Production

Forty-nine airframes were built at Woodford between 1968 and 1978, comprising forty-five MR.1s, one MR.2 and three R.1s.

Eleven airframes were selected for conversion to AEW.3 standard. XZ286 made its first flight with large nose- and tail-mounted radomes in July 1980. All eleven airframes were converted to AEW.3 standard, but most of them never received the AEW mission electronics. After the radar failed to meet the required specification, the AEW.3 project was cancelled in 1986. Several of the airframes were stored at RAF Abingdon for several years before being scrapped.

Thirty-four MR.1s were upgraded to MR.2 standard in the late 1970s and early 1980s. XV236 was the first conversion in April 1979. Central to the upgrade was the installation of the Searchwater maritime radar alongside a completely new acoustic processing system. The tactical navigation systems were updated, and installed computer power increased 50-fold. The only visible external modification was the addition of a ram air intake on the rear fuselage, but the capabilities of the aircraft were vastly increased.

Four MR.2s were scrapped in the early 1990s as corrosion took its toll, two crashed, and one was converted to R.1 standard in 1996. Twenty-one of the surviving 27 MR.2s were due to be further upgraded under the Nimrod 2000 (MRA.4) program (subsequently reduced to 12 airframes).


(NB aircraft with serials in blue are those I have personally seen. Serials in red are aircraft which have crashed. Serials in magenta are aircraft withdrawn from service. Serials in purple are those I have seen which have been withdrawn.).

Serial c/n Type Operator Notes Img
XV147 06476 MR.1(mod)   Scrapped at Woodford Mar 2003  
XV148 06477 MR.1(mod)   BAE Systems/Woodford  
XV226 8001 MR.2 KMRW  
XV227 8002 MR.2 MoD(PE)/BAE Systems Suffered a hot air duct failure on 04 Nov 2004. Arr Woodford 01 Jul 2007 for MRA.4 conversion (ZJ521).
XV228 8003 MR.2 MoD(PE)/BAE Systems At Woodford for MRA.4 conversion in Nov 2005 (ZJ523).
XV229 8004 MR.2 KMRW  
XV230 8005 MR.2   Crashed in Afghanistan 02 Sep 2006 after fuel leak caused catastrophic fire. 14 fatalities. Had flown a total of 18691:20 hours.
XV231 8006 MR.2 KMRW  
XV232 8007 MR.2 KMRW  
XV233 8008 MR.2 MoD(PE)/BAE Systems At Woodford for MRA.4 conversion (ZJ520/PA-7)
XV234 8009 MR.2 MoD(PE)/BAE Systems Arr Woodford 02 Dec 99 for MRA.4 conversion (ZJ518/PA-2)
XV235 8010 MR.2 KMRW May have been wfu at Kinloss following fuel leak on 05 Nov 2007 over Afghanistan. But was seen flying during Jul 2008.
XV236 8011 MR.2 KMRW Arrived Boscombe Down 29 Jul 2008, reported to be final flight as aircraft is due to be broken up for aging aircraft auditing purposes.
XV237 8012 MR.2   Scrapped  
XV238 8013 MR.2   Scrapped  
XV239 8014 MR.2 - Crashed 02 Sep 1995 Lake Ontario, Canada.  
XV240 8015 MR.2 KMRW  
XV241 8016 MR.2 KMRW  
XV242 8017 MR.2 MoD(PE)/BAE Systems At Woodford for MRA.4 conversion (ZJ517/PA-3)
XV243 8018 MR.2 - Entered service in 1970. Converted to MR.2 standard in 1984. Arr Woodford 27 Apr 2006 for MRA.4 conversion (ZJ524). Accumulated 19194 flying hours as an MR.1/2.
XV244 8019 MR.2 KMRW  
XV245 8020 MR.2 BAE Systems Arr Woodford ?? 2005 for MRA.4 conversion
XV246 8021 MR.2 - Arr Waddington 12 Jan 2006. The stripped fuselage was airlifted to Woodford on 19 Dec 2007.
XV247 8022 MR.2 MoD(PE)/BAE Systems Arr Woodford 23 Nov 99 for MRA.4 conversion (ZJ516/PA-1).  
XV248 8023 MR.2 KMRW  
XV249 8024 R.1 51 Sqd Converted from MR.2 in 1996. The aircraft's fuel system had to be rebuilt to cure a series of fuel leaks.
XV250 8025 MR.2 KMRW  
XV251 8026 MR.2 MoD(PE)/BAE Systems Arr Woodford 26 Apr 2000 for MRA.4 conversion (ZJ514/PA-4).  
XV252 8027 MR.2 KMRW    
XV253 8028 MR.2   For MRA.4 conversion as ZJ525
XV254 8029 MR.2 KMRW  
XV255 8030 MR.2 KMRW  
XV256 8031 MR.2 - Crashed 17 Nov 1980 Roseisle Forest shortly after taking off from Kinloss.  
XV257 8032 MR.2   Suffered Cat 5 damage during a fire on 03 Jun 1984. Written off.  
XV258 8033 MR.2 MoD(PE)/BAE Systems Arr Woodford 08 Nov 1999 for MRA.4 conversion (ZJ515/PA-5).
XV259 8034 AEW.3P   Nose preserved at Solway Av Museum, Carlisle. Fuselage GIA Chattenden.  
XV260 8035 MR.2 KMRW  
XV261 8036 AEW.3   Scrapped  
XV262 8037 AEW.3   Scrapped
XV263 8038 AEW.3P BAE Systems 9867M. Fuselage arr Woodford from Bournemouth 15 May 2002. Nose section at BAE Systems/Warton.
XW664 8039 R.1 51 Sqd At NAS Patuxent River 17 Apr 2003 to 04 May 2003 to test "Project Extract" systems.
XW665 8040 R.1 51 Sqd  
XW666 8041 R.1   Ditched 16 May 1995 in the Moray Firth after an uncontained engine fire. Nose at Long Marston Oct 1999.
XZ280 8042 AEW.3P   Scrapped  
XZ281 8043 AEW.3   Completed as an MR.1 but was immediately converted to an AEW.3.Scrapped.
XZ282 8044 AEW.3   Scrapped  
XZ283 8045 AEW.3P   Scrapped  
XZ284 8046 MR.2 MoD(PE)/BAE Systems The only Nimrod to be built to MR.2 standard. Arr Woodford Aug 2000 for MRA.4 conversion (ZJ519/PA-6)
XZ285 8047 AEW.3   Completed as an MR.1 but was immediately converted to an AEW.3. Scrapped.  
XZ286 8048 AEW.3 RAF Kinloss fire section (8968M) Converted to AEW.3 on the production line. Scrapped
XZ287 8049 AEW.3 FCR Stafford (9140M) Converted to AEW.3 on the production line. 9140M
ZJ514 PA-4 MRA.4 MoD(PE)/BAE Systems Conversion of XV251  
ZJ515 PA-5 MRA.4 MoD(PE)/BAE Systems Conversion of XV258  
ZJ516 PA-1 MRA.4 MoD(PE)/BAE Systems Conversion of XV247. Made its maiden flight from BAE Systems/Woodford on 26 Aug 2004  
ZJ517 PA-3 MRA.4 MoD(PE)/BAE Systems Conversion of XV242. Made its maiden flight on 29 Aug 2005 at Woodford. Returned to BAE Warton 15 Dec 2005 after being painted at Norwich.  
ZJ518 PA-2 MRA.4 MoD(PE)/BAE Systems Conversion of XV234. Made its first flight 12 Dec 2004.
ZJ519 PA-6 MRA.4 MoD(PE)/BAE Systems Conversion of XZ284  
ZJ520 PA-7 MRA.4 MoD(PE)/BAE Systems Conversion of XV233  
ZJ521 PA-8 MRA.4 MoD(PE)/BAE Systems Conversion of XV227  
ZJ522 PA-9 MRA.4 MoD(PE)/BAE Systems Conversion of XV244  
ZJ523 PA-10 MRA.4 MoD(PE)/BAE Systems Conversion of XV228  
ZJ524 PA-11 MRA.4 MoD(PE)/BAE Systems Conversion of XV243  
ZJ525 PA-12 MRA.4 MoD(PE)/BAE Systems Conversion of XV253  

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