Fairey Gannet

According to the aviation historian H. A. Taylor, the origins of what would become the Gannet can be traced back to 1935, when the Fairey Aviation Company started development of the unsuccessful Fairey Prince that used an unusual twin-engine arrangement.Taylor 1969, p. 356. Formal design work on the Gannet commenced in response to the issuing of requirement GR.17/45 in 1945, under which the Admiralty sought a new twin-seat aircraft capable of performing both anti-submarine warfare (ASW) and strike missions. Two rival aircraft manufacturers, Fairey and Blackburn Aircraft, opted to produce responses. Fairey's submission was known as the Type Q or Fairey 17 (these designations being sources from the naming of the requirement), while Blackburn's was the Blackburn B-54 / B-88.Taylor 1969, p. 357.

For 18 months, Fairey investigated the use of a single Rolls-Royce Tweed turboprop engine to power their proposed aircraft, however, this option was discontinued to concentrate on other efforts.Williams 1989, p. 94. Instead, Fairey approached the engine manufacturer Armstrong Siddeley to develop a new engine based on the existing Armstrong Siddeley Mamba turboprop: the Double Mamba (otherwise known as the "Twin Mamba")."British Fighter Aircraft" in Chambers's Encyclopædia. London: George Newnes, 1961, Vol. 1, Plate III. This engine basically comprised a pair of Mamba engines that were mounted side-by-side and sharing a common gearbox. The proposal was enthusiastically accepted and formal design work on the engine stated in December 1945.Taylor 1969, pp. 356-357.

The acceptance of this proposal enabled Fairey to develop a rather atypical propulsion arrangement for their proposed aircraft, which was normally only possible for a single engined aircraft. Via the use of a pair of coaxial contra-rotating propellers fitted on the nose of the aircraft, various advantages were presented over conventional twin-engine counterparts; one engine could be shut down and its propellers feathered without producing asymmetry and therefore control difficulties. Shutting down one of the two engines in flight would reduce fuel consumption and extend the aircraft's range.Taylor 1969, pp. 357-358.

On 12 August 1946, Fairey was awarded an initial contract to produce two prototypes; Blackburn also received a competing contract to build its own prototypes. One reason for the ordering of multiple prototypes was so that alternative engines, such as the Napier Nomad, could be test flown, although some of these alternatives would never actually be fitted. Another reason was the relatively radical engine arrangement and the high proportion of original design features incorporated into the aircraft.Taylor 1969, pp. 357-359.

On 19 September 1949, the prototype performed its maiden flight from Aldermaston outside Reading, flown by R. G. Slate; this milestone occurred ten months ahead of Blackburn's competing prototype. While some elements of the prototype proved relatively trouble-free, such as the Double Mamba engine, several early test flights had been troubled by flight control difficulties. These issues, such as sharp trim changes, did not delay the next stage of testing, which commenced in November of that year at Fairey's White Waltham facility. On 25 November 1949, the prototype crash-landed during an unstable landing, leading to three months of repairs.Taylor 1969, pp. 358-359.

On 1 March 1950, flight testing resumed with the repaired prototype.Taylor 1969, pp. 359. By this point, several of the handling issues had been appropriately remedied along with several other faults, yet difficulties with holding the nosewheel up during landings remained. Two months later, sufficient progress had been made to proceed with a formal assessment by naval test pilots at RAF Boscombe Down as well as to begun preliminary carrier trials.Taylor 1969, pp. 359, 361. On 19 June 1950, the prototype conducted the first deck landing by a turboprop aircraft on {{HMS|Illustrious|R87|6}}, piloted by Lieutenant Commander G. Callingham.

On 6 July 1950, the second prototype took to the skies, joining the flight test shortly thereafter. As a result of changes to the operational requirements, this aircraft featured numerous changes from the first prototype, such as a third canopy for an additional crew member and an extended bomb bay. To accommodate the latter, the radome had to be repositioned rearwards; the first prototype was modified to reflect these changes for the aerodynamic trials.

In May 1952, the first prototype returned to Boscombe Down to conduct deck landing assessments and trials, having been configured to represent a production-standard aircraft by this point. Changes included the repositioning of the main landing legs rearwards by 12 inches. Following a full series of handling trials, further carrier trials were performed aboard {{HMS|Eagle|R05|6}}. On 13 March 1951, Fairey received an initial order for 100 Gannet AS.1s from the British Government; this had been placed as a 'super-priority' on account of the Korean War. In 1953, quantity production of the type commenced.Taylor 1969, p. 363.

On 9 June 1953, the first production Gannet performed its initial flight from RAF Northolt and was put to work in the latter stages of the flight test programme. One serious flaw encountered during the later stage of trials was instances of compressor stalls; the type was grounded for two months while the propeller control system was modified accordingly.Taylor 1969, p. 365. One early production aircraft appeared at the 1953 Society of British Aerospace Companies (SBAC) display at Farnborough. On 5 April 1954, four Gannets were formally handed over to the FAA at RNAS Ford.Taylor 1969, p. 364.

The development of several variants of the Gannet started relatively early. On 16 August 1954, the first Gannet T.2, a dedicated trainer variant made its initial flight; it was furnished with dual controls in the forward cockpits, with a retractable periscope for the second cockpit, while the radar apparatus and scanner equipment were deleted.Taylor 1969, pp. 365-366. Production of the Gannet was shared between Fairey's factories at Hayes, Middlesex and Heaton Chapel, Stockport / Manchester (Ringway) Airport. During 1954, production commenced at Heaton Chapel, the first aircraft from this production line flew on 5 October of that year. That same month, tropical trials were conducted in Khartoum.Taylor 1969, p. 366.

During the late 1950s, an improved ASW model, the Gannet AS.4, and its T.5 trainer equivalent were developed. The improvements included the fitting of an up-rated Double Mamba engine. Several were refurbished with new electronics and radar; these were re-designated Gannet AS.6.Taylor 1969, p. 370.

During 1958, the Gannet was selected to replace the Douglas Skyraider in the airborne early warning and control (AEW) role.Taylor 1969, p. 372. In order to accommodate the systems required for this new mission, the Gannet underwent a significant redesign that saw a new version of the Double Mamba installed, a 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.Taylor 1969, pp. 372, 375.

File:Double Mamba side - in-situ.JPG.]]

The Fairey Gannet is a carrier-borne turboprop-powered aircraft. It was typically operated by a crew of three, a pilot and two aerial observers. The pilot was seated directly above the aircraft's Double Mamba engine and behind the gearbox and contrarotating propellers in a position that conferred a favourable view over the nose for carrier operations. The first observer was seated underneath a separate canopy that was directly aft of the pilot's position. On the production aircraft, a second observer was also present in their own cockpit that was located over the wing trailing edge. This addition disturbed the airflow over the horizontal stabiliser, necessitating the addition of small finlets on either side.Williams 1989, p. 95.

The wing of the Gannet folded in two places, forming a distinctive Z-shape on each side, to minimise its space requirements while being stowed onboard aircraft carriers. The first fold was upwards, at about a third of the wing span where the inboard anhedral (down-sweep) changed to the outboard dihedral (up-sweep) of the wing (described as an inverted gull wing). The second wing fold was downward, at about two-thirds of the wing span.{{cite magazine |magazine = Popular Mechanics |title = Two Novel Warplanes Produced in Britain |url = https://books.google.com/books?id=390DAAAAMBAJ&pg=RA1-PA109 |date = February 1955 |publisher = Hearst Magazines |page = 109}} The length of the nosewheel shock absorber caused the Gannet to have a distinctive nose-high attitude, which was a common characteristic of carrier aircraft of the era.

The Gannet had a sizable internal bomb bay within the fuselage; it was the first British aircraft in FAA service to be capable of storing all its munitions (other than rockets) within an internal bomb bay. Such munitions could include depth charges, sonobouys, homing torpedoes, bombs, markers, and mines. Hard points beneath the outer wings could carry up to 16 Mk.8 or 24 Mk.5 rocket projectiles; other equipment included 100 gallon external fuel tanks. The primary search apparatus was the air-to-surface-vessel (ASV) radar, which made use of a retractable radome positioned underneath the rear fuselage just to the aft of the bomb bay.Taylor 1969, p. 358.

The Armstrong Siddeley Double Mamba engine consisted of two Mamba engines that were mounted in a side-by-side arrangement and coupled through a common gearbox to coaxial contra-rotating propellers. Each engine drove its own propeller, and power was transmitted by a torsion shaft which was engaged through a series of sun, planet, epicyclic and spur gears to give a suitable reduction ratio and correct propeller-shaft rotation.Gardner, Bob. [http://www.aeroclocks.com/images/pics_articles/GANNET%20OCT%2007.pdf "Gannet Down! Five Terrifying Minutes."] Aeroplane via aeroclocks.com, October 2007. Retrieved: 23 December 2009. The ASMD.1 engine ({{cvt|2950|hp|kW|disp=semicolon}}) was used in the Gannet AS.1; ASMD.3 ({{cvt|3145|hp|kW|disp=semicolon}}) in the AS.4; and ASMD.4 ({{cvt|3875|hp|kW|disp=semicolon}}) in the AEW.3 variant. The Double Mamba engine could be run with one Mamba stopped and its propeller feathered, to conserve fuel and extend endurance when cruising; stopping one engine on a conventional twin-engined plane would normally create thrust asymmetry, whereas the centreline-mounted propeller arrangement avoided this.Taylor 1969, p. 361. The Mamba exhausts were situated on each side of the fuselage, at the root of the wing trailing edge. The gas-turbine engine could run on kerosene, "wide-cut" turbine fuel or diesel fuel, allowing the Admiralty to eliminate the dangerous high-octane petroleum spirit required to operate piston-engined aircraft from carriers.Taylor 1969, pp. 358-361.

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 propeller spinner in a straight line to then curve and join the line of the fin. Code numbers were typically painted on the side of the fuselage ahead of the wing; roundel and serial markings were behind the wing. The T.2 and T.5 trainers were finished in silver overall, with a yellow "Trainer band" on rear fuselage and wings.{{Citation needed|date=September 2012}}

During April 1954, deliveries of the Gannet AS.1 formally commenced. On 17 January 1955, the 826 NAS became the RN's first operational Gannet squadron, which promptly embarked on the modernised aircraft carrier {{HMS|Eagle|R05|6}}. During its initial at-sea deployment in the Mediterranean, no serious issues were encountered with the Gannet aside from the standard teething issues. Later that same year, the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) stood up their first two Gannet squadrons.Taylor 1969, pp. 366-367.

File:Fairey Gannet AS.4 XA417 Ringway 15.06.56 edited-2.jpg, June 1956]]

The RAN ultimately operated 33 Gannet AS.1 and three T.2 trainers.Taylor 1969, p. 367. They were primarily flown from the aircraft carrier {{HMAS|Melbourne|R21|6}} as well as the shore base {{HMAS|Albatross|air station|6}} near Nowra, New South Wales. During 1967, the RAN withdrew its surviving 24 Gannets from service.

By the mid-1960s, the Royal Navy's Gannet AS.1 and AS.4 models had been replaced by the Westland Whirlwind HAS.7 helicopters. FAA Gannets continued to operate as electronic countermeasures (ECM) aircraft: the ECM.6. Several Gannet AS.4s were converted to COD.4s for Carrier onboard delivery—the aerial supply of mail and light cargo to the fleet.

Starting in May 1958, West Germany's Navy commenced operations of the Gannet AS.4; the country would obtain 15 Gannet AS.4s and a single T.5.Taylor 1969, pp. 367-368. German Gannets operated as the ASW squadron of Marinefliegergeschwader 2 (2nd Naval Aviation Wing) from Jagel and Sylt. During 1963, the squadron was reassigned to MFG 3 at Nordholz Naval Airbase, where they remained until replaced by the newer and larger Breguet Br.1150 Atlantic three years later.

During January 1959, Indonesia ordered 18 Gannet AS.4 and T.5s for the they received 17 AS4 (converted from AS1) and 2 Trainers (also upgraded) Indonesian Navy.Taylor 1969, p. 368. These were purchased from Fairey via the Ministry of Supply and were re-modelled from existing Gannet AS.1s and T.2s prior to delivery. Several were used as ground-based trainers only.Taylor 1969, pp. 368-370. Additional Gannets were later acquired by other countries.

• 21 November 1958 – Fairey Gannet AS.1, WN345, suffered a belly landing during a test programme, forced by a partially deployed nosewheel. The pilot landed gear-up on a foam-covered runway at RAF Bitteswell, suffering minimal damage. After repair, the Gannet was back in the air within weeks.Willis 2006, pp. 43–44.
• 30 January 1959 – A Royal Australian Navy Gannet on a trip from Bankstown to Nowra broke up in mid-flight over the Sydney suburb of Sylvania, killing the pilot.{{cite news |url = http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article103090921 |title = Investigation To Follow Navy Gannet Break-up |newspaper = The Canberra Times |volume = 33 |issue = 9,703 |location = Australian Capital Territory, Australia |date = 31 January 1959 |access-date = 13 October 2020 |page = 1 |via = National Library of Australia}}{{cite news |url = http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article103091226 |title = Minister Says Gannet Crash 'Inexplicable' |newspaper = The Canberra Times |volume = 33 |issue = 9,705 |location = Australian Capital Territory, Australia |date = 4 February 1959 |access-date = 13 October 2020 |page = 1 |via = National Library of Australia}}
• 29 July 1959 – Royal Navy Fairey Gannet {{nowrap|AS.4,}} XA465, unable to lower the undercarriage, made a power-on deck belly landing into the crash barrier on {{HMS|Centaur|R06|6}}. The crew was uninjured but the airframe was written off,Smith 2008, p. 42. salvaged in Singapore, but ending up at the fire dump of Singapore Naval Base.{{cite web |url = http://www.ukserials.com/results.php?serial=XA# |title = UK Military Aircraft Serial Allocations: XA |publisher = UK Serials Resource Centre |access-date = 1 April 2011}}
• 9 April 1962 – Two Fairey Gannet {{nowrap|AEW.3s}} of 849 Sqn FAA RN (XL499 "426" and XP197 "414") collided at night and crashed into the English Channel 15 miles off The Lizard, Cornwall. All six crew were killed.{{Cite web|url=https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/161464|title = Accident Fairey Gannet AEW.3 XL499, 09 Apr 1962}}
• 23 January 1964 – Royal Navy Fairey Gannet {{nowrap|ECM.6}} XG832 suffered double engine failure caused by a phosphor bronze bushing on the idler gear of the port engine's primary accessory drive failing. Fine metal particles from the gear were carried away by the shared oil system of the two engines, causing both to be destroyed. All three crew bailed out near St Austell and survived.
• 12 May 1966 – German Navy {{nowrap|AS.4}} UA-115 crashed shortly after takeoff from Kaufbeuren, killing all three crew members. The crash was deemed the result of pilot error.[http://www.fly-navy.de/airwings/mfg3_a.htm "Marineflieger-geschwader 3"]. fly-navy.de. Retrieved: 23 December 2009.

Tests on the harness restraint system in the Gannet were carried out after a midflight failure due to the release cables binding. The accident was the result of an unrelated engine failure, but the primary issue was the failure of the harness quick-release mechanism.

A brief report in Cockpit, Q4 1973, concerning the accident:

{{Blockquote|A Gannet was launched at night from Ark Royal and climbed to 4,000 ft. Shortly afterwards the starboard engine ran down to 60%. Attempts to feather and brake the engine, and a subsequent re-light were unsuccessful and the aircraft was unable to maintain height. (It is considered that the most likely cause of the accident was disconnection of the HP cock linkage). Both observers bailed out at 1,800 ft, but when the pilot, Lieutenant Keith Jones, tried to bail out he could not free himself from the 'Negative g' strap. However, the rest of the harness had fallen clear and so the pilot was committed to a ditching without any restraint from shoulder or lap straps. This was successfully accomplished and the aircrew were all recovered safely and uninjured ...

Although the ditching was successful, the most disturbing factor of the accident was the inability of the pilot to release himself from 'Negative g' strap ..."Accident Briefs reports". Cockpit, Issue 65, Fourth Quarter 1973.}}

File:Fairey Gannet T.2 XA522 Farnborough 10.09.55 edited-2.jpg

File:Fairey Gannet COD.4 aboard USS Bennington (CVS-20) in 1965.jpg

File:Australian Gannet AS.1 on USS Philippine Sea (CVS-47) in May 1958.jpg

{{AUS}}

• Fleet Air Arm
• 724 Squadron RAN - AS.1 & T.2 (1955-58 & 1961-66)Sturtivant 1994, p. 46.
• 725 Squadron RAN - AS.1 & T.2 (1958–61)Sturtivant 1994, p. 47.
• 816 Squadron RAN - AS.1 & T.2 (1955–67)Sturtivant 1994, p. 186.
• 817 Squadron RAN - AS.1 (1955–58)Sturtivant 1994, p. 188.

File:Fairey Gannet AS4 from the German Marineflieger in flight, circa 1960.jpg

{{FRG}}

• Marineflieger
• Marinefliegergeschwader 2 (1958–1963)
• Marinefliegergeschwader 3 (1963–1966)

File:Aircraft in formation over ship, Jalesveva Jayamahe, p193.jpg destroyer escort in 1960.]]

{{IDN}}

• Indonesian Navy Naval Aviation

{{UK}}

• Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm
• 700 Naval Air Squadron - AS.1, T.2 & AS.4 (1955–61)Sturtivant 1994, p. 16.
• 700G Squadron - AEW.3 (1959–60)
• 703 Naval Air Squadron - AS.1 (1953–55)Sturtivant 1994, p. 25.
• 703X Flight - AS.1 (1954)
• 719 Naval Air Squadron - AS.1 & T.2 (1955–59)Sturtivant 1994, p. 40.
• 728 Naval Air Squadron - T.2 (1957)Sturtivant 1994, p. 51.
• 737 Naval Air Squadron - AS.1 & T.2 (1955–57)Sturtivant 1994, p. 60.
• 744 Naval Air Squadron - AS.1 (1955–56)Sturtivant 1994, p. 66.
• 796 Naval Air Squadron - AS.1 & T.2 (1957–58)Sturtivant 1994, p. 119.
• 810 Naval Air Squadron - AS.4 (1959–60)Sturtivant 1994, p. 161.
• 812 Naval Air Squadron - AS.1 & T.2 (1955–56)Sturtivant 1994, p. 168.
• 814 Naval Air Squadron - T.2 & AS.4 (1957–59)Sturtivant 1994, p. 174.
• 815 Naval Air Squadron - AS.1, T.2 & AS.4 (1956–58)Sturtivant 1994, p. 181.
• 820 Naval Air Squadron - AS.1 & T.2 (1955–57)Sturtivant 1994, p. 199.
• 824 Naval Air Squadron - AS.1, T.2 & AS.4 (1955–57)Sturtivant 1994, p. 212.
• 825 Naval Air Squadron - AS.1, T.2 & AS.4 (1955-56 & 1957-58)Sturtivant 1994, p. 218.
• 826 Naval Air Squadron - AS.1 (1955)Sturtivant 1994, p. 223.
• 831 Naval Air Squadron - AS.1, ECM.4 & ECM.6 (1958 & 1959-66)Sturtivant 1994, p. 238.
• 847 Naval Air Squadron - AS.1 & AS.4 (1956–59)Sturtivant 1994, p. 273.
• 849 Naval Air Squadron - AEW.3, AS.4, COD.4 & T.5 (1959–78)Sturtivant 1994, p. 278.
• 1840 Naval Air Squadron Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve - AS.1 & T.2 (1956–57)Sturtivant 1994, p. 352.

File:Fairey Gannet at the Fleet Air Arm Museum February 2015.jpg

File:Fairey Gannet at Gatow.JPG

File:Fairey Gannet Takeoff.jpg

On display:

• Gannet AS.1 XA334, Camden Museum of Aviation, New South Wales[http://www.camdenmuseumofaviation.com.au/aircraft_collection_details.asp?id=3 "Gannet A.S. Mk 1 XA334"]. {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091015104339/http://www.camdenmuseumofaviation.com.au/aircraft_collection_details.asp?id=3 |date=15 October 2009 }} camdenmuseumofaviation.com.au. Retrieved 23 December 2009.
• Gannet AS.1 XA331, Queensland Air Museum, Caloundra, Queensland.
• Gannet AS.1 XA434 at the Fleet Air Arm Museum, Nowra, New South Wales
• Gannet AS.1 XG789 the Australian National Aviation Museum, Moorabbin, Victoria.[http://www.aarg.com.au/fairey-gannet.html Australian National Aviation Museum – Fairey Gannet A.S.4 – XG789] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160908160530/http://www.aarg.com.au/fairey-gannet.html |date=8 September 2016 }} Retrieved 10 September 2016
• Gannet T.5 XG888 at the Fleet Air Arm Museum, Nowra, New South Wales

On display:

• Gannet AEW.3 XL450, at the Flugausstellung Hermeskeil.{{cite web |url = http://www.ukserials.com/results.php?serial=XL# |title = UK Military Aircraft Serial Allocations: XL |publisher = UK Serials Resource Centre |access-date = 4 April 2011}}
• Gannet AS.4 UA-113, at the Aeronauticum Marinefliegermuseum Nordholz e.V
• Gannet AS.4 UA-112 at the Technik Museum Speyer
• Gannet AS.4 UA-110 painted as UA-106 at Militärhistorisches Museum Flugplatz Berlin-Gatow

On display:

• Gannet AS.1, Serial no. AS07 painted as AS101 at Juanda Naval Air Station in Surabaya.[http://www.airliners.net/search/photo.search?placesearch=Surabaya%20-%20Juanda%20(SUB%20%2F%20WARR)&distinct_entry=true "Fairey Gannet"]. airliners.net. Retrieved 23 December 2009.
• Gannet AS.1, Serial no. AS05 painted as AS105 at Bumi Moro Museum TNI-AL Loka Jala Crana in Surabaya.
• Gannet AS.1, Serial no. AS00 at Satria Mandala Armed Forces Museum in Jakarta.

On display:

• Gannet COD.4 XA466 at the Fleet Air Arm Museum, RNAS Yeovilton{{cite web |title = Fairey Gannet COD4 (XA466) |publisher = Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm Museum |url = https://www.fleetairarm.com/exhibit/fairey-gannet-cod4-xa466/3-5-77.aspx |access-date = 28 September 2020}}
• Gannet T.2 XA508, Midland Air Museum, Coventry
• Gannet T.5 XG883, Museum of Berkshire Aviation, Woodley, Berkshire, England{{cite web |url = http://www.ukserials.com/results.php?serial=XG# |title = UK Military Aircraft Serial Allocations: XG |publisher = UK Serials Resource Centre |access-date = 4 April 2011}}
• Gannet ECM.6 XG831 at Davidstow Airfield and Cornwall at War Museum, Cornwall.{{cite web |url = http://cornwallatwarmuseum.co.uk |title = Home |publisher = Cornwall at War Museum |access-date = 17 April 2018}}
• Gannet ECM.6 XA459 at Solway Aviation Museum, England
• Gannet ECM.6 XG797 at the Imperial War Museum at Duxford Airfield, Cambridgeshire
• Gannet AEW.3 XL497 at the Dumfries and Galloway Aviation Museum, Scotland{{citation needed|date=November 2013}}
• Gannet AEW.3 XL502 at Yorkshire Air Museum, England
• Gannet AEW.3 XL503 at the Fleet Air Arm Museum, RNAS Yeovilton
• Gannet AEW.3 XP226 at the Newark Air Museum, England{{cite web |url = http://www.newarkairmuseum.org/aircraft_list.html |title = Newark Air Museum Aircraft List |publisher = Newark Air Museum |access-date = 6 October 2014 |url-status = dead |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20131228141108/http://newarkairmuseum.org/aircraft_list.html |archive-date = 28 December 2013 }}

Under restoration or stored:

• Gannet ECM.6 / AS.4 XA460 currently under restoration at the Ulster Aviation Society Museum, Maze Long Kesh, Lisburn, Northern Ireland[https://www.ulsteraviationsociety.org/fairey-gannet-ecm6-as4 "Fairey Gannet ECM.6 AS.4 XA460"]. Ulster Aviation Society, Retrieved 12 July 2024.
• Gannet T.5 XG882 is on the former RAF Errol, between Dundee and Perth, Scotland; however, the aircraft is unprotected and is derelict[http://www.thunder-and-lightnings.co.uk/gannet/survivor.php?id=181 "Gannet XG882"]. Thunder & Lightnings, Retrieved 20 March 2017.
• Gannet AEW.3 G-KAEW (XL500) undergoing a full restoration to airworthiness at South Wales Aviation Museum (SWAM), former RAF St Athan site at Picketston, near Cardiff

Airworthy:

• Gannet T.5 XT752, Wings of Steel Foundation, Wisconsin{{cite web |url = https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jdBrfiYYQ8U |title = XT752 Fairey Gannet engine start |website = YouTube |date = 27 June 2015 |access-date = 17 February 2021}}{{cite web |url = http://menomonieairfest.com/performers/index.php?id=4 |title = Menomonie Airfest: Performers |website = menomonieairfest.com |access-date = 17 April 2018}}

On display:

• Gannet AEW3 XL482 at the Pima Air Museum, Arizona[https://pimaair.org/museum-aircraft/fairey-gannet/ Fairey Gannet]

File:Gannet ASW and AEW comparison.png

{{Aircraft specs

|ref= British Naval Aircraft since 1912Thetford 1978, p. 190.

|prime units?= imp

|crew= 3

|length ft= 43

|length in= 0

|length note=

|span ft= 54

|span in= 4

|span note=

|height ft= 13

|height in= 9

|height note=

|wing area sqft= 483

|wing area note=

|aspect ratio=

|airfoil= root: NACA 23018; tip: NACA 23010{{cite web |last1 = Lednicer |first1 = David |title = The Incomplete Guide to Airfoil Usage |url = https://m-selig.ae.illinois.edu/ads/aircraft.html |publisher = University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign |access-date = 16 April 2019}}

|empty weight lb= 15,069

|empty weight note=

|gross weight lb=

|gross weight note=

|max takeoff weight lb= 19,600

|max takeoff weight note=

|fuel capacity=

|more general=

|eng1 number= 1

|eng1 name= Armstrong Siddeley ASMD.1 Double Mamba

|eng1 type= coupled turboprop engine

|eng1 shp= 2,950

|eng1 note= equivalent

|prop blade number= 8

|prop name= Rotol contra-rotating propeller

|prop dia ft=

|prop dia in=

|prop dia note=

|max speed mph= 310

|max speed note=

|cruise speed mph=

|cruise speed note=

|stall speed mph=

|stall speed note=

|never exceed speed mph=

|never exceed speed note=

|range miles=

|range note=

|combat range miles=

|combat range note=

|ferry range miles=

|ferry range note=

|endurance= 5–6 hours

|ceiling ft= 25,000

|ceiling note=

|climb rate ftmin=

|climb rate note=

|time to altitude=

|lift to drag=

|wing loading lb/sqft=

|wing loading note=

|fuel consumption lb/mi=

|power/mass=

|more performance=

|armament=

• Up to 2,000 lb of bombs, torpedoes, depth charges and rockets

|avionics=

• Ekco ASV Mk. 19 radar (ARI 5838)

}}

{{aircontent

|related=

|similar aircraft=

• Breguet Alizé
• Grumman S-2 Tracker
• Short Seamew
• Tupolev Tu-91

|lists=

• List of aircraft of the Fleet Air Arm

|see also=

}}

{{Reflist|30em}}

• {{cite journal |title = Pentagon Over the Islands: The Thirty-Year History of Indonesian Military Aviation |journal = Air Enthusiast Quarterly |date = n.d. |issue = 2 |pages = 154–162 |issn = 0143-5450}}
• Gibson, Chris. The Admiralty and AEW. Project Tech Profiles, 2011, {{ISBN|0-9561951-2-1}}.
• Smith, Dave. "Hit The Deck." Flypast, No. 328, November 2008.
• Sturtivant, Ray and Theo Ballance. The Squadrons of the Fleet Air Arm. London: Air-Britain, 1994. {{ISBN|0-85130-223-8}}.
• Taylor, H.A. Fairey Aircraft Since 1915. London: Putnam, 1974. {{ISBN|0-370-00065-X}}.
• Taylor, John W.R. "Fairey Gannet". Combat Aircraft of the World from 1909 to the Present. New York: G.P. Putnam's Sons, 1969 (reprinted 1977). {{ISBN|0-425-03633-2}}, {{ISBN|978-0-425-03633-4}}.
• Thetford, Owen. British Naval Aircraft Since 1912. London: Putnam, 1978. {{ISBN|0-370-30021-1}}.
• Velek, Martin, Michal Ovčáčík and Karel Susa. Fairey Gannet Anti-submarine and Strike Variants, AS Mk.1 & AS Mk.4 . Prague, Czech Republic: 4+ Publications, 2007. {{ISBN|978-80-86637-04-4}}.
• Williams, Ray. Fly Navy: Aircraft of the Fleet Air Arm Since 1945. London: Airlife Publishing, 1989. {{ISBN|1-85310-057-9}}.
• Willis, David. "Fairey's Versatile Gannet – Part Two", Air Enthusiast, Number 124, July–August 2006.

{{Commons category|Fairey Gannet}}

• [http://www.thunder-and-lightnings.co.uk/gannet/survivors.html List of surviving Gannets]
• {{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20101226170526/http://faireygannetxt752.com/ "XT752: The world's last flying Fairey Gannet T5"]}}

{{Fairey aircraft}}

{{British military aircraft since World War II}}

{{Authority control}}

Category:Aircraft with contra-rotating propellers

Category:1940s British anti-submarine aircraft

Category:Carrier-based aircraft

Gannet

Category:Inverted gull-wing aircraft

Category:Single-engined tractor aircraft

Category:Single-engined turboprop aircraft

Category:Mid-wing aircraft

Category:Aircraft first flown in 1949

Category:Aircraft with retractable tricycle landing gear