Nimrod at SWF

[Iberia A340-600]

2/5

RAF Nimrod MR4* which was flying from England to Tennessee diverted to SWF tonight due to bad weather at the arrival destination. I feel this rare visitor warrants its own thread but since I have only edited one shot so far I'll give you a flavor of the unique aircraft!

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2366/2245200475_8bccd7d47e.jpg?v=0

I have a few choice words for that stupid a/c unit!

[AA 777]

Holy Crap Gordon! Awesome Catch!!!

[jran225]

NICE CATCH! When I was younger, my dad and I drove from DC to Cleveland, Ohio just to see a Nimrod perform at an air show. I'll tell you - you haven't heard a real aircraft until you have heard a Nimrod take off. Congrats, Gordo! :)

Greets,
-Omar S.

[Tom_Turner]

Gordon - Great work. This aircraft might still be the visitor of the year for our entire area. Been waiting for what seems like forever for a Nimrod to show up in our parts.

Tom

[Iberia A340-600]

Thanks guys, quite a lucky catch for me!

Here is another photo:

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2420/2246202895_dafe77c76b.jpg?v=0

[moose135]

What an incredible catch Gordon! Good job!

[LGA777]

Wow, thats rare. One did a flyby at SXM as we where just sitting down at the old terminal resturant so I missed shooting it, boy it was so loud !

Congrats Gordon

LGA777

[SengaB]

Heres my 2 cent contribution.
I wish I had Gordon's shots :) Maxxx props to Gordon for giving me the heads up on this one.

I felt very blessed witness this amazing aircraft in action as well. I have always wanted to get a shot if it since have been in this hobby. Pictures just don't do it justice. When you see it on the ramp during its 5 minute run up its just awe inspiring to see and here those engines wine! The take off roll was pretty aggressive. With a fast acceleration to full power it took in a very short length of runway. I have never seen a plane of this size execute a rotation like that classic F-15 shot that we see a lot when it left the runway in a high AOA and so low to the ground. I think the Nimrod pilots did it for us though. Unfortunately the blasted fence got in the way so I didn't get those shots. Within 1 second it was sucked into a 100ft ceiling cloud base.
I felt honored to be in the presence of such an impressive piece of history.

After hearing conversations throughout the moring between the pilots and controllers I learned alot about this aircraft. Its temporarially based at BNA (Nashville Int). Its a wing icing testbed for the new wing that is being put into production for the Nimrods. They are able to fly this aircraft with 6 inches of Ice on the wings or are trying to.

http://www.nycaviation.com/hosting/nimrod03.jpg
Prepping for the flight
http://www.nycaviation.com/hosting/nimrod01.jpg
Run-up
http://www.nycaviation.com/hosting/nimrod02.jpg
Taxi
http://www.nycaviation.com/hosting/nimrod04.jpg
Takeoff Roll
http://www.nycaviation.com/hosting/nimrod05.jpg
Senga

[T-Bird76]

For a second I thought Nick V was back in town, LOLOLOLOLOLOL Nice shots guys.

[wunaladreamin]

Wow great stuff guys! Color me green.

[flyboy 28]

*impressed whistle*

That baby looks fiiiine.

[G-BOAD]

WoW!
Great catch Gordon, and Senga!
BTW, Gordon, I really like the 2nd shot, with the light and rain reflections on the ground!

[nwafan20]

Wow, nice shots guys! Great aircraft!

[MarkLawrence]

Great shots guys!!!...

[SengaB]

Yes it is sure a spectacular looking aircraft. Its definitely a good candidate for the shot of the year!

Senga

[Iberia A340-600]

Senga, I forgot to ask you. What time did she take off?

[cancidas]

DAAAAMN!!


btw, that's an MR.4. you can tell by the larger intakes. the MR.2 had much smaller ones, the same as the original comet. what a beauty...

[SengaB]

Gordon,
The Nimrod Departed off runway 27 at 10:11am as "ASCOT 7400" to BNA.

Matt, I wish they wouldn't change those things. The more it looks like the origional Comet the better. Matt who said it was an MR.2?
Senga

[cancidas]

senga,

i'm not as well versed on the UK's military as i am on our own. the MR.4 is the version of the nimrod that is currently coming out of overhaul. i belive that the prior version was the MR.2, though don't quote me on it. it is obvious that there are larger intakes on the airplane photographed, those intakes were added during the upgrade process to the MR.4 standards.

[SengaB]

Yes thats true the MRA4 is the latest overhaul program of the Nimrod. They are going to convert only 12 of the Nimrods to the MRA4 platform. One of the noticable features are the new engines and redesigned engine inlets and new wing on this model.
I kind of wish it was a preceding model but I cannot complain.
Senga

[727C47]

saw one at farnborough back in 1980,last of the holy,and historic Comet line,awesome !

[SengaB]

The end of the beginning :)
Senga