https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fairey_Gannet
The Fairey Gannet was a British carrier-borne aircraft of the post-Second World
War era developed for the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm (FAA) by the Fairey
Aviation Company. It was a mid-wing monoplane with a tricycle undercarriage and
a crew of three, and a double turboprop engine driving two contra-rotating
propellers.
The Gannet was originally developed to meet the FAA's dual-role anti-submarine
warfare and strike requirement. It was later adapted for operations as an
electronic countermeasures and carrier onboard delivery aircraft. The Gannet AEW
was a variant of the aircraft developed as a carrier-based airborne early
warning platform.
The Gannet was built in response to the 1945 Admiralty requirement GR.17/45, for
which prototypes by Fairey (Type Q or Fairey 17, after the requirement) and
Blackburn Aircraft (the Blackburn B-54 / B-88) were built.
In 1958 the Gannet was selected to replace the Douglas Skyraider in the AEW
role. In order to accommodate the systems required, the Gannet underwent a
significant redesign that saw a new version of the Double Mamba installed, new
radome mounted under the aircraft, the tailfin increased in area, the
undercarriage lengthened and the weapons bay removed. A total of 44 aircraft
(plus a single prototype) of the AEW.3 version were produced.
Role
Anti-submarine warfare aircraft
National origin
United Kingdom
Manufacturer
Fairey Aviation Company
Designer
H. E. Chaplin
First flight
19 September 1949
Introduction
1953
Retired
15 December 1978
Primary users
Royal Navy
Royal Australian Navy
German Navy
Indonesian Navy
Produced
Number built
303 (Anti-submarine)
45 (Airborne early warning)
Variants
Fairey Gannet AEW.3
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. 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 variant designated AS.1 at RNAS
Ford in April 1954. A trainer variant (T.2) WN365 first flew in August 1954. The
RN's first operational Gannet squadron (826 NAS) was embarked on HMS Eagle. The
initial order was for 100 AS.1 aircraft. A total of 348 Gannets were built, of
which 44 were the heavily modified AEW.3. Production was shared between Fairey's
factories at Hayes, Middlesex and Heaton Chapel, Stockport / Manchester
(Ringway) Airport.
By the mid-1960s, the AS.1s and AS.4s had been replaced by the Westland
Whirlwind HAS.7 helicopters. Gannets continued as Electronic countermeasures
aircraft: the ECM.6. Some AS.4s were converted to COD.4s for Carrier onboard
Specifications (Gannet AS.1)
General characteristics
Crew: 3
Length: 43ft (13m)
Wingspan: 54ft 4in (16.56m)
Height: 13ft 9in (4.19m)
Empty weight: 15,069 lb (6,835kg)
(2,200kW)
Propellers: 2 contra-rotating 4-bladed
Performance
Maximum speed: 310 mph (500 km/h)
Service ceiling: 25,000 ft (7,600 m)
Endurance: 5-6 hours
Armament
Up to 2,000lb of bombs, torpedoes, depth charges and rockets
Avionics
Ekco ASV Mk. 19 radar
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