Tugan Gannet
Tugan Aircraft · Australia · first flew 1935 · airliner
The Tugan Gannet was one of Australia's first indigenous passenger transport aircraft, a six-seat high-wing twin designed by Lawrence Wackett and produced by Tugan Aircraft in 1935. It offered 240 km/h cruising speed and 885 km range to Australian regional operators.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | High-mounted, straight |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 2 × piston, wing-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | 10.51 m fuselage |
| T — Tail | Conventional |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- High-wing strut-braced twin with rectangular plywood-skinned wings
- Two de Havilland Gipsy Six inline engines in underwing nacelles
- Fixed divided undercarriage with spat fairings
A rectangular high-wing twin with distinctive spat-faired fixed undercarriage and inline engines in clean underwing nacelles. The plywood-skinned wing surface and twin-engine layout make it resemble a smaller, Australian-built de Havilland Dragon derivative.
Specifications
- The Tugan Gannet has a length of 10.51 m (34 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 15.85 m (52 ft).
- Its maximum speed is 240 km/h (149 mph).
- Typical crew: 1-2, plus up to 6 passengers.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
Designed to serve Australia's internal air routes and constructed with a ply-covered wooden wing and welded steel tube fuselage, the Gannet was acquired by Holyman's Airways and MacRobertson Miller Aviation for regional passenger services. Though only a small number were built, the type demonstrated that Australia could produce viable commercial aircraft.
Variants
No major variants; a small number of essentially identical production aircraft were delivered.
Where you'll see it
Operated by Australian regional carriers on internal routes during the late 1930s before the Second World War disrupted civil aviation.
Related aircraft
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