Nimrod MRA.4
 

How time flies ....... perhaps this should be posted in the 'Aviation History and Nostalgia' section. :)


A few MRA4 photo up dates may be seen here

Good pictures; thanks. Yours?

Regrettably, Commons debate on future of BAE - News - Stockport Express adds some perspective.

Will 't bungling Baron's mob ever deliver an aeroplane on time? Let alone on budget.

Not long now until the 60th anniversary of 't 'owd Comet's first flight (27 Jul 1949), tha' knows.

It won't be long now until the Nimrod '2000' will have been a whole decade delayed. What is the latest BWoS estimate for the first one to be delivered to the RAF?

Sorry, but this has all the trappings of the AEW3

Was there something about MRA4 being terminated at the 9 production aircraft? If so, what happens to the 3 prototypes?

(And let's ignore the stupidity of a "fleet" of 9 MRA4s..... unbelievable).

S41

Kinloss
 

I suppose the next question could be about Kinloss and its future. Only 9 ac to be based there, plus maybe a couple of asr heli's. Don't know if there are any plans to suppliment the meagre numbers of MRA4s with UAV's as the Americans are doing with the P8?.:suspect:

The last major Basing Review planned for Kinloss to take all the GR4 from Lossiemouth to make way for JSF...:hmm:

...er, like it's 20 years older than the 40-year-old option?

By all means try and sell the taxpayer on UK jobs, but not on capability or delivery of that capability.

Is this Nimrod 2000?

ANW
Picture 1 looks like a Comet. Just how old is that??

Capability's okay - the Nimrod has been a very capable sensor platform, although it would help to be sure what the aircraft was expected to do in the future and if that includes ASW (hard to see how it wouldn't) then perhaps it's about time we came up with some gee whizz bang alternative to acoustics.

It makes sense to buy your own stuff if you can, to employ your own countrymen on expensive defence projects whenever possible also helps maintain a defence design and production capability - without which you are hostage to the overseas sales policies of other governments/power blocs.

Nimrod 2000, well it's only 16:52 right now so they've a couple of hours to get it finished.

Who was the chap who spent the last decade telling everyone on here that the MR4 "would NEVER fly"? Did he ever say "sorry"?

With the reduction down to 9 ac , are we now going to see another Squadron disbanded?

Disbandment???
 

I hope so...what a bunfight...

Shall we disband the oldest military flying Sqn in the UK, or 120????

CS

Mogg,
no chance - it's a well known fact that should anyone on Pprune be proved wrong, and admit it, that the Universe will disappear so quickly that the Large Hadron Collider will look like a 1950 Sturmey Archer borne dynamo.

CS -
keep 120.
(That IS what you were suggesting, right?)

Why not go the whole hog - resurrect 203 Sqn, bin the rest, first to the bar in Luqa gets to be boss?

CS

Why would only having 9 MRA4 lead to the disbanding of 1, 2 or 3 Sqn?

;)

Roland I'm sure you are well aware that 1 Sqn RNAS (201 Sqn) Predates any RFC/RAF unit by a few years.

I would vote to keep 42(TB) Sqn given a choice,
and bin both 120 and 201:ok:

Well Said Camel Spyyder
 

:ok:
Great idea, reform 42 (TB) Sqn. We could get Samantha to perform the cabaret; bet she can still hide a pair of specs! :sad:

re form the 4th division south!! NO NO NO!!

You've obviously never seen Samantha perform!!!

News to me - do you have any proof to back this up?

[II (AC) Sqn formed in May 1912 with real aircraft; although a lesser numbered unit did start a little earlier with some balloons in around 1878...]

JTO

I'm wrong:ugh:

The Naval Flying School was set up in 1911 but did not have a Sqn Number.

201 is a lot older than 120 though.

FIN84

The stage from 42(TB) is still is use as the main coffee table in the 42(R) crew room.

Still has stiletto marks on it...:E

CS & JTO

From the RAF website:

Sorry a bit off topic.:} we now return our viewers to the usual programme.....

Camelspyyder:

I bet Soggy still hasn't washed his specs!

Found him!

"The Gorilla". Here are a few of his top predictions:

Mystic Meg, you have competition!

Sorry, you've lost me there - competition for what, exactly moggiee?

Heretic
 

DaveJB
There is no alternative to the Dark Arts.
It is just many nerd herd, antisocial dry filth dont understand!
Yuppie was dry too:eek:
"Best sex ........ Casex"

At least MRA4 is a capability step forward unlike the P8 one forward in airframe at least two back in gear. Now before you knock your cup of tea off your armchair I am not just talking about ASW but all mission profiles. At least it is on time and ahead of schedule .... hang on:ugh:
ahh Samantha wonder if she is still on the circuit:hmm:
Charlie sends

Charlie,

Is the sun getting to you out there? Must be nearly time for you to come home if you are coming out with quotes like that.

Had a good laugh at that one too.

Fly safe and see you soon

Y_G

I wondered how long it would be before I was tracked down and outed!! :ok: :)

I have checked in every day to see who would do the search and use my own words against me.

Yes I guess I should have said never enter service - still be on with that one eh?

Well done moggy - I also said there was as much chance of the MRA4 flying as my beloved Newcastle United winning the FA cup, well that turned out a joy also didn't it!

Any one want two years of a three year season ticket for the Toon? No?

What about some lottery numbers? Oh please yourselves!!

:}

And yessssss I was wrong!!

Now where's that Hadron Collider..........

:)

Lovely Sam...
 

You realise of course, guys, that Samantha will be drawing her old age pension by now!!
The Ancient Mariner

And for that thought Rossian, thank you!:eek:

She (IMHO) was directly responsible for my getting recoursed on the MR1 OCU due to my youthful curiosity for the female form, snakes, and exquisite high heels. Oh, and big thick Nick. Hope you're well pal.

As for the MRA4, well, you lost the flying bet Gorilla, but I reckon you could still get decent odds on the ISD!

Anyway, mate. welcome to the Championship, looking forward to seeing you at No Pride Park after Wimbledon.

Ciao

PS Charlie - I know where you live.:suspect:

Query For The 'smiter'
 

Who is big, thick Nick? I'm not sure you have the correct person. What is the initial of my surname?:confused:

Fincastle 84

Check PMs

Regards

TS

Samantha may be a bit 'over the hill' on the snake juggling circuit, but I bet I could still book Jezebel for another evening's entertainment!

Update
 

The fourth MRA.4 is presently at Norwich being painted. First flight took place on Thu. 10 September 09.
Photos can be found using same link in message #1 at the start of this thread.

Quote:
At least MRA4 is a capability step forward


Now then, who has been filling your head with those thoughts?

The MRA4 isn't a capability, it is a platform.

Twas just was wondering what SAR cab is to be based there, as at the moment 202 Sqn are at Lossie with no plan to move????

Charlie Luncher,

Care to elaborate?

The conventional wisdom has always been that 'buying American' is best, and the "scrap MRA4, buy P-8 instead" argument has been trotted out ad nauseam, and seems to be widely (if uncritically) accepted.

Don't the two jets use a VERY similar mission system? Wouldn't that support that conventional wisdom?

Or is it the case that weight/CG considerations mean that the P-8 has had too much useful gear omitted/removed, and that it can't carry anything like the same load of weapons and buoys?

And is the airframe really a step forward? Is it suitable for the kind of low level prosecution of ASW that the Nimrod and P-3 can do? Or is that no longer relevant?

What awkward questions should one be asking of P-8?