From the 1960s and well into the 21st century, the Hawker Siddeley Nimrod, the first jet-powered maritime patrol aircraft to brave the skies, wasn’t afraid to moonlight as a bomber, a torpedo aircraft, or anything else the Royal Air Force required for keeping the shores of the United Kingdom safe.
During the Cold War, the utmost priority was safeguarding the Royal Navy’s Resolution-class ballistic missile submarines – the launch platform for Britain’s nuclear deterrent.
For decades, the type continually scoured the ocean for any sign of Russian warships and submarines to ward off the potential military threat that they might pose. With a massive bomb bay, the Nimrod could detect, hunt, and even save lives.
Despite a rocky start as a failed airliner, an epic evolution turned this project into the Ultimate Maritime Guardian…
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Thanks for giving this Aircraft the attention it deserves. I spent over a decade on the MR2 fleet at RAF Kinloss as an engineer on NLS, AMF, and the Maintenance Bays.
There are even more types of sorties it was carrying out in its later life to assist in Iraq and Afghanistan, to aid coalition forces.
The SAR/Ops aircraft was able to be stationed at any point in the UK within 1 hour of the call to flight, and there was always a backup to take its place when launched.
The R1 variant 51 squadron, was a secret entity , and was nicknamed the Secret Squirrels it was accidently mentioned by the then PM Thatcher to bring it to the publics attention.
I flew on one of the last commercial Comets with Dan Air in 1980. IIRC there were even a few seats facing one another . Perhaps over the wing but I’m not sure. I always got stuck over the wing because I wanted the non smoking section🙊. Planes used to be so gross because the puffers would all be double timing if they were nervous.
aeroplane
Used to be stationed at what was RAF Saint Mawgan nea r Newquay
My Father was a chef in the RAF and at various stages of his career worked for a number of high ranking officers. Due to working for an Air Vice Marshall he got to fly on a Nimrod. If any of you former Nimrod aircrew ever had fillet steak as part of your meal whilst onboard that was down to my Dad doing a load work to demonstrate that a fillet of beef steak fell within the cost/benefit ratio required by the RAF for aircrew. He also spent quite a bit of time understanding how to cook it as I understand the oven had two temperatures Cold and and Very Hot but he worked out the timings for Rare, Medium and Welldone. I think the Air Vice Marshall was satisfied with his work 🙂
The regularity with which the UK government cancels promising military designs and projects after already spending loads of money on it is ultimately rather sad, apart from rolls Royce theres not much of an aviation industry left IMO..
Great video… BUT please please no more music in future episodes!!! Please.
Your addition of music to the sound track is a distraction.
Thank you.
Served at St Mawgan in the early 80s. Used to hate the engine tests at 2am. The engines had some power. 42 sqn at the time.
One challenge the MRA4 faced was they had was because of the age and technology of the time they were built, Nimrod airframes were different sizes and no two were the same
Nimrod replacement for Shakelton who you trying to kid watch perpetual motion to see who got scrapped first 🤔 2100 hrs Friday 17th ish
You're damn right, this aircraft is a blooming legend, I still live at RAF Kinloss/Kinloss barracks, She was the bee's knee's – sadly missed, automatic legend status, I was on camp with my Dad, the night she was launched for the 'Alexander heiland' tragedy, it still sends shivers down my spine, such a gorgeous , beautiful piece of over-engineered equipment.
I used to watch Nimrods flying over my home in the 70's as they descend or ascent as my home was in line with the runway flight path.
Lovely but fragile….
I was based at RAF St Mawgan from 88-92, these were ugly aircraft but absolutely brilliant at the ASW role, we also nearly lost one that was practicing for an air display whilst i was there, sudden loss of about 3000ft altitude if i remember correctly
it was cancelled because of boeing lobbying
When serving in Iraq back in the early 2000s, I went up in one that was having a look at the border with Iran. I think it cost something like 50k UK pounds per flight hour but I managed to keep it up 1.5 hours longer than the mission time, as we spotted some shenanigans on the border and tracked them for a while 😅. It had amazing optics.
Then when I was in Afghanistan a Nimrod crashed near an operation that I was involved in 😥.
NIMROD like the A6 Intruder is so ugly that it is beautiful .
On another thread , does anyone else experience feelings of traumatic loss every time they even hear about TSR.2? No doubt about it , TSR.2 would have not only been it’s own chapter in the epoch of atomic combat aircraft , TSR.2 would have , who knows , damn , TSR.2 would have been so NASTY!
Like TSR.2 , the supersonic Harrier with its nozzle drive type STOVL visa versa capability , this aircraft would have changed history . Bummer , really .
And really , it is not the U.S. ‘s fault that aparacheks of U.K.’s parliament decided their best move was to cede all R&D risk to North America . I am not even British and it pisses me off these combat aircraft were sold out and scrapped for imports . Really ! Blaming the F-111 , Boeing and stealth for all of these bespoke planforms being scrapped , no way , look within , it all comes down to the soulless nature of a parliamentarian having ZERO understanding , ZERO faith in the best and brightest of their aviation sector . End Rant .
AIM9's! OH NO!
SNAKES ON A PLANE!
OMG ITS UGLY
They retired it to early great aircraft
3:32 Mk1 Beluga 😂
The MRS Nimrod was a success. The version that failed was not its aiframe but its Nimrod Airborne Early Warning System (akin to AWACS) Marconi radar which I witnessed at first hand being the only RAF SEngo for the NAEW3 aircraft at Waddington supporting the Joint Trials Unit from Boscombe Down. The twin inverted cassegrain TX/RX paraboloid main-reflector/hyperboloid sub dish combination was outdated; in fact it was so bad that the last major effort to get the system working to even a minimum operating range and range rate was with the old paraboloid dish used in the 1960s. The Nimrod MRs retired in 2010; its role was not replaced till recently by Poseidon P8. I cut my technician's teeth on Comet 2 moved on to Comet 4C then as an engineer on Nimrod MR then Nimrod AEW and finally on its replacement Boeing E-3D AWACS. de Havilland ran through my blood……unfortunately.
why you talk so fast?