The British designed and built Hawker Siddeley Nimrod was the first jet-powered maritime patrol aircraft in the world. It entered service to replace the aging Avro Shackleton and was arguably the best maritime aircraft of its generation. The Nimrod was designed around the de Havilland Comet 4C fuselage, with assembly and test flights taking place at Woodford. The aircraft underwent modification several times during its 40 years of service, returning to Woodford each time for the work to be carried out.

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The Nimrod was primarily used for anti-submarine warfare operations but its other duties included maritime reconnaissance, search and rescue, airborne early warning, and intelligence gathering. It boasted state of the art systems and weaponry, giving it the capability to locate and destroy enemy submarines.

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The Nimrod on display at the Museum, XV235, started life as the original MR1 variant before being upgraded to MR2 standard. It saw active service during both Gulf Wars and also operated in the Arctic Circle, where it made a rendezvous with the submarines HMS Trenchant and USS Spadefish at the North Pole. The fuselage is an outdoor exhibit and is open to the public for cockpit tours.