FUSELAGE CREATIONS H.S NIMROD MR2 XV254

Description

The Hawker Siddeley Nimrod is a retired British maritime patrol aircraft developed from the groundbreaking de Havilland Comet, the world’s first passenger jetliner. Adapted for military service, the Nimrod became a cornerstone of Britain’s maritime defence capability. A total of 49 Nimrods of all variants were produced and modified by Hawker Siddeley. Operated by The Royal Air Force from the early 1970s until March 2010, it was  primarily tasked with anti-submarine warfare, while also carrying out maritime surveillance, long-range search and rescue, and anti-surface warfare operations. Four operational marks of the Nimrod entered service, while the proposed fifth MRA4 variant was ultimately cancelled by the RAF in favour of the Boeing P-8 Poseidon.

The tag in your possession has been crafted from Nimrod MR.2 XV254, an aircraft with a distinguished service history. Built in 1971 as an MR.1, XV254 was later converted to MR.2 standard in 1979 as part of a fleet-wide upgrade programme. During its career, the aircraft served with the 42, 120, 201 and 206 squadrons and the 236 Operational Conversion Unit, operating from RAF Kinloss and RAF St Mawgan. Following its retirement in 2010, XV254 was scrapped at RAF Kinloss, though its forward fuselage was preserved for display at the Highland Aviation Museum (Inverness Airport) before being relocated in 2021 to the South Wales Aviation Museum in St Athan. During that move, small sections of the XV254 wing root were carefully recovered by Captain Paul Gibbs. Later, the Fuselage Creations team transformed them into commemorative tags for aviation enthusiasts around the world to enjoy, each one a genuine fragment a Cold War maritime patrol aircraft that served the United Kingdom for nearly four decades.