What was the true state of MR4
I have read this thread and news reports with interest.
I suspect that the MR4 has been wisely cancelled - There has been a history of throwing good money after bad with many BAe projects - e.g. Nimrod AEW, with BAE always overinflating the ability of aircraft and undersetimating the complexity of the project.
In my 20 years on the C130K and VC10 I have seen the problems of integration of new technology with old. Whilst it is claimed that the Nimrod MR4 is a 'new' aircraft, you cannot hide the fact that it is based on outdated technology.
It would be interesting to here of unbiased views regarding the project as a whole and whether or not it would have been unsafe to operate