MAQUETTE À MONTER - FORMA PLANE HAWKER SIDDELEY NIMROD 1/72 VACFORM KIT

Characteristics

Description

In the first half of 1965 it was decided to develop a replacement for the ageing Shackletons of Maritime Strike Command. Two HS1's were converted from the Comet design during the period of 1965/66 with a much modified fuselage, this change in room for reconnaissance and search gear plus, of course, space for the aircrew on long distance patrols. Prototype One made its first flight in May 1967, plus a separately and distinctly Nimrod Spey Cargo-engines. Prototype Two flew in July 1967, powered by the original Avon engines. The first flight was aimed at certain maritime equipment, and proved successful. From these aircraft Nimrod MR Mk.1's began to be delivered to R.A.F. Strike Command, in October 1969 and the first operational squadron was No. 201. Five more squadrons quickly followed, one being the MAR-VT Force based at Singapore. The initial order was for thirty-eight aircraft, plus three special MR Mk.2's to No.5 Squadron, designed as Radio/Radar Calibration aircraft. Early January 1972 brought a further eight MR Mk.1's to be made for the R.A.F. In 1977 the MR Mk.1's will be upgraded to the MR Mk.2 standard with improved avionics and maritime equipment. The Nimrod is a development from the de Haviland Comet airliner, on the whole it maintains it's overall appearance apart from the obvious fuselage contours in that the airframe and a large dorsal fin which is topped by a ECM pod and a MAD tailboom. Generally a crew of 12 is carried, it has a large range of equipment including bombs, mines, homing torpedoes and depth charges. It also has two pylons, one under each wing outboard from the landing gear, these may be required to carry the AS 12 or other air to surface missiles. In a secondary role, assault troops can be carried for another variation of the R.A.F. the Nimrods would's leader in submarine patrolling thousands of square miles of coast and sea each week, with it's new role of Fisher Protection the Nimrod is one of the finest examples of British Aviation.