Fairey Gannet

Fairey Gannet was a British carrier-based aircraft developed for the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm to fulfill demanding anti-submarine warfare and airborne early warning roles. Its distinctive design was centered on the unique Armstrong Siddeley Double Mamba turboprop engine, which drove two contra-rotating propellers. The Gannet entered service in the mid-1950s, serving as a critical component of NATO's North Atlantic anti-submarine screen during the Cold War, and was also operated by several allied navies.

Design and development

The genesis of the Gannet lay in Admiralty Specification GR.17/45, issued after World War II, which called for a dedicated carrier-based anti-submarine aircraft to replace models like the Fairey Firefly. The Fairey Aviation Company's design team, led by H. E. Chaplin, proposed an aircraft built around the innovative Armstrong Siddeley Double Mamba engine. This powerplant essentially coupled two Armstrong Siddeley Mamba turboprop engines side-by-side, driving a single gearbox and contra-rotating propellers; a key feature allowed one engine to be shut down in flight for economical cruising. The airframe featured a high-mounted wing with prominent leading-edge slats and Fowler flaps for low-speed carrier handling, a large internal weapons bay, and a crew of three seated in tandem under a long canopy. The prototype, designated the Fairey 17, first flew from RAF Aldermaston on 19 September 1949, piloted by Fairey test pilot Gordon Slade.

Operational history

The Gannet AS.1 entered operational service with the Fleet Air Arm's No. 826 Naval Air Squadron in January 1955, embarking on the aircraft carrier HMS ''Eagle''. It quickly became a mainstay of the Royal Navy's anti-submarine forces, operating from carriers such as HMS ''Ark Royal'', HMS ''Centaur'', and HMS ''Victorious'' throughout the 1950s and early 1960s. Its primary mission was hunting Soviet Navy submarines in the North Atlantic and Mediterranean Sea. The improved AS.4 variant followed, featuring more powerful engines. From 1958, the Gannet AEW.3 variant, fitted with a large radar radome under the fuselage, entered service to provide airborne early warning for the fleet, replacing the Douglas A-1 Skyraider. The type saw active service during the Suez Crisis in 1956 and continued in the AEW role until replaced by the Fairey Gannet AEW.3#Replacement in the early 1970s.

Variants

The primary variants of the Gannet included the initial production **Gannet AS.1**, the anti-submarine model for the Fleet Air Arm. The **Gannet T.2** was a dual-control trainer version. The upgraded **Gannet AS.4** featured the more powerful Double Mamba 101 engine. The **Gannet AEW.3** was a major redesign for the airborne early warning role, with a widened fuselage to house a crew of four and the AN/APS-20 radar in an underbelly radome; it had no weapons bay or folding wings. A target tug variant, the **Gannet TT.2**, was converted from retired AS.4 airframes for use by the Royal Australian Navy. Proposals for a U.S. Navy version and a RAF coastal command variant did not proceed.

Operators

The principal military operator was the United Kingdom's Fleet Air Arm. The Royal Australian Navy acquired the Gannet AS.1 (and later the TT.2) for service aboard the aircraft carrier HMAS ''Melbourne''. The German Navy (Marineflieger) operated the AS.4 and T.5 models from shore bases. The Indonesian Navy also briefly used a small number of former Royal Navy aircraft. A handful of aircraft were also used by civilian operators like Flight Refuelling Ltd for experimental work.

Specifications (Gannet AS.1)

* **Crew:** 3 (pilot, observer, radio/radar operator) * **Length:** 43 ft 0 in (13.11 m) * **Wingspan:** 54 ft 4 in (16.56 m) * **Height:** 13 ft 8 in (4.16 m) * **Empty weight:** 14,069 lb (6,382 kg) * **Powerplant:** 1 × Armstrong Siddeley Double Mamba 100 turboprop, 2,950 shp (2,200 kW) equivalent * **Maximum speed:** 299 mph (481 km/h, 260 kn) at sea level * **Range:** 1,150 mi (1,850 km, 1,000 nmi) * **Service ceiling:** 25,000 ft (7,600 m) * **Armament:** Up to 2,000 lb (907 kg) of stores (e.g., torpedoes, depth charges, nuclear depth bombs) in internal bomb bay, plus 16 × 60 lb rockets under wings.

Category:Military aircraft of the United Kingdom Category:Carrier-based aircraft Category:Anti-submarine aircraft