Nimrod spy plane gets new home at East Midlands Airport
29.11.11
An RAF Nimrod plane used in every conflict involving Britain over the last 37 years has moved to East Midlands Aeropark and is now open to the public. The Nimrod, used for surveillance, was only retired in June and was most recently used in Libya.
The Nimrod R1s were operated by 51 Squadron at RAF Waddington and used for reconnaissance and gathering electronic intelligence. The government decided to keep the Nimrods in service for an extra three months earlier in 2011 to allow them to provide support in the Nato operation in Libya.
Aeropark spokesman Ken Williams said the plane is ‘a huge aircraft’ with testing and radio equipment and room for 24 desks with computers for surveillance work. He said: ‘Inside the aircraft itself some of the equipment had to be taken out for security reasons - some of which we have managed to get back and have put on display - obviously it doesn't work as such - but we have put it back in.’
First used for surveillance work in 1974 the plane was used in Afghanistan in support of British and Nato operations for more than 10 years making it one of 51 Squadron's longest-running operational commitments. The spy plane was operated by a four-man flight crew - including two pilots, a flight engineer and a weapon systems office - and had a mission crew of 24 operators headed by a mission supervisor.
Aeropark officials spent three years negotiating to acquire the Nimrod for its display.
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