Chubby but sexy.. Gannet AEW.3

[JensOle]

Robert Richardson takes on some of the more forgotten aircraft types and has build up a rather impressive lineup of FS models, many which are firm favorites of me in FSX.

The Fairey Gannet AEW 3, for many a rather ugly looking creature, I kind of like it. Certainly a very purpose build aircraft, serving as an airborne early warning aircraft from the late 50s to the retirement of the HMS Ark Royal in 1979.
As with the original anti submarine Gannet, it has the double mambo engine pack consisting of two turboprop engines connected together driving two counter rotating propellers. A rather compact twin engine arrangement perfect for the smaller British carriers.

Robs representation of the AEW looks spot on and flies great. Far from overpowered, but it is a very stable and forgiving carrier plane. It has excellent forward visibility from the cockpit, which is a big bonus for a carrier aircraft.

I have completely remade all the textures, including new panel lines, details and bump textures. I have chosen a livery from the early 1970s with full color “D” roundels.

Fairey Gannet AEW.3 “041” from B flight 849 Naval Air Squadron

The scenery is the freeware “flying stations” HMS Ark Royal and an escort of HMS Devonshire and HMS Plymouth.

[DaveB]

Nice shots Jens

ATB
DaveB

[cstorey]

A former colleague of mine, who rejoiced in the name Clare Pollard ( I never quite figured how he survived in the RN but he did have a bushy beard ! ) was a Gannet pilot for quite a few years and told me a lot about them. He said they were a delight to fly, and IIRC one of the Mambas could be shut down in cruising flight thus increasing the endurance to a very great degree

[DaveB]

Yes.. as well as being a safety feature, increased endurance was an important aspect of the Gannet. They're big old lumps of metal too.. the Gannet that is. You get the feeling while standing next to one that it could quite easily fly through a brick wall and come out the other side unscathed Built like the provervial brick outhouse

ATB
DaveB

[Vc Ten]

We had a gannet in the tech college while I was serving my apprenticeship, we had a super marine swift also, that started on a rather volatile mono fuel, but that's another story for the pre h&s guidelines Anyway this day we had one of the instructors who happened to be ex fleet air arm Never found out if he actually piloted one but seemed to know his way around Engine was started, cartridge I think, and we were all stood around while he gave it some beans. The thing kicked up a hell of a row and we were watching the shock waves radiating off the props. All of a sudden the a/c jumped the chocks. How he shut it down before it hit the college wall is a mystery. Shortly after some barstad shoved gravel into the intake and she never ran again. The aircraft was later moved to the front of the college to be a gate guard but I think time took its toll and she disappeared some years ago

Atb
Dale

[Airspeed]

Love the Gannet, it has so many interesting shapes.
Elegant, but very solid.
The AEW.3 is not my favourite variant, looks like it's missing something with that tiny canopy.
Just my humble personal opinion.

Three cheers for Rob's work, I'm a fan.