Mystery plane on the move today
Discussion
robbieduncan said:
Google suggests: http://www.wikiwand.com/en/Fairey_Gannet
Thanks, Google image search suggested a McDonnell F3H Demon!https://twitter.com/CumbriaRoadsPol/status/1227526...
Mammasaid said:
Thanks, Google image search suggested a McDonnell F3H Demon!
https://twitter.com/CumbriaRoadsPol/status/1227526...
I searched for "folding wing twin prop" and it was the second image on the images tab.https://twitter.com/CumbriaRoadsPol/status/1227526...
It's a Fairey Gannet AS.4. They were used as anti-submarine aircraft by the Royal Navy and operated off aircraft carriers such as Eagle and Ark Royal in the 1950s and 60s. The AS.4 variants were eventually replaced by Westland Sea King helicopters.
However, a much modified early warning version of the Gannet, the AEW.3, continued in service right until the retirement of the Royal Navy's last full blown old style aircraft carrier, HMS Ark Royal, in 1978.
You can see from the images below how different the versions looked.
However, a much modified early warning version of the Gannet, the AEW.3, continued in service right until the retirement of the Royal Navy's last full blown old style aircraft carrier, HMS Ark Royal, in 1978.
You can see from the images below how different the versions looked.
CobolMan said:
It's XA459 which was built as an AS4 then converted into an ECM6 and has been at White Waltham for some time. Be good to see it restored.
I thought it looked familiar. Came to Waltham from Membury as I recall - sad story, bought by a father and son who were well on the way to restoring it to flight when both of them died within a short time of each other, if I remember correctly. Then sat next to the black hangar sadly decaying, the intention being to use it as a gate guardian (being associated with Waltham) but that never came to pass.Was involved in an accident at one point. A Cirrus came to grief on takeoff, cartwheeled down the runway and caught fire - two on board got out shaken but unhurt (I saw them in the clubhouse afterwards, the owner on the phone to his insurers) - and was then recovered to a spot next to the Gannet to await someone from Cirrus to come and defuse the BRS rocket. Said engineer duly arrived, and then walked into the propellor of the Gannet, gashing his head open.
Whilst the Gannet was outside and suffered to the weather, there were a lot of spares that came with it from Membury that were kept in the Air Ambulance hangar, including a fairly pristine canopy and a spare Double Mamba. I wonder if the new owners got those as well.
Hopefully they have. My father flew Gannets, although mainly the AEW3, and certainly not this one. When he left the Navy he was an instructor at Carlisle and I remember them having a few early jets back in the early 70s, there was at least one Vampire and I think a Meteor and possibly a Javelin too. It's certainly developed as a museum since then.
eharding said:
CobolMan said:
It's XA459 which was built as an AS4 then converted into an ECM6 and has been at White Waltham for some time. Be good to see it restored.
I thought it looked familiar. Came to Waltham from Membury as I recall - sad story, bought by a father and son who were well on the way to restoring it to flight when both of them died within a short time of each other, if I remember correctly. Then sat next to the black hangar sadly decaying, the intention being to use it as a gate guardian (being associated with Waltham) but that never came to pass.Was involved in an accident at one point. A Cirrus came to grief on takeoff, cartwheeled down the runway and caught fire - two on board got out shaken but unhurt (I saw them in the clubhouse afterwards, the owner on the phone to his insurers) - and was then recovered to a spot next to the Gannet to await someone from Cirrus to come and defuse the BRS rocket. Said engineer duly arrived, and then walked into the propellor of the Gannet, gashing his head open.
Whilst the Gannet was outside and suffered to the weather, there were a lot of spares that came with it from Membury that were kept in the Air Ambulance hangar, including a fairly pristine canopy and a spare Double Mamba. I wonder if the new owners got those as well.
Riley Blue said:
I remember it residing in a garden in Cirencester during the 1990s. Here's some details of its movements over the years: https://www.thunder-and-lightnings.co.uk/gannet/su...
Eeek... 
Now that I'm reminded, I'm sure remember seeing it in Cirencester regularly, when we were driving down to Salisbury to visit the in-laws!
Short article about the move: https://www.itv.com/news/border/2020-02-12/new-sub...
Cold said:
Short article about the move: https://www.itv.com/news/border/2020-02-12/new-sub...
Looks like they got the spare engine as well from that article. I thought it has been at Membury before Waltham, but the other article linked above indicates otherwise. Used to walk round the airfield perimeter most evenings, and there were a couple of occasions when I'd misjudged the prospect of rain that I took shelter underneath the wing of the Gannet when it started to chuck it down. I was looking for some photos of it on my phone, and found one of from the weekend of the Cirrus incident, stunned to realise that was very nearly 10 years ago. Time flies.
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