Fairey Gannet AEW.3 (XP226)  [@ Newark Air Museum]

The Fairey Gannet, a familiar sight in many parts of the world during the late 1950s, originated in an Admiralty requirement, issued in 1945, for a new anti-submarine aircraft. Fairey Aviation selected the Armstrong Siddeley Mamba turboprop and suggested coupling two of these engines together, driving a co-axial propeller. The result was the Double Mamba. Each half of the power plant could be separately controlled, giving the pilot the option of shutting down one half and feathering the propeller to extend cruise range and lengthen search time.

XP226 first flew in March 1962 and joined 849 Squadron before being damaged in a display accident. It later saw service on HMS Eagle and HMS Ark Royal (1963 to 1978) before being a gate guard at HMS Dryad (at Southwick near Portsmouth). The AEW.3 variant had two radar operators in the rear fuselage. The red/blue tactical roundel on XP226 was brought into use on the Gannets in the last years of their lives. This was unusual considering that the FAA's Phantoms kept full colour roundels and the Sea Harriers introduced soon after the Gannet's retirement also had full colour roundels. XP226 arrived at Newark in November 1983.

Fairey Gannet T.2 (XA508)  [@ Midland Air Museum]

The Gannet prototype flew on 19 September 1949 and the aircraft was ordered into production as the Gannet AS.1, the first operational squadron, No 826, forming in January 1955. The 170th production AS.1 received a more powerful Double Mamba 101 engine and became the Gannet AS.4, this variant equipping the Royal Navy’s ASW squadrons until 1960, when it began to be replaced by ASW helicopters. The Mks T.2 and T.4 were trainers. The last version of the Gannet was the AEW.3 early warning aircraft, which equipped four flights of No 849 Squadron.

XA508 is on loan from the Fleet Air Arm Museum and is the only T.2 left in the world. In fact it was the very first T.2 trainer to be received by the Royal Navy in February 1955 and served with 737 Squadron.