development, testing and validation of all the flying “hardware”: aircraft, sensors, weapons, etc.
The new “special color” was the highlight of a ceremony that also included the flying display of the C-27J Spartan and the Eurofighter Typhoon: the unit is indeed responsible of the aerial displays of all the ItAF aircraft.
Our contributor Alessandro Borsetti attended the small airshow at Pratica di Mare and took the photographs you can find in this post (top air-to-air image is a courtesy photo by the Italian Air Force).
Image credit: Alessandro Borsetti (top: Italian Air Force)
I created the following image (using Photoshop) stitching 5 pictures of the F-2000A Typhoon of the Italian Air Force I took at Jesolo Air Show rehearsal on Jun. 10, 2011 (the 2nd one being the famous “Typhoon & the moon” one).
Typhoon’s rate of turn enables the F-2000 to perform all its display within 1 km radius of the center of the display area.
At Air Extreme 2011, test pilot Maj. Raffaele Beltrame of the 311° Gruppo of the RSV (Reparto Sperimentale Volo – Italian Test Wing), based at Pratica di Mare airbase, flew same display flown at Aero India 2011, at Bengaluru that you can see from inside the cockpit in the following interesting video:
The tonneau, or roll, is an acrobatic maneuver in which the aircraft performs a complete 360 degree rotation around its longitudinal axis. Although it is usually performed by fighter jets, few transport aircraft are able to perform it safely. Among them, the C-27J Spartan of the Italian Air Force as the picture below, taken during Jesolo Air Extreme 2011 airshow, shows.
Although the majority of airshow spectators thinks that a roll by a 15 tonnes plane is just a way to show its maneuverability, this kind of maneuver retains a degree of usefulness in a tactical situation. As RSV (Reparto Sperimentale Volo – Italian Test Wing) test pilot Capt. Gianmarco Di Loreto explained during the C-27J display, the roll could be the faster way to reverse a turn when the transport aircraft detects a threat or comes under enemy fire and needs to follow the less predictable flight path.
Below: the entire sequence of the roll performed during Air Extreme 2011
On Dec. 21, 2010, the first Alenia Aermacchi M-346 advanced trainer from the first batch of six aircraft for the Italian Air Force rolled out at Alenia’s factory at Venegono Superiore, during a ceremony attended by both company executives and representatives of the Aeronautical Militare (Italian Air Force, ItAF) and local authorities. Another M-346 was inside the hangar but did not roll out. Within a few months the first two T-346A (as the M-346 is designated by the ItAF) will be taken on charge by the Reparto Sperimentale Volo (Experimental Flying Wing) at Pratica di Mare airbase, where they will undergo operational evaluation testing. During 2011 the ItAF is due to receive the other four aircraft, becoming the first air force equipped with the most advanced trainer available today to train military pilots destined to fly the latest 4th and 5th generation fighters. Along with the Aeronautica Militare, also the Republic of Singapore Air Force has ordered 12 M-346. Even though the “Master” will be delivered to the 61° Stormo (currently flying the MB.339A for the basic training and the MB.339CD for the advanced one), that is the ItAF training Wing, many have fantasized of the aircraft wearing the Frecce Tricolori livery. The aircraft with which the 313° Gruppo Addestramento Acrobatico (Aerobatic Training Squadron) “Frecce Tricolori” is currently equipped is the PAN version of the Alenia Aermacchi MB339A. The aircraft, that unlike the A model, fly with no tip tanks, differ from the standard model by the presence of the coloured smokes generation system: this device is controlled by two buttons, one on the stick, for white smoke, and one on the throttle, for coloured smoke. This type of aircraft equips the display team since 1982. Hence it is quite obsolete and, sooner or later, the Aeronautica will be compelled to replace it. However, a certain experience on the type must be gained from the operative squadrons before the aircraft can be used by the Frecce and, above all, the M-346 must be purchased in enough quantity to decide to divert 10 – 12 examples from the 61° to the team. Consequently, the only “new” aircraft that we will see at Rivolto airbase, home of the Frecce Tricolori, in the near future is the ItAF MB.339s with grey livery, on loan from the 61° Stormo, used for the training of the “Al Fursan”, the UAE air force display team. In fact, since 2009, eight fighter pilots from the UAE have been training with the Frecce pilots, with the aim to achieve the team’s operational status in 2011 with a similar version of the aircraft, known as MB.339 NAT (National Aerobatic Team). The Al Fursan team is expected to fly displays with seven aircraft, including one solo. The advanced course being held by the Italian pilots to the UAE colleagues should be completed in January, when the Al Fursan will continue its training at home. In the meanwhile, Alenia Aermacchi has been completing the upgrade of the UAE Air Force six legacy MB-339As and four A explamples, formerly belonging to the ItAF, that will carry the team’s black and gold colour scheme. The following picture was taken by Simone Bovi at Venegono in late November 2010.
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