This is how it has been described to me without tanks present. Not massively useful, but better than nothing. I would have thought flying with the tanks is a suitable cobbled together solution.
"On the face of it it would appear to relate to the rational that for most training operations the MR2 carries very little in the bomb bay, as I understand it the standard fit on most training sorties is just the ASR (Air Sea Rescue) kit - dingy packs. This leaves a large portion (volume) of the bomb bay empty.
The fire suppressant is of finite quantity designed to be used when carrying extended range tanks (the volume of which is almost equal to that of the bomb bay) and if discharged into an almost empty bomb bay, as opposed to one where most of the volume is taken up with extended range tanks, would be so diluted as to not be effective as a suppressant. The bomb bay is not airtight either... adding to the dilution.
The suppressant has not only to be discharged into the bay but has to remain in the bay in sufficient concentration for a period of time to ensure that any fire extinguished, does not immediately re-ignite."
More.....
Regarding the bomb bay fire extinguisher issue. The Nimrod has a 'trooping role' and in order to be used in that manner 6 extended range fuel tanks would be fixed in the bomb bay. With this fit 10 fire extinguishers would also be fitted. However, in the normal fit we do not have either the extended range tanks or the fire extinguishers fitted. That means that day to day there is no fire protection in the bomb bay. However, the bomb bay fire drill calls for all stores to be jettisoned, and to my knowledge there has only been one actual bomb bay fire in the life of the ac. This was caused by an electrical fault causing a flare to ignite when power was supplied to the weapons carrier.
Last edited by nigegilb; 11th Nov 2007 at 17:56.