Source : Paul McTaggart (News & Star)
AN RAF Tornado GR1 has been donated to a Carlisle museum, adding to an already extensive collection.
The Tornado was gifted to the Solway Aviation Museum by RAF Spadeadam, enhancing the site’s historic collection, which includes the massive Avro Vulcan XJ823 and the recently acquired and last surviving, Blackburn Beverley.
The type of jet aircraft was notably used during the Gulf War.
This plane, which last flew in September 2001, was originally meant to be a gate guardian at the RAF site.
However, requests from visiting units to use the area made this problematic.
Initial plans were made to use it as a static target, but negotiations with the RAF Heritage Team and its subsequent donation have saved it from this fate.
Wing Commander Matt Lawrence, station commander at RAF Spadeadam, handed over the aircraft’s history to museum chairman Dougie Kerr.
“It’s sad to see it go, but I’m very glad it will be on display for the public to see at Solway Aviation Museum, which is a centre of excellence for aircraft restoration,” he said.
As well as being a Tornado, which is good for the collection, it’s for the people of Cumbria as well.
Mal Craghill
Dougie Kerr, museum chairman, said: “A big thank you to the RAF heritage.
“It’s taken a long time to have an aircraft donated to us but after all this time, it’s here,” he said.
The strike aircraft holds special significance for one of the museum’s members, Mal Craghill, who once served as a navigator on it.
“As well as being a Tornado, which is good for the collection, it’s for the people of Cumbria as well.”
“The Tornado has been part of the low-flying through the Lakes through the years, that’s why we’ve got it.”
Dougie extended personal thanks to Lawson’s Haulage firm for their assistance in transporting the aircraft to the museum.
The donation follows on the back of the museum being recently awarded the ‘highest’ accolade among the aviation heritage community for their work in rescuing and restoring ‘Big Bev’.
The museum was awarded the AHUK Robert Pleming Memorial Award at a ceremony held at the Yorkshire Air Museum in Elvington on Saturday (October 26).
Alongside the restoration of the newly acquired Tornado, the museum is currently hard at work rebuilding the iconic cargo plane.
