In his open-top Tornado XZ630, BAe Test Pilot Keith Hartley conducted the “cockpit habitability trial.”
British Aerospace (BAe) Test Pilot Keith Hartley is shown in the unusual images in this post performing the “cockpit habitability trial” in an open-top Tornado XZ630. The photos were taken in 1988.
As stated by BAE Systems on Twitter:
“In 1988, our test pilot Keith Hartley flew at 500 knots in a Tornado aircraft with the canopy off, testing the emergency escape procedures of the jet; just one example of the lengths we go to test the safety of the planes we build for the RAF.”
On March 14, 1977, the Panavia Tornado XZ630 made its first flight. It then took part in weapons release trials at the Aeroplane & Armament Experimental Establishment (A&AEE) in Boscombe Down. Noteworthy A number of improvements over earlier prototypes were included in pre-production Tornados that would later be added to finished aircraft.
Ian Black, a former Lightning and Tornado F3 pilot, remarked: “While the first ten aircraft could be considered true prototypes, the first real Tornado for the RAF flew in March 1977 (XZ630) and it was quickly assigned to the A&AEE at RAF Boscombe Down in Wiltshire.”
Panavia Tornado XZ630 was retired to ground operations after a successful career as a trials aircraft, and it has served as the Gate Guardian at RAF Halton’s Recruit Training Squadron Parade Square since 2004. It was updated to look like a GR4 from 31 Squadron, also known as the “Goldstars,” which is currently based at RAF Marham. Serco contractors carried out the renovation.
Photo by Kate Yates, BAe Heritage Centre