What ever happened to the four engines are better than two at low level?
it would never be acceptable to the Uk until it was an ex airline cast off suitably re-engined, then had a UK fit added, and the price with all these modifications had at least trebled over the cost of buying new thus allowing us to reduce the fleet down on a cost grounds to a level that failed to meet the requirements.... Additionally we would then attempt to rent them under some private initiative scheme which would then end up costing even more than the outright purchase option. Then we would buy them with a mind on scrapping them before they come into service...
Personally I doubt this Government would dare the blow more than the cost of operating the MR 4 in service on a replacement because of the political backlash from such an idea.. Politics these days gets in the way of doing what is needed, these point scoring sessions over pasties against each other instead of getting on and doing the job is pathetic.