History of the Nimrod R1

The Nimrod R1 is a derivative of the Nimrod MR2 maritime patrol aircraft and was operated by No 51 Squadron, from RAF Waddington.
The Nimrod R1 has a highly sophisticated and sensitive suite of systems used for reconnaissance and gathering electronic intelligence. The ability of the Nimrod to transit at high speed and then loiter in an operational area at lower speed for long periods makes it ideally suited to the task. Air refuelling can extend the Nimrod R1’s endurance should the task demand. It is fitted with an array of rotating dish aerials in the aircraft's bomb-bay, with further dish aerials in the tail cone and at the front of the wing-mounted fuel tanks. It was only after the end of the Cold War that the existance and role of the aircraft was officially acknowledged; they were once described as "radar calibration aircraft".
The Nimrod R1 is operated by a four-man flight deck crew of two pilots, a flight engineer and a weapon systems officer, and a mission crew of 24 reconnaissance- equipment operators commanded by a mission supervisor. The aircraft is fitted with two inertial navigation systems and a satellite-based global positioning system to assist in the requirement for accurate navigation.
The Nimrod R1 can be distinguished from the maritime MR2 aircraft by the absence of the tail-mounted Magnetic Anomaly Detector boom.

A decission was made by the MoD to retire the R1's on 31st March 2011 but this was delayed due to operational requirements in Lybia until 28th June 2011 when there was a final operational flight and a ceremony to mark the retiement of the type at RAF Waddington.

The Aeropark Nimrod

XW664 was the first Nimrod R1 to be delivered to 51 Squadren at RAF Wyton on 7th July 1971, and following it's fitting out under took it's first training sortie on 21st October 1973. The first operational sortie was made on 3rd May 1974 with it being fully commissioned in to RAF service on 10th May 1974. In 1995 51 Sqdn relocated to RAF Waddington and XW664 operated from there until its retirement from service in June 2011.
XW664 returned from active service on 24 June 2011 to RAF Waddington, officially retired from service on 28th June. She was on static display at the Waddington International Air show on 1st/2nd July and delivered to East Midlands Airport on 12th July. Following this XW664 under went a declassification and decommission process and finally moved in to the Aeropark on 19th November 2011.

'Nimrod1' Arrives at Eastmidlands Airport 12/7/2011

Nimrod R1 XW664 callsign 'Nimrod1' made it's final flight today leaving RAF Waddington just after 10:00am and landing at 10:31am having completed a low flypast down the runway. '664' then backtracked along the length of the runway passing the Aeropark where the visitors who came to see her arrive were given a good view before she turned down the taxiway and went throught a 'water arch' and then taxied to park in the maintenance area.
'664' returned from operations on Friday 24th June and has since been at the 'R1' retirement event on 28th June and on static display at the Waddington International Air show on 2nd/3rd July.
Decommissioning work will now take place before she is finally moved into place in the Aeropark at the end of July where she will be on display to the public.

The Nimrod R1's were operated by 51 Squadron at RAF Waddington and their role was reconnaissance and gathering electronic intelligence.
There were three Nimrod R1's operated by 51 Sqdn one was taken out of service in 2009 and the remaining two remained in service until June 2011.
The Nimrod R1 flew over Afghanistan in support of Operation HERRICK for 10 years making it one of 51 Squadron’ longest operational commitments. Due for retirement at the end March 2011, the Nimrod R1 was given a 3 month reprieve to enable support to Op ELLAMY. Its last operational sortie was marked by appreciative comments from the multitude of multi-national Coalition Commanders, who described the contribution made by the R1 as being of “Gold Standard”.