Read the forum code of contact
By: - 13th January 2011 at 19:09 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Jesus :(
By: - 13th January 2011 at 19:34 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
I've heard from an ex woodford employee that they are to be cleared by the end of the month, and that indeed they were to start chopping this week
wonder if any of the items removed from the MR2 museum aircraft are to be returned, as they were for MRa4 spares. Suppose they'll try and sell it off via DDA, as they have with everything else
By: - 13th January 2011 at 19:37 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Sad news indeed :(
By: - 13th January 2011 at 19:43 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
I guess that no one has taken up the offers covered in here http://forum.keypublishing.co.uk/showthread.php?t=105441&highlight=MRA4 :(
By: - 14th January 2011 at 00:42 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Terrorists break into Woodford and plant bombs, which destroy Nimrod MR4s. Terrorists caught and are given life in prison.
OR
Mix of civil servants and uniformed goons decide we cannot afford to introduce into service the Nimrod MR4, so order that they be scrapped. Mix of civil servants and uniformed idiots are then promoted and/or received knighthoods and big pensions.
Now the above is what I think I can get away with. What I would like to write would probably get me into some serious trouble. I think Spike Milligan had the right idea: Line up the [rude word] and shoot them with a blunderbuss filled with their own s**t.
By: - 14th January 2011 at 07:26 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
TO23 I know for a fact that at least one organisation expressed great interest in the offer! No communication since the letter, maybe because the named airframe has not yet been fully dismantled. On the other hand...........
By: - 14th January 2011 at 07:39 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
I guess that no one has taken up the offers covered in here http://forum.keypublishing.co.uk/showthread.php?t=105441&highlight=MRA4 :(
YAM already have a 2, and no space for a 4 sadly :(
By: - 14th January 2011 at 08:12 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
TO23 I know for a fact that at least one organisation expressed great interest in the offer! No communication since the letter, maybe because the named airframe has not yet been fully dismantled. On the other hand...........
Just responding on the Woodford scrapping gossip; of course Warton was also mentioned in the letter - good luck with the interest! :)
By: - 14th January 2011 at 08:16 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Peter,
I suggest you try again - I have been in regular contact with them for the past month or so. I was informed that I was the only person who had shown any interest at all!
You need to be quick - it will be all over by March.
Bruce
By: - 14th January 2011 at 08:22 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Good luck to you as well Bruce - glad the PDF might have helped! :)
By: - 14th January 2011 at 12:32 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Any chance of cockpit panels/ sections being saved?
By: - 14th January 2011 at 12:40 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
As of now PA1 and PA2 are still out on the airfield. PA5 and PA6 were in finals but have been moved - I don't know where to. PA3 was in Hangar 5 on the Southside , again I don't if it is still there. I don't have proper access but I'll have a nosey later to see where they are. I suspect they are between hangars 5 and 3A - out of sight of prying eyes.
PA4 is still, as far as I know, still at Warton. It was due to be dismantled partly, taken by road to Woodford where it would be dismantled completely.
Looks like XM603 will outlast them all - who'd have thought it.
By: - 14th January 2011 at 13:43 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Pics of aircraft between hangars here: http://www.fightercontrol.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=16&t=25291&p=152846#p152846
By: - 14th January 2011 at 14:35 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Terrorists break into Woodford and plant bombs, which destroy Nimrod MR4s. Terrorists caught and are given life in prison.OR
Mix of civil servants and uniformed goons decide we cannot afford to introduce into service the Nimrod MR4, so order that they be scrapped. Mix of civil servants and uniformed idiots are then promoted and/or received knighthoods and big pensions.
Now the above is what I think I can get away with. What I would like to write would probably get me into some serious trouble. I think Spike Milligan had the right idea: Line up the [rude word] and shoot them with a blunderbuss filled with their own s**t.
Err, Phillip it’s the elected politicians who make the final decisions.
By: - 14th January 2011 at 16:03 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Err, Phillip it’s the elected politicians who make the final decisions.
[something witty here]
By: - 14th January 2011 at 16:21 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Then i would say that its time to un un-elect them as soon as possible,,, while you still have an air force.
By: - 14th January 2011 at 16:27 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Its a lose lose situation to be honest
The current government have probably the hardest job of any government in recent times. Much more to my disgust, is how its almost been totally forgotten that it was the previous government that cause ALL of the problems..
Imho clever of the previous govt - **** it all right up, let somone else have a pop, they fail, the public blame then, previous lot are the only "logical choice" say the general public and boom, quick pre planned turnaround
By: - 14th January 2011 at 16:29 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
I feel genuinely sorry for the grass roots guys who actually engineer these aircraft but have nothing but contempt for the people who decide that this is the most cost effective route to Maritime Reconnaisance. It seems ludricous to suggest that the way forward was to use old airframes in a re-engineered way and attempt to make them a modern aircraft. Procurement need their arses kicking until they bleed. Surely this must be proof (if it were needed) that buying off the American shelf would be cheaper. AND then give the aerospace workers a decent amount of dole money. WIN for the PUBLIC coffers, Win for the Forces, Win for yanks (who have a mega size industry) to keep developing stuff.
The awful fact of the matter is that we WASTE huge sums in development, and if the manufacturer and customer can't sort their contracts BEFORE any metal gets cut, they shouldn't start cutting.
It's time the UK armed forces were streamlined from the TOP down. We are a shadow of our former selves both in size and global effectiveness.
Rant Ends.
By: - 14th January 2011 at 17:10 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Circus 6
I agree fully. You would have thought that UKPLC would have learnt from the Nimrod AEW3 debacle. The original Nimrods were great aircraft. Sadly the name has been tarnished by AEW3 and now MR4.
Buy off the shelf, at least it stands a chance of entering service and future generations will then have aircraft to preserve.
By: - 14th January 2011 at 17:51 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
I have to say that Circus6 is spot on and has made the point very well, the MRA.4 project should never have been proceeded with in the first place.
I remember Nimrod crews that I spoke to in the early '90s that clearly respected and liked the MR.2, but felt that it had reached the airframes limits in terms of development and trying to get more kit on board. The lack of space inside the relatively slim Nimrod fusalage was a major disadvantage that couldn't be modified on any version based on it, this should have been well remembered from the AEW.3 fiasco (the radar tech was fine).
The one advantage it did have was the wing design which lent itself well to stable low-level loitering type operations.
Not withstanding, this is very sad news for Woodford and its skilled workforce.
Not strictly related, but strangely ironic now, years ago a Nimrod Sqn Ldr told me that in his opinion that the type would be withdrawn from service in a similar fashion to the Valiant, he wasn't too far off the mark sadly.
The MR.1/2 was a truely fantastic and highly capable maritime patroller, and the memories of these should be cherished, the MRA.4 was an utter waste of money and I can't understand why any museum would want one, beyond just adding an airframe to a collection for morbid curiosity
Posts: 997
By: Cking - 13th January 2011 at 18:58
Hi all
I was listening to Manchester's Classic Rock radio station (Rock radio 106.1, worth a listen by the way) and there was a phone caller who said he was at Woodford scrapping the Nimrod MR4's. Can anyone confirm this????
Rgds Cking