The Hawker-Siddeley Nimrod (now British Aerospace) was the aboriginal jet-powered convoying aircraft to be designed; beforehand designs about acclimated agent or turboprop engines to advance ammunition abridgement and acquiesce for continued continuance patrols. Jet engines are about actual “thirsty” at low altitudes, but the Nimrod’s huge ammunition accommodation fabricated up for this. It can additionally shut bottomward two outboard engines at low distance to extend endurance. When needed, the Nimrod could “dash” to its targets at a acceleration that no ballista aircraft could match.
Hawker-Siddeley Nimrod development began in 1964 as a activity to alter the aged Avro Shackleton. Like abounding added acknowledged amphibian convoying aircraft, it was based on a civilian aeroplane which had accomplished the end of its bazaar activity – in this case, the Comet 4. The aboriginal two RAF aircraft were amateurish Comet 4 airliners. The Comet’s turbojet engines were replaced with Rolls-Royce Spey turbofans (for more good ammunition efficiency, decidedly at the low altitudes appropriate for amphibian patrol), and above changes fabricated to the fuselage, including an centralized weapons bay, an continued adenoids for radar, a fresh appendage with ESM sensors army in a beefy fairing, and a MAD boom. After a aboriginal flight in May 1967 the RAF ordered 46 Nimrod MR1s, and the aboriginal archetype entered account in October 1969. Five squadrons were eventually able with the MR.1.
Nimrod MR.2
In the aboriginal 1980s, the aircraft was upgraded to MR.2 standard; while the flight accouter and accepted systems remained the aforementioned (apart from the after accession of an air-to-air refuelling delving as a aftereffect of acquaint abstruse during the Falklands War in 1982, the capital underwater and chase systems were accustomed a cogent upgrade. All Nimrod MR2s are operated from RAF Kinloss, accouterment Nos 120 and 201 Squadrons forth with the Operational Conversion Unit, No 42 (Reserve) Squadron.
The Nimrod carries out 3 capital roles; anti-submarine warfare, anti-surface assemblage warfare and chase and rescue. It has an unrefuelled adeptness of about 10 hours and, although able of accustomed 25 people.
Nimrod R.1
The aboriginal amphibian accessories was removed from the airframe, and replaced with a awful adult and acute apartment of systems acclimated for assay and the acquisition of cyberbanking intelligence. The adeptness of the Nimrod to amble for continued periods, afterward a aerial acceleration birr to the appropriate breadth of operation, accomplish the aircraft alluringly ill-fitted to this task. The three Nimrod R.1’s operated from RAF Waddington, 51 squadron.
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS:
Origin: UK
Type: cyberbanking intelligence platform
Max Speed: not published
Max Range: not published
Dimensions: amount 35.08 m / 115 ft 1 in breadth 36.50 m / 119 ft 9 in acme 9.08 m / 29 ft 9.5 in
Weight: not disclosed
Powerplant: four 5507-kg (12,140-lb) dry advance Rolls-Royce Spey Mk 250 or 251 turbofans
Armament: none
Operators: United Kingdom
