General Dynamics 1st Flight Covers

Panavia Tornado Covers

first day cover produced to commemorate the first flight of the Tornado/MRCA

There were 10 prototypes built, allocated as follows, Britain 5, including 1 trainer and 1 static test airframe, Germany 3 and Italy 2. The covers below represent the 9 prototype aircraft that flew. Detailed are aircraft serial,country,date and crew on first flight.

P.01 - D9591/98+04

Germany

14/08/74

Paul Millett/Nils Meister

P.02 - XX946

Britain

30/10/74

Paul Millett/Pietro Trevisan

P.03 - XX947

Britain

05/08/75

David Eagles/Tim Ferguson

P.04 - D9592/98+05

Germany

02/09/75

Hans Friedrich Rammensee/Nils Meister

P.05 - X586/MM586

Italy

05/12/75

Pietro Trevisan

P.06 - XX948

Britain

19/12/75

David Eagles

P.07 - 98+06

Germany

30/03/76

Nils Meister/Fritz Eckert

P.08 - XX950

Britain

15/07/76

Paul Millett/Ray Woolett

P.09 - X-587/MM587

Italy

05/02/77

Pietro Trevisan/Manlio Quarantelli

 

PS16/98+03

Germany

26/03/79

Armin Krauthann/Fritz Eckert. Pre Production airframe P16/98+03 was later to become the prototype for the ECR.

Card signed by Dave Eagles/Paul Kelly - Paris Air Show 1993

First day cover issued on the occasion of Her Majesty's visit to Preston during her Silver Jubilee in 1977.