Happy New Year to you
Headstone
Please, lets resolve this year not to descend into acrimony
I believe this drift started because someone had some superb video of the lumbering Russian beast coming into Woodford with 46 in its belly. As to the relevance of MRA4 to the loss of 230 - well, it could be argued that had we had the one, as advertised and on time, we wouldn't be debating the other. As to why we didn't - I can't answer that, I'm not an expert. I just believe what I'm told - correction, believed. If there had been transparency in the whole project then more people would have had faith in it. The intent was obviously there at the start - I can't be the only one who remembers the regular MRA4 Newsletters - they didn't last long, did they?
However, to answer your other points :
The Nimrod in service is NOT a refurbished Comet
AGREED
The MRA4 is not an MR2 fuselage with a couple of new wings and new engines.
OK you may have lost me on that one, but I'm prepared to be enlightened
It has been suggested that the airframe sent to BAE, presumably for conversion, is worn out.
Quite prepared to believe the airframe experts on this one - they (the fuselages!) are spring chickens compared to other aircraft of a similar vintage.
As to the idea of buying P3s from the desert.
Obviously mate, your hangover precluded you from noticing the banter caption winking in the background! I'll let you off that one!
My pot of cynicism overflowed long ago.
We'll either get 'some' MRA4's sometime in the future ........
or NOTHING. I'm quite prepared to accept either option from this Govt.