https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tugan_Gannet
The Tugan LJW7 Gannet, also known later as the Wackett Gannet after its designer
Lawrence Wackett, was a small twin-engined airliner built by Tugan Aircraft in
Australia in the 1930s. It was the first Australian-designed aircraft to enter
series production. It was also the first Australian-designed and built aircraft
to be taken on strength by the Royal Australian Air Force.
The Gannet was a strut-braced, high-wing monoplane of conventional design, with
twin engines mounted in nacelles on the wings. The undercarriage was of fixed,
tailwheel configuration with divided main units. The wings were of wooden
construction, skinned in plywood, and the fuselage was built from welded steel
covered in fabric. The prototype Gannet underwent flight testing in October
1935, and was destroyed in a crash shortly thereafter. The pilot and passengers
perished in the ensuing fire, but despite this, the Gannet entered series
production.
The type was operated by Butler Air Transport between Sydney and Broken Hill and
at least one flew with Ansett Airways in 1943. RAAF Gannets saw service as
survey aircraft between 1935 and 1942 when they were converted into air
ambulances for the newly-formed No.2 Air Ambulance Unit. The last RAAF Gannets
were scrapped in 1946.
Role
Airliner
National origin
Australia
Manufacturer
Tugan Aircraft
Designer
Lawrence Wackett
First flight
1935
Number built
8
Developed from
Cockatoo Dockyard Codock
Specifications
General characteristics
Crew: one pilot
Capacity: six passengers
Length: 10.51 m (34 ft 6 in)
Wingspan: 15.85 m (52 ft 0 in)
Height: 3.50 m (11 ft 6 in)
Empty weight: 1,470 kg (3,234 lb)
Gross weight: 2,449 kg (5,388 lb)
Performance
Maximum speed: 240 km/h (150 mph)
Range: 885 km (553 miles)
Service ceiling: 17,000 m (5,200 ft)
Rate of climb: 4.3 m/s (850 ft/min)
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