Fairey Gannet

Fairey Aviation · United Kingdom · first flew 1949 · bomber

A British carrier-based anti-submarine aircraft, distinctive for its twin contra-rotating propellers driven by one engine.

Recognition (WEFT)

W — Wings	Low-mounted, straight
E — Engines	1 × turboprop, nose-mounted
F — Fuselage	13.1 m fuselage
T — Tail	Conventional

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Spot it by:

Twin contra-rotating propellers on a single nose turboprop (Double Mamba)
Bulky carrier aircraft with a deep belly for its anti-submarine search radar
Low straight wing with prominent folding for carrier stowage

The unmistakable sign is the twin contra-rotating propellers on a single nose engine. Combined with the deep, slab-sided fuselage and folding low wing, nothing else looks quite like it.

Specifications

The Fairey Gannet has a length of 13.1 m (43 ft).
It has a wingspan of 16.6 m (54 ft).
Its maximum speed is 500 km/h (311 mph).
Typical crew: 3 (pilot and two observers).

Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.

History

First flown on 19 September 1949, the Gannet was powered by the Armstrong Siddeley Double Mamba — effectively two turboprops side by side driving contra-rotating propellers on one nose hub, so one half could be shut down on patrol to save fuel. Its deep fuselage housed search radar and a weapons bay for hunting submarines.

Variants

Versions ran from the anti-submarine AS.1 and AS.4 to trainer and electronic-countermeasures types, and the very different AEW.3 airborne early warning aircraft with a large belly radome.

Where you'll see it

A Fleet Air Arm mainstay, with the AEW.3 serving the Royal Navy into the late 1970s. Several Gannets are preserved in the UK, including at the Fleet Air Arm Museum at Yeovilton and the Royal Air Force Museum.

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