DoD Whiffing

[Mike Wren]

They did it before back in the '80s with a 757 based aircraft project that the DoD cancelled as not being needed at that time.

there's another to add to the to-do list...    

[F-32]

Would it even be possible to build new build Nimrods?

I'd imagine the tooling costs would be huge, and there aren't many Comet airframes that could be liberated from museums either ^_^  

[Mossie]

Your probably right F-32, there's not much chance. When the MRA.4 was first mooted I think there was some thought about offering Nimrod for export, but one of the main reasons against it was that there weren't many Comet fuselages left, although it was thought the RAF might be able to spare a few.  There was also a brief thought about new airframes but why not just build a new design if you where going to do that?

Simon

[simmie]

the nimmie may well be quiet on approach, but at an RAF Leuchars airshow a few years back one did a very fine inpression of the Vulcan display, howling intakes and all!!!

Mind you back when I was in the ROC we got a 12hr jolly in a nimrod out subhunting over the Atlantic.  One of the crew remarked that toward the end of a patrol they start to shut down engines till they are on one, with one at idle.  This was after dark and we sneaked up on a Soviet de boat that was hiding in amoughst some fishing boats.  Anyway, the nimie flicked on the search light, to which the remark was "there goes a few fingers!".  this being aimed at the fishermen who were gutting the fish.

[RLBH]

Never mind the end of a patrol, the standard practice is to shut down two engines as soon as they reach the patrol area.

And, on displays, the crews aren't known for taking things easy. One former Nimrod pilot was apparently unimpressed by the USAF's display of a B-1 at a major airshow. Before taking off for his own display, he said to that crew, "Now, THIS is how to display a large aircraft...."

Over the course of the Nimrod display, the aircraft did a passable impression of a fighter display - they are quite happy with rolling and loops, I believe - before the pilot called finals a thousand feet above the runway. My old man completed his checklist about the same time as the wheels touched down.

On the volume issue, I couldn't say. They're part of the background noise here...