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Nimrod R1


GordonM

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Hopefully a simple and quick question! I’ve got the Airfix ‘Mighty Hunter’ in the stash and lockdown is making me look at getting on with it..

 My question is  during the time 51 Squadron were based at RAF Wyton can someone clarify a timeline for the following: IFR probes and colour schemes. Namely did the white / light grey scheme pre date IFR probes being fitted?  By the time 51 Squadron moved to Waddington from Wyton were the aircraft in the two tone grey scheme, or did that happen after the move?

Thanks in advance

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As far as I know the white and grey scheme was as delivered from new so pre-dates the fitting of the IFR which was introduced around the time of the Falklands Conflict for the MR fleet deployed for that campaign, they were also in the hemp over light grey paint with large dark blue/red roundels. 
By the time 51 relocated to Warrington they were most definitely in hemp over light grey with large subdued pink/light blue roundels which were later replaced with a smaller roundel at Major in the mid to late nineties. Be aware that 51 lost XW666 during a flight test which resulted in XV249, a stored MR2, being converted to R1 as a replacement. 
Nimrods began being repainted in grey around the time I left the RAF in 2005. 

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The refuelling probes were fitted in spring 1982 (Falklands driven) just after the Nimrod fleet had gone into the hemp scheme..

R.1s moved from Wyton to Waddo in 1995, which I think pre-dated the grey scheme.

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The only aircraft to be fitted with the in flight refueling probe in 1982 was XW664 and it was in the Hemp/Lt Grey scheme. The other 2 aircraft had not had the Probe fitted by the time I left 51 Sqn in 1987. The last aircraft to be painted in the Hemp scheme was XW665, which was still in the old scheme when I arrived at the end of 1981 and was painted whilst during early 1982. Initially XW664 was fitted with hook aerials on the tailplanes, but as the aircraft used to have a corkscrewing affect at the back end making some of the flying formation eating team (aircrew) to feel sick, a solution was found, and that was the bigger finlets. These were also fitted to XW665 and XW666 even though they did not have the probe.

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1 hour ago, Richard E said:

Have you seen Mark's @canberraman photographs of the Nimrod R Mk.1s from RAF Wyton

I’ll be bookmarking those photos! I went to Huntingdon Technical College, so my education was interrupted by Canberras!

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On 4/28/2020 at 8:23 PM, GordonM said:

Ok, so I’m going to need a couple of buckets of hemp....

Let's hope your local narcotics squad isn't reading along. ;)

 

I have the Airfix in the stash as well, bug I would have to get an aftermarket decal sheet first.

 

Cheers,

 

Andre

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On 4/28/2020 at 5:29 PM, GordonM said:

Hopefully a simple and quick question! I’ve got the Airfix ‘Mighty Hunter’ in the stash and lockdown is making me look at getting on with it..

 My question is  during the time 51 Squadron were based at RAF Wyton can someone clarify a timeline for the following: IFR probes and colour schemes. Namely did the white / light grey scheme pre date IFR probes being fitted?  By the time 51 Squadron moved to Waddington from Wyton were the aircraft in the two tone grey scheme, or did that happen after the move?

Thanks in advance

A small point: IFR is Instrument Flight Rules! Refuelling equipment is usually referred to as AAR

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  • 3 years later...
On 4/29/2020 at 4:25 AM, Jabba said:

The only aircraft to be fitted with the in flight refueling probe in 1982 was XW664 and it was in the Hemp/Lt Grey scheme. The other 2 aircraft had not had the Probe fitted by the time I left 51 Sqn in 1987. The last aircraft to be painted in the Hemp scheme was XW665, which was still in the old scheme when I arrived at the end of 1981 and was painted whilst during early 1982. Initially XW664 was fitted with hook aerials on the tailplanes, but as the aircraft used to have a corkscrewing affect at the back end making some of the flying formation eating team (aircrew) to feel sick, a solution was found, and that was the bigger finlets. These were also fitted to XW665 and XW666 even though they did not have the probe.

 

Wasn't "Damien" painted the wrong (slightly different) colour, while at Wyton?

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When I was on 51 Sqn, XW666 was painted in the normal Hemp. Whether it was painted incorrectly before or after I do not know. I do know that the first Nimrod to be painted in Hemp was painted wrongly and ended up almost a chocolate brown, this was because the painters got the mixture for the paint from the coding wrong.

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Most interesting topic. I do like the comment that one aircraft  had particular 'corksecrwing' tendencies. It'd often surprised me how apparently identical machines can differ quite  a bit in their feel and handling, presumbly due to minor differences in trim and riggging, plus of course the impacst of operational effects and stressings over time.

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Yes, but not in this case.  These were not apparently identical aircraft - the one with what seems to be classic "Dutch Roll" instability had a great big probe sticking out of the front.  The cure would be more tail area, which is what was done.  (Or a longer fuselage, which is somewhat more dramatically expensive.)   For other examples look for aircraft which had fin fillets or other finlets added.  I can recall being in Cranfield's Dove on a course, looking out of the window to see the wingtip drawing lazy circles in the sky.   That was with a fin fillet - DH aircraft of the period did seem to be generally lacking in tail size.  The Wyvern is perhaps another example, growing a taller fin before finlets having to be added.  But it does look short and squat to start with, not a DH design feature.

 

Dutch roll was supposedly so named because the aircraft appeared to be staggering through the sky like a drunken Dutch sailor heading back to his ship.  Why Dutch?  No idea - unless the scientist/engineer who defined it came from that part of the country where an overcast sky is described as "not enough blue to patch a Dutchman's trousers".  East Anglia. maybe?

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3 hours ago, Jabba said:

I do know that the first Nimrod to be painted in Hemp was painted wrongly and ended up almost a chocolate brown, this was because the painters got the mixture for the paint from the coding wrong.

Yes, that was MR.1 XV246 in 1977, it received all manor of cruel nicknames!

 

It's surprising what effect a modification can have on an aircraft, the refuelling probe had to be countered by a ventral fin, and initially two small tailplane finlets, the latter were later enlarged.  Due to the rush job of the air refuelling fit that ventral fin was initially made from plywood.

 

 

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