The Joint Warrior exercise has been going on for a week now and I had been seeing and hearing various Tornado GR4s and Gripens flying over my house so I figured I would take a trip down to the end of the runway at RAF Fairford to see what was going on.
Here are a selection from Wednesday and also yesterday evening.
After seeing the boxy bulky form of the Tornado (#1 image)....it was sooooo nice to see that U2.
The U2 looks like a beautiful "bird" (albatross on the wing) compared to the Tornado (which looks like a slab sided boxy minivan bus or industrial heating vents with parts of aluminum buildings attached for control surface and wings).
The design differences (and missions are different)....are so apparent.
But the beauty of that U2 form is something....even after 50 years of flying.
