nan me old,
Sorry but by your own admission PA01 isn't an MRA4!!
It's a bit like saying that an E3D without all its mission kit and crew is an AWACS!! No Sir, it is only a Boeing 720 with a mushroom on top.
The Nimrod MRA4 is PA01, plus mission kit plus crew!! And that I again predict will NEVER fly!! (Rider.. in operational service!!)
That all said, I have to congratulate the individuals concerned both service and civilian who have worked damned hard to get this airborne. Well done, although my own thoughts are that along with Eurofighter 2010 this country no longer has a requirement for the MRA's of any model.
Still it has been a sterling achievement and I wont take that away from them.
But to leave on a negative point these ARE 2nd hand aircraft with thousands of hours on them and quite aside from the lack of a flight engineer for 250ft work...
Do we really need them?? Go on convince me whilst I am in a good mood!!
