72 The Aircraft of British Aerospace and BAE SYSTEMS 1977 - 2017
after failing to secure a US partner as
without one there was no likelihood of
their bid being accepted.
In 2003 the MoD and BAE agreed to
a new contract to produce three
Nimrod MRA4s to test the aircraft’s
aerodynamics and systems. PA01
(ZJ516) was not fitted with the Mission
system but with flight test equipment.
PA02 (ZJ518) was tasked with hot/cold
temperature and armament trials in
addition to some Mission system
testing. The final test aircraft PA03
(ZJ517) was the first to be fitted with the
complete Mission system.First flight and flight testing
The first Nimrod MRA4 ZJ516 made its
maiden flight from Warton and
Woodford on 26 August 2004. Flight
Testing was centred at Warton which
monitored flights via telemetry but all
updates to the test aircraft took place at
Woodford which had the advantage of
sufficient hangar space. The second testNimrod, PA02 flew in December 2004
and the third in August 2005. The
Nimrod MRA4 had several handling
issues; an imbalance between the
elevators and ailerons, a lack of stability,
a lack of a nose drop in some stalling
configurations for which a stick pusher
had to be introduced.
The MoD indicated that they were
confident about the project and in July
2006 signed a production contract for
twelve aircraft and 30 years of BAE
support (which would allow the
company to recoup the losses it had
incurred). In May 2009 the number of
aircraft to be delivered was reduced
again, this time to just nine. These would
be from the fourth aircraft onwards; the
three development Nimrods were to be
scrapped. There was some talk of these
three Nimrod prototypes being
configured as Nimrod R5s to replace the
R1s but nothing came of it. The fourth
MRA4 and the first production aircraft
ZJ514 flew in September 2009, wasofficially accepted by the RAF on 10
March 2010 and declared ‘ready to train’.
The fifth aircraft ZJ515 flew on 8 March.
Everything now appeared set for the
MRA4 to enter service.Another Nimrod Cancellation
The new Coalition Government came
into power in the UK in May 2010 and
introduced swingeing expenditure cuts.
No departments were spared and the
Ministry of Defence was far over budget.
Cuts were introduced in all the three
services; the RAF lost its Harriers, some of
its Tornados and the Nimrod MRA4 was
also axed.
There was heavy criticism of the
decision to scrap an aircraft with a
superb capability just about to enter
service and for which there was no
apparent replacement. In support of the
Government’s decision was a large
amount of ill-informed comment on the
MRA4, which was tainted by its
association with the terrible accident to The fifth Nimrod
MRA4 made its
maiden flight from
Woodford on 8
March 2010. This
photo shows it on
10 February 2011
when parts were
being removed from
it prior to being
towed outside on
24 February 2011
and scrapped. The
nose section was
preserved and is
now at Cranfield
University.
(BAE SYSTEMS)