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Fairey Gannet

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image:Fairey_Gannet_RAN_882.jpg thumb|300px|Fairey Gannet AS.1 of the Royal Australian Navy. The '''Fairey Gannet''' is a aircraft carrier carrier-borne Anti-submarine warfare and Airborne Early Warning aircraft of the immediate post World War II-era developed for the Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm. It has a conventional monoplane mid-wing and tricycle undercarriage. The aviator 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".

History
'''Development'''. The Gannet was built in response to the 1945 in aviation 1945 Admiralty requirement GR.17/45, for which prototypes by Fairey Aviation Fairey ("Type Q") and Blackburn B-54 / B-88 ("YB.1") were built. The prototype first flew on 19 September, 1949 in aviation 1949 and made the first deck landing by a turboprop aircraft, on HMS Illustrious (R87) HMS ''Illustrious'' on 19 June 1950 in aviation 1950, by pilot Lieutenant Commander G. Callingham. After a further change in operational requirements, with the addition of a radar and extra crew member, the type entered production in 1953 in aviation 1953 and initial deliveries were made of the '''AS.1''' variant at RNAS Ford in April 1954 in aviation 1954. A trainer variant ('''T.2''') first flew in August 1954 in aviation 1954. The RN's first operational Gannet squadron (No. 826 Squadron FAA 826) was embarked on HMS Eagle (R05) HMS ''Eagle''. The initial order was for 100 aircraft. The total built is reported to be 441. '''Operational history'''. 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 in aviation 1958, with trials carried out with HMS Centaur (R06) 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 (rotary wing) Westland Whirlwind HAS7 with some Gannets continuing as an Electronic countermeasures '''ECM.6''' variant. Some AS.4s were also converted as '''COD.4'''s 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 (1945) HMAS ''Melbourne'' and the shore base HMAS Albatross (air station) 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 in aviation 1959. Some Gannets were later acquired by various other countries including Czechoslovakia and Chile. '''Markings'''. (See photos) The Gannet is mostly seen in the distinctive pastel green fuselage colour, with highlights of darker (olive) green on the top and sides of the fuselage running from the nose behind the propellor boss in a straight line to then curve and join the line of the vertical stabiliser (tail). The wings are also painted in the darker green. Side numbers are typically painted on the side of the fuselage ahead of the wing; roundel and service markings are behind the wing. Image:Duxford_UK_Feb2005_FaireyGannet.JPG thumb|300px|Fairey Gannet AS6 at the [[Imperial War Museum Duxford]]

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 Motors Armstrong-Siddeley Mamba. A Armstrong Siddeley Double Mamba 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) inn 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 ''dis''quiet for the crew while that or the other engine was restarted.

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 Mk 1 and T2 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.

Specifications (Gannet AEW.3)
{{airtemp| |plane or copter?=plane |jet or prop?=prop |crew=Two |length main=43 ft |length alt=13.11 m |span main=54 ft 4 in |span alt=16.57 m |height main=13 ft 9 in |height alt=4.18 m |area main=490 ft² |area alt=45.5 m² |empty weight main=14,069 lb |empty weight alt=6,395 kg |loaded weight main=23,446 lb |loaded weight alt=10,657 kg |max takeoff weight main=lb |max takeoff weight alt=kg |engine (prop)=Armstrong Siddeley Double Mamba ASMD.3 |type of prop=turboprop |number of props=1 |power main=3,145 hp |power alt=2,346 kW |max speed main=299 mph |max speed alt=478 km/h |range main=622 miles |range alt=995 km |ceiling main=25,000 ft |ceiling alt=6,700 m |climb rate main=310 ft/min |climb rate alt=11.2 m/s |loading main=47.8 lb/ft² |loading alt=234 kg/m² |power/mass main=0.13 hp/lb |power/mass alt=0.22 kW/kg |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. }}

External links

- Gannet details
- Fairey Gannet Owners Club (UK)
- Fleet Air Arm Association of Australia - Gannet
- Warbird Alley - Gannet
- Double Mamba photo (112kB)
- British Jet Engines

Related content
{{aircontent| |related= |similar aircraft= *Breguet Alizé *S-2 Tracker Grumman S-2 Tracker *Short Seamew |sequence= *Fairey Albacore Albacore *Fairey Barracuda Barracuda '''Gannet''' *Fairey Spearfish Spearfish *Fairey Gyrodyne Gyrodyne |lists= |see also= }} Category:British ASW aircraft 1940-1949 Category:Carrier-based aircraft de:Fairey Gannet

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