Introduction

The demise of the Tornado was a sad day for many, but it has led to people wanting to build a Tornado and add it to their display cabinet. My opinion is that in 1/48th scale Revell has the competition stitched up tight, with the Revell kits released in Eduard boxes with Eduard goodies being the only competition in this scale. Move to 1/32nd and I believe Italeri wears the crown being far superior to the Revell offerings in this scale. I do not know who leads the 1/72nd scale kits of the Tornado, but this release from Kagero covering the Panavia Tornado GR.1, GR.4, IDS/GR.1B, ECR, ADV variants will help you decide.

Review

This offering from Kagero is a soft backed book having a card cover and arriving in a plastic sleeve. The author of this release is Anirudh Rao and he has presented us with information in all three of the main scales. The information is provided over 20 pages of a good quality paper plus two fold out sheets of roughly A1/A2 in size. The introduction in the title is provided in both Polish and English as is all of the written text offered in the title.

The information is presented to the viewer in line drawing format of set scales. The details in the book itself is presented in 1/72nd scale for the most part and is by far the best presented of the scales covering many aircraft with both swept and extended wings not forgetting the weapons stations and ordnance. At the rear of the title 1/32nd and 1/144th scale get a look in, most useful of these is the cockpit in 1/32nd scale. The centre of the title presents some colour profiles of the Tornado, but beyond being great representations their use is limited.

The fold out sheets are a great inclusion that if not present would force me to question the value of the title as regards value for money. The line drawings on the fold out sheets are presented in 1/48th and 1/32nd scale which are my preference as I get older and my eyesight worse. The line drawings all look to be very well done with panel lines well represented for you to check models against. It is the ability to check model parts against scale drawing that really show the value of this title, and while it may not be for everyone it is a must for those modellers who like to get right.

Conclusion

This is another great title from Kagero in the Top Drawings title line. Its release is a timely one if slightly late with the Tornado’s demise and its ability to wow crowds at air shows are no more; I think it was that huge tail that always caught my eye covered in dirt from the reverse thrust braking. The detail is presented in a form that everyone can use and see if it’s wrong or right. All told a great book as part of a great series.