Aircraft of the ADF- N3 Fairey Gannet

This first aircraft was followed by a further two prototypes, VR557 and WE488, before the first Royal Navy production order. The batch of 100 aircraft, serialled between WN339 and WN464 (c/n F.9111 to F.9210), comprised the AS.1 variant, the first of which was delivered in June 1953. One Gannet AS.1 of this order, WN365 (F.9137), was converted into the first T.2 trainer, and flew on August 16 1954. The trainer modification placed the instructor pilot in the second cockpit, which normally accommodated the navigator. Subsequent orders for the AS.1 totalled a further 82 aircraft, and T.2 production amounted to a further 37 trainers.

The Gannet AS.1 was manned by a crew of three. The pilot and observer/navigator were accommodated in the two forward cockpits, and the rear cockpit housed the rearward facing seat for the radar operator. The T.2 trainer introduced dual controls, with a periscope in the second cockpit for the instructor. Provision was made in the third cockpit for a radio operator or two passengers, and the retractable radome of the anti-submarine variant was deleted.

Australian crews initially trained with the Royal Navy’s 737 Squadron at Eglinton, Northern Ireland, during 1955. Two RAN squadrons, Nos 816 and 817, which had previously been the first line Firefly units, were then reformed with Gannets on August 15 1955 at Culdrose, in Cornwall. Deliveries of the first Gannets for the RAN commenced from the Fairey production line at Hayes, Middlesex, during October. Meanwhile, the Melbourne was commissioned on October 28 at Barrow-in-Furness, North Lancashire, and carried out acceptance trials during November.

Flying trials commenced on the Melbourne during January 1956, and the initial 22 Australian Gannets were accepted on February 27, and embarked aboard Melbourne, docked in Glasgow, during March. This delivery comprised 20 AS.1 variants (serialled between WN456 and XA434) and two T.2 trainers (XA514 and XA517).

During work-up, one 817 Squadron AS.1 aircraft, WN459, had crashed into the sea off the Isle of Wight in November 1955, before delivery onto the Melbourne. HMAS Melbourne departed Glasgow on March 11 for the return to Australia, disembarking the aircraft at Jervis Bay on May 8, and arriving in Sydney the following day.

While operating from Culdrose during 1955, the RAN Gannets were briefly marked with the tail code B, signifying the first code allocated to the Melbourne. 816 Squadron aircraft carried the code numbers 421 to 426, and 817 Squadron aircraft were marked 431 to 436. Subsequently, the Melbourne was allocated the code letter Y, and the Gannets then carried Y as their tail letter. 300 series codes were then applied to both squadrons’ aircraft, the 300 designation indicating these were operational aircraft manned by a crew of three. (100 series codes applied to the single seat Sea Fury, and 200 codes to the two seat Sea Venom and Firefly.)

After a work-up period in Australian waters, HMAS Melbourne embarked the aircraft of 808, 816 and 817 Squadrons during August 1956, and deployed for exercises in South East Asia. Similar deployments to Singapore, the Philippines and Hong Kong became an annual occurrence over the following years to participate in various SEATO exercises and to demonstrate Australia’s commitment under the Commonwealth Strategic Reserve.

817 Squadron then served aboard HMAS Melbourne for several deployments over 1957 and 1958, until becoming shore based at Albatross from July 20. With the decision having been made that the RAN would only support one carrier, there was now no need for a second ASW unit. Accordingly, 817 Squadron was disbanded on August 18 1958, and 816 continued as the first line unit.

A further four Gannets (serialled XA436, XD898, XG784 and XG787) had been delivered by merchant vessel during 1957 as part of the original order. This batch was originally to have included a third T.2 for the RAN (XA531), but this aircraft had been cancelled. As a result, one of the original AS.1 aircraft, XA333, was converted to T.2 configuration by de Havilland Australia at Bankstown.

Ten first line RN Fleet Air Arm squadrons received the Gannet AS.1, but the type’s development had led to a marked increase in weight, with the aircraft becoming under powered. Accordingly, Fairey uprated the AS.1 with the more powerful 3035ehp (2265kW) Double Mamba 101, which was designated the AS.4. The prototype AS.4, WN372 (c/n F.9144), flew on March 12 1956, and in addition to new production aircraft, some RN AS.1s were retrospectively modified to AS.4 standard.

The trainer variant of the AS.4 was the T.5, which again was purely an uprated T.2. The first production T.5, XG882 (F.9411), flew on March 1 1957. The last major Gannet version was the AEW.3, which modified the basic layout to take two radar operators in a cabin, deleting the second and third cockpits. The weapons bay and retractable radar scanner of the anti-submarine aircraft were replaced by a large bulbous radome for the airborne early warning role.

The AEW.3 aircraft was powered by the 3875ehp (2890kW) Double Mamba 102 engine, and 44 of this model were produced. When the last production aircraft, XR433 (c/n F.9516), left Hayes on December 10 1962, it was to be the last fixed wing aircraft to be manufactured by Fairey.

The AS.4 was also supplied to another two countries. Deliveries commenced in 1958 to the West German navy, which ordered 16 aircraft (15 AS.4 aircraft serialled UA-101 to UA-115, and a T.5 UA-99). In addition, in January 1959, Indonesia ordered 18 aircraft for her Navy (16 AS.4 serialled AS-01 to AS-16, and two T.5 trainers, LA-17 and LA-18).

Another nine Gannets were received in Australia during September 1958 (serialled between XG785 and XG888). This final delivery of aircraft came from a production batch of upgraded AS.4 versions for the RN, but the aircraft for Australia retained the lower rated engines and were delivered as the AS.1.

A fourth T.2 trainer (XG888) was part of the final delivery. This aircraft was manufactured with the RN’s batch of T.5 production, and after service in Australia, was sold to the RN, sailing from Sydney in November 1966 aboard HMS Victorious. XG888 then returned to Hayes in 1967 to be refurbished, and after upgrade to T.5 standard, XG888 was delivered to the RN station at Lee-on-Solent in August 1968. At the time of going to press, the Australian Naval Aviation Museum (ANAM) at HMAS Albatross was hopeful that this aircraft would be returning to Australia for eventual display at Nowra.

The actual deliveries of Gannets to the RAN, therefore, amounted to just 36 aircraft, not the 40 that had originally been sought. This total comprised 33 AS.1s and three T.2s, which were to serve with the RAN between 1955 and 1967.

In addition to its first line use with 816 and 817 Squadrons, the Gannet was also flown by the second line training unit, 724 Squadron. In January 1958, the Gannets were transferred to 725 Squadron as that unit changed its role to become an ASW training squadron. 725 disbanded on May 31 1961, and the aircraft were once again absorbed into 724.

The Gannet proved pleasant to fly, but the Double Mamba engine suffered problems, as it was optimised for the more temperate climate of Europe. In addition to the major models already described, during 1961 the RN refurbished a small number of AS.4s with an improved radar and electronic fit for electronic warfare training. These aircraft served with 831 Squadron at Culdrose, and were designated the Gannet AS.6.

Total Gannet production amounted to 349 aircraft. The RAN’s Gannets remained in first line squadron service until 1967, despite several attempts during the early 1960s to withdraw fixed wing aircraft from the Fleet Air Arm and rely solely on helicopters. After these reappraisals, the decision was taken to replace the Gannet in the ASW role with the US Grumman S-2E Tracker.

Of the remaining 24 RAN Gannets, XG888 was sold in 1966 to the RN, and six were sold for scrap in March 1967. The final 17 were withdrawn from service on August 15 1967, and 816 Squadron was disbanded at Albatross.

The survivors now include XA331 with the Queensland Air Museum, XA334 at the Camden Museum of Aviation, XA434 on static display at the ANAM at HMAS Albatross, and XG789 at the Moorabbin Air Museum. If the ANAM is successful in returning XG888 from England, this might allow the Navy to again display an airworthy Gannet