A special flypast for an iconic aircraft used in the first Gulf War will include passing over Buckinghamshire in its farewall UK tour.

The RAF Tornado, a retro-looking grey plane that in a much smaller form wouldn't look out of place in a child's toy chest despite its deadly purpose, has been in use since 1979.

The aircraft are based in RAF Marham in Norfolk, which has announced a final cross-country "flypast" to commemorate the retirement of the old model, as reported in Cambridgeshire Live .

The tour, to take place from Tuesday (February 19) to Thursday (February 21), includes flying over RAF bases in Buckinghamshire, such as RAF High Wycombe and RAF Halton, on Wednesday (February 20).

Sadly, RAF Northolt didn't make the cut to be among the 16 stops on the tour that day. There is a chance the route could take the aircraft over the outskirts of West London though so keep an eye out.

The time of the flypast on Wednesday has not been announced yet.

All the stops on its farewell tour on Wednesday, February 20

What will replace them?

The aircraft, with its distinctive bright yellow star, will make way after 40 years for a sleeker successor, the new F-35 Lightning II.

The new planes, of which there are currently only nine in the UK, cost a whopping £92 million each.

They will join RAF Marham's 617 Squadron, historically known as the "Dambusters" unit thanks to their exploits in the Second World War.

Formed under immense secrecy, they were tasked with attacking three major dams that provided water and power to the industrial Ruhr region of Germany.

The plan, codenamed Operation Chastise, involved a "bouncing bomb", which bounce across the surface of water to avoid obstacles such as torpedo nets.

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