Fairey Gannet

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Gannet
Fairey Gannet AS 1 of the Royal Australian Navy
Type Naval anti-submarine/naval airborne early warning
Manufacturer Fairey
Maiden flight 19 September 1949
Introduced 1954
Primary users RN Fleet Air Arm
RAN
German Navy


The Fairey Gannet is a carrier-borne Anti-submarine warfare and Airborne Early Warning aircraft of the immediate post Second World War-era developed for the Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm. It has a conventional monoplane mid-wing and tricycle undercarriage. The pilot sits over the gas turbine engine atop the fuselage and behind the double, co-axial, contra-rotating propellors; the one (or two) crew sit in additional cockpit stations behind the pilot. The second crew member sat in a separate fuselage "bubble" facing the tail.

The Gannet's wings fold in two places to form a distinctive "Z" shape on each side. The first fold is at about 1/3 of the wing length where the inboard anhedral (down-sweep) changes to the outboard dihedral (up-sweep) of the wing . The second wing fold is at about 2/3 of the wing length.

The length of the nose wheel oleo strut causes the Gannet to have a distinctive nose-high attitude, a common characteristic of carrier aircraft.

The Gannet has been called "the ugliest aircraft in the world."

Contents

[edit] Design and development

The Gannet was built in response to the 1945 Admiralty requirement GR.17/45, for which prototypes by Fairey ("Type Q") and Blackburn B-54 / B-88 ("YB 1") were built. The prototype first flew on 19 September, 1949 and made the first deck landing by a turboprop aircraft, on HMS Illustrious on 19 June 1950, by pilot Lieutenant Commander G. Callingham.

[edit] Engine

After considering and discounting the Rolls-Royce Merlin (actually, twin Merlins) due to size, the Fairey decided to install an engine plant based on the Armstrong Siddeley Mamba. The Double Mamba (also commonly called the "Twin Mamba") was selected, driving two counter-rotating propellors through a common gearbox.

The ASMD 1 engines (2,950hp) were used in the AS 1, ASMD 3 engines (3,145hp) in the AS 4, and ASMD 4 (3,875hp) in the AEW 3 variant.

The Double Mamba engine could be cruised with one of the engines stopped, to conserve fuel and extend endurance. It has been said by pilots that, while this was possible, it was inadvisable at low altitude – in case the operating engine stopped for some reason. This happened frequently enough to be a "known fault," and created considerable disquiet for the crew while that or the other engine was restarted.

[edit] Airframe and Handling Issues

At least one Gannet accident was attributed to the vibration from the engine causing fatigue cracking of the tail, to the extent that the tail separated inflight.

There is no known case of the tailplane separating in flight in RN service . Fatigue cracking of the tailplane attachment frame occurred on a number of AS 1 and T 2 aircraft due to buffet in the flaps up stall. In the worst case one tailplane attachment fitting broke away allowing the tailplane to move in roll several degrees. The aircraft landed safely. The attachment frames of all aircraft were extensively reinforced after this incident.

[edit] Operational service

After a further change in operational requirements, with the addition of a radar and extra crew member, the type entered production in 1953 and initial deliveries were made of the AS 1 variant at RNAS Ford in April 1954. A trainer variant (T 2) first flew in August 1954. The RN's first operational Gannet squadron (826) was embarked on HMS Eagle. The initial order was for 100 aircraft. The total built is reported to be 441, shared between the Heyes (Middlesex) and Stockport/Ringway factories.

An Airborne Early Warning variant (AEW 3) used the AN/APS-20 radar in a bulbous radome suspended beneath the body. This variant first flew in August 1958, with trials carried out with HMS Centaur in November. For stability, it required a redesigned fin and rudder together with the small vertical fins on the tailplane fitted to the other versions.

By mid-1960, the AS 1s and AS 4s were replaced by the Westland Whirlwind HAS7 with some Gannets continuing as an Electronic countermeasures ECM 6 variant. Some AS 4s were also converted as COD 4s for Carrier onboard delivery. These were extended in service until finally scrapped, with the radars re-used in the Royal Air Force Avro Shackletons.

The Gannet was sold into service with the Royal Australian Navy (AS 1 - 36 aircraft) flying from the aircraft carrier HMAS Melbourne and the shore base HMAS Albatross near Nowra, New South Wales. The German Navy bought the AS 4 and T 5 variants. Indonesia bought some AS 4 and T 5 variants (re-modelled from RN AS 1s and T 2s), in 1959. Some Gannets were later acquired by various other countries.

[edit] Markings

(See photos) In FAA service, the Gannet generally wore the standard camouflage scheme of a Sky (duck-egg blue) underside and fuselage sides, with Extra Dark Sea Grey upper surfaces, the fuselage demarcation line running from the nose behind the propellor boss in a straight line to then curve and join the line of the fin. Code numbers are typically painted on the side of the fuselage ahead of the wing; roundel and serial markings were behind the wing.

Fairey Gannet AS 6 at the Imperial War Museum Duxford
Enlarge
Fairey Gannet AS 6 at the Imperial War Museum Duxford

[edit] Variants

Production numbers in brackets

  • Gannet AS 1 : Three-seat anti-submarine version. (180 aircraft were built).
  • Gannet T 2 : Training version of the Gannet AS 1. The Gannet T 2 trainer entering service in 1955. (35 aircraft were built).
  • Gannet AEW 3 : Airborne early warning aircraft for the Royal Navy. The Gannet AEW 3 entering service in 1958/1959. (44 aircraft were built).
  • Gannet AS 4 : Three-seat anti-submarine version, with improved performance from a more powerful engine. (82 aircraft were built).
  • Gannet T 5 : Training version of the Gannet AS 4. trainer (8 aircraft were built).
  • Gannet COD 4 : AS 4 Gannets modified to operate as cargo/passenger transport aircraft.
  • Gannet AS 6 : Small number of Gannet AS 4s fitted with new radar and electronics.
  • Gannet ECM 6 : Electronic countermeasures version, operating from shore stations.

[edit] Operators

[edit] Specifications (Gannet AEW 3)

General characteristics

Performance

Armament

  • Up to 2,850 lb (1,300 kg) of stores, including bombs, depth charges, 2x torpedoes (carried internally), or 16x 60 lb (26 kg) rockets.

[edit] Reference

  • Fiddler, Brian. Gannet. Chippenham, UK: Picton Publishing Ltd., 1990. ISBN 0-948251-46-8.

[edit] External links

[edit] Related content

 

Comparable aircraft

Breguet Alizé - Grumman S-2 Tracker - Short Seamew

Designation sequence

Albacore - Barracuda - Firefly - Spearfish - Gyrodyne - Gannet - FD 1 FD 2

Related lists

List of aircraft of the Fleet Air Arm

 

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