Tornado for Polaris Program

The Polaris Program, which provides jet training for future astronauts for the commercial Polaris Dawn space programme, has expanded its fleet. At the moment training is undertaken by a number of Aero L-39 Albatros' and Alpha Jets. For supersonic jet training the Polaris Program utilises a two-seat MiG-29UB, N29UB.

For the expansion of supersonic training it will be joined by a former adversary, an ex-Royal Air Force (RAF) Tornado F2A ADV. Its identity is still to be revealed but we at Scramble assume the fighter concerned is the former ZD902 (c/n 367/AT004/3170).

This Mach 2.2 Interceptor is the only F2A Tornado aircraft in existence. It is a unique twin stick trainer of the F2 with full flying controls in both cockpits. The airframe of ZD902 has very low amount of flying hours, 935. It is fitted with RB199 Mk103 afterburning turbofan engines.

ZD902 is a former Royal Aircraft Establishment trial aircraft which was used for Sea Harrier FA2 radar trials and for avionics research and evaluation. The cockpit is one of a kind modified with MFD screens and a prototype holographic head up display. This Air Defense Variant (ADV), known as TIARA (Tornado Integrated Avionics Research Aircraft) was built in 1984 and was last flown in November 2011.

Scramble published more information on the Polaris Project in this post of 11 August 2022.

Photo by Jared Isaacman on ‘X’