A couple of “newbie” questions about the Nimrod…..I know the main body is from the Comet, but what (if any) other parts of the Nimrod are from the Comet……Also should the in-flight refueling nozzle have a downward slope. and not parallel to the ground, if that makes sense, some pictures suggest it does have slope, and some dont…….Apologied for newbie questions:o
By: GATEGUARD - 22nd January 2012 at 18:35
Only the two prototype Nimrods (XV147 & 148) were ex Comets, all the rest were new build aircraft, and were “Based” on the Comet 4c but with the fuselage shortened both ahead and behind the wings.
Thats why the fin had the forward strake to increase its overall surface area, this counterated the Nimrod’s natural desire to Dutch roll (wing rocking) because of the shortened fuselage.
The probe was angled down by about 10 degrees (might have been a bit less) because the Nimrod,s natural flying angle was about the same up, thus when it was tanking the Probe was relatively level.
hope this helps
By: pagen01 - 22nd January 2012 at 18:28
In basic terms the Nimrod airframe was based on the Comet 4C, the two prototype aircraft were actually converted 4Cs.
The production Nimrod had the shorter Comet 4 fuselage, but the Comet 4C wings, the undercarriage was the same but strengthened, tailplane and fin/rudder were the same, thought the latter had a large fillet added to it to counter the aerodynamic effect of added weapons bay bulge which was added to the underside of the fuselage. Most of the cabin windows were deleted, and ASW specific sensors and domed observation windows makes up for other external differences.
And of course the RR Avons were discarded for the more powerful and economic RR Speys.
The refuelling probe is at a canted down angle when the aircraft is on the ground, in flight the aircraft flies slightly tail down (not uncommon with large aircraft) and thus the probe becomes level.
By: TonyT - 22nd January 2012 at 17:28
Most of the nimrod was comet the under side which housed the Bomb bay giving it a double bubble shape was added on to the fuselage of the comet to give it the nimrod shape.. the later scrapped nimrod 4 had new wings and engines, think you are right about the probe, probably to do with the cruising attitude.
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January 22, 2012 at 4:53 pm