Researched 2026-10-11 from the sources listed below. Airframes move between hangars, workshops and loans: check with Morayvia before travelling to see this one.
The airframe in brief
| Serial / registration | XV244 |
|---|---|
| Type | Hawker Siddeley Nimrod MR.2 |
| Built | Woodford, as a Nimrod MR.1; first engine run 18 August 1970 |
| First flew | 1 October 1970 |
| Converted | MR.2, first flight as such 5 November 1984 |
| Units / operator | RAF Kinloss maritime patrol force; Operation Granby from St Mawgan, December 1990 |
| Last flight | 31 July 2009, into Kinloss |
| Flying hours | Over 18,000 |
| Arrived | Bought by Morayvia on 6 March 2012 |
| Status | On display |
| Where | Morayvia, Forres |
The story of XV244
XV244 was built at Woodford as a Nimrod MR.1 and ran its engines for the first time on 18 August 1970. It first flew on 1 October 1970 and joined the maritime patrol force at RAF Kinloss that November. After 7,538 flying hours it went back to Woodford for conversion, flying as an MR.2 on 5 November 1984.
On 7 December 1990 it left RAF St Mawgan for the Gulf on Operation Granby. Its crew was credited with helping towards six kills and one probable, the best tally of any Nimrod crew in the campaign. The aircraft later carried the nose art 'Battlestar 42'.
XV244 landed at Kinloss for the last time on 31 July 2009, with more than 18,000 hours on the airframe. It was kept for spares, stood on static display at the MR.2 drawdown ceremony on 26 March 2010 and was formally withdrawn on 31 March. The rest of the Kinloss fleet was broken up.
Morayvia was formed in 2011 to carry on the work of the Nimrod Heritage Group. It took ownership on 6 March 2012, with money from BAE Systems, Thales, Ultra and Rolls-Royce Heritage. The aircraft stays on Bay 61, a hard-standing at Kinloss Barracks leased through the Defence Infrastructure Organisation. In 2014 the Lord Lieutenant of Moray named it 'Duke of Edinburgh'.
Seeing XV244 today
XV244 stands on a leased hard-standing at Kinloss Barracks, apart from Morayvia's main museum buildings. Ask Morayvia about access before you travel.
| Museum | Adult entry | Airframes | Headline exhibit |
|---|---|---|---|
| MorayviaForres, Moray | £8 | 35 | Nimrod XV244 (complete, and the crew who operated her sometimes give the tours) alongside a Sea King in RAF SAR yellow — the machine that… |
Also known as: Nimrod XV244 · Battlestar 42 · Kinloss Nimrod · Morayvia Nimrod