Gannet XL500s progress report.

[hunty]

Gents

For those of you who don't know the Gannet XL500s return to airworthy condition is progressing at a steady pace at Exeter airport. The project has had its ups and downs, but the team can now start to see their hard work is starting to pay dividends.
The aircraft was inspected soon after it arrived at Exeter and the airframe had a number of areas which had been effected by corrosion, both inside and out. This was due to the fact the aircraft had been on displayed for a number of years at RNAS Culdrose and Chatham. These areas have now been treated and where the area was beyond restoring, a new section was manufactured and fitted. This was the case when it came to the rear crew area. The floor section was badly corroded and it has been completely replaced. It now looks as good as new.
The next area to receive our attention was the centre wing sections. The two sections were inspected and found to be in good condition. Some work was required before they could be fitted to the inboard sections, but this has been completed and the starboard centre section has now been attached and the rams have been tested and they worked as we had hoped. The port centre section will be next and then the two outer sections of the wing should foolow soon after. The tail section is almost complete and the aircraft is now starting to take shape.
Its planned to repaint the aircraft in B Flt 849 NAS markings, which should look stunning.
The only problem we are having is locating the tool to remove the engine. We have contacted a number of people and companies in the hope of obtaining the tools we need, but without any success. This could prevent the projects goal of having the aircraft up and running in 2012.
If there's anyone out there who might be able to help, then would they please contact me and I will pass on the information.

This report has been posted at the request of the aircraft's owner.

Hunty :rolleyes:

[oldpinger]

Have you tried the FAA museum in NOwra, NSW Australia?
I know they have Gannet, and a lot off old guys:E who used to fix them perhaps in the historic flight.

[Madbob]

You could also try the German Navy. They also operated the Gannet before getting Atlantics.

MB

[dakkg651]

hunty

Fantastic news. Can't help with the tool I'm afraid but I will look forward to seeing and hearing XL500 back in her element. :ok:

[beardy]

In 1984, there was a flying Gannet at Carlisle complete with podded Houchin. Perhaps there are bits left lying around the hangar?

[Maxibon]

There is a Gannet at Woodley, nr Reading in the little air museum. I believe they flew this across the pond from the US some years back. Link as follows:

Home - Museum of Berkshire Aviation (http://home.comcast.net/~aero51/html/)

Good luck.

Max

[Wensleydale]

I remember a similar "problem". We had to keep a sharp eye on the curator of the FAA museum in Yeovilton every time we taxied our Shackleton past during a detachment in 1980. He wanted to liberate parts of our mission system so that he could update his Gannet.

[bad bear]

The one that was based at Carlisle flew out to somewhere near Newark and with it went a load of tools and spares. The previous owner was A BA 777 captain, nice chap, used to do a bit of gliding. I'm sure he would help track the tool down
bb

[BEagle]

Some nice images (including XL500) here: Fleet Air Arm Officers' Association, FAAOA (http://www.fleetairarmoa.org/pages/images_pages/page165.htm)

Good luck with the restoration - maybe you could sort out the Gannet at White Waltham next....;)

[country calls]

The History Channel is showing Monster Moves tonight with a section about moving the Gannet out of Goose Bay by Antonov.

[John Eacott]

XL500 off Ark's bow cat:

http://www.eacott.com.au/gallery/d/1876-1/Bow+cat+Ark+Royal.jpg

I was lucky enough to have a trip one night in XL500 off Ark, an interesting experience :cool: More Gannet photos from Ark and Eagle here (http://www.eacott.com.au/gallery/v/navy_photos/gannet/) :ok:

[Flyt3est]

Hunty,

I carried out an intial survey on this aircraft when it was first brought back to Culdrose, quite apart from anything else, I remember the bats down in the tail fuselage!!

We would have loved to restore the plane back then, but it was quickly apparent some spare time in the evenings and a bit of goodwill was never going to achieve the task. Best of luck with the project, and please keep us informed through these hallowed halls, I look forward to reading of more success!

Great pics Beags, didn't think you were that old!! :p

FT :D

[Valiantone]

The ex RN Gannet that was in the USA got as far as Goose Bay, and went u/s with an engine problem. I believe it has now been airfreighted back to the USA in a An-124 fairly recently.

The ex Carlisle Museum airframe (XL502) went to Intrepid aviation at Sandtoft initially, but has since gone to the Yorkshire Air Museum at Elvington IIRC

V1

[fallmonk]

There is a Gannet at Dumfries open air museum ! Not very big but some nice and unusual aircraft there. (even has a F111 escape capsule !!)The last time I was there (few years now)
Might be able help ?
http://www.dumfriesaviationmuseum.com/collection21.htm


It's a AEW.3 XL497

[country calls]

Valiantone:
The ex RN Gannet that was in the USA got as far as Goose Bay, and went u/s with an engine problem. I believe it has now been airfreighted back to the USA in a An-124 fairly recently.

This is the move shown on the telly tonight

[BEagle]

Oi, fly3test, less of the 'old'!

I do remember the odd Gannet growling about down Zumzett way when oi werr a lad living next to RAF Merryfield back in the late '50s / early '60s...:8

And the Vampires, Meteors, Canberras, Sabres and Wyverns of the early '50s!

[Phantom Phixer]

Can't wait to see this one up and about on the show circuit.

Thank you for being brave and restoring something to the skies other than a Spitfire. Not that there is owt wrong with Spit's.

[mr fish]

how would she compare to a modern AEW platform today?

i recall a study regarding possible return to service during the falklands conflict, was this a serious study or just wishful thinking?


i ask as i recall reading recently about long mothballed GRUMMAN TRACKER, TRACERS being returned to service for the brazilian (i think) navy!!

[Trim Stab]

Thanks for those photos, John Eacott.

HMS Eagle, Phantoms, Buccs and Gannets - will anything ever beat that?

I noticed on the Gannet catapult shot that it had a lot of flap angle, seemingly almost at same angle as the flap angle used on approach. Was it just a trick of the camera in this phoro, or was so much flap standard for a cat launch?

[bad bear]

The chap from Carlisle who used to own the one at the Yorkshire museum was Niel Moffat. I have lost his email address but I'm sure someone on glider pilot. net would know him, he was a bit of a demon on those ridges in the lake district. As I say a nice bloke and I feel sure he would be able to locate said tool.

I must confess to not actually liking aeroplanes but this one raises even my curiosity, would love a ride in one.

bb

[Wensleydale]

how would she compare to a modern AEW platform today?

i recall a study regarding possible return to service during the falklands conflict, was this a serious study or just wishful thinking?




The APS-20 in the Gannet was also used in most of the early AEW platforms, and originated in the 1940s. There is absolutely NO comparison between this and the APY-2 in the AWACS which is vastly superior. APS-20 had no overland capability, minimal range, and low probability of detection performance. It also suffered from surface clutter in high sea states. There was no data handling or automatic tracking system - all contacts reported by voice rather than data link.

There was a feasibility study about getting a Shackleton (also with APS-20) to the Falklands post the recapture. Sadly, the only way of getting one there was by staging through Buenos Aries (which was not politically wise) or by taking it apart and rebuilding in situ.

[david parry]

Nice photograph of the SAR and Gannet from Johnny Eacott (Sir):D ps the Badger is more bold than the Chockhead ;)

[Matt Skrossa]

Have you got a pilot lined up, there can't be many ex Gannet pilots who are still medically fit and have the right licences around??

[goofer3]

http://i981.photobucket.com/albums/ae294/goofer33/EaGa.jpg?t=1302121171

From my course notes...AN/APS 20F. 10cm set. Range 200 miles.
Aerial Rotation Speed 15, 6 or 2.5 rpm. Susceptible to sea returns, ground wave out to about 50 miles at 10,000'. Radar relay AN/ART 28. Relay Range 100 miles. Terminal Equipment 2 SPA 8A displays. etc etc. I don't ever remember using the relay on the ship, only the voice link.

[PPRuNeUser0139]

I served on 8 Sqn Shacks too and was fortunate to have 5 trips in the Gannet AEW3 (inc. XL500). I was surprised at the superior radar performance enjoyed by RN operators compared to the same kit in the Shack.
The sea return was never a show-stopper. I'd suggest that the Prob of Detection of more modern search radars is lower in that region also.
The APS-20 was designed to operate in a maritime environment but even then, overland performance was not out of the question if handled intelligently. For example, in Viet Nam the EC-121s sometimes operated offshore barriers at v low level looking inland using earth curvature to screen the land.
As goofer3 says, the Gannet had a system (http://www.nj7p.org/cgi-bin/millist2?mode=normal&name=AN/ART-28) for transmitting the radar picture back to 'Mother' - <creaking of gears in memory> was it known as 'Bell Hop' (http://www.skomer.u-net.com/projects/radar.htm)? Or am I thinking of something else? (Edited to add it was Bell Hop)
mr fish - I think the RN would have jumped at the offer of a few Gannets during the Falklands campaign. Of course, as might be expected, modern AEW platforms (E-3, E-2, SK ASaC7, Saab 2000 with Erieye et al) offer superior levels of performance (quantity & quality). In its day though, the Gannet served the RN well.

[Krystal n chips]

Pure coincidence here. I was sorting out my copies of "Air Pictorial " this week and had a casual nostalgic browse through some.

July 1985 page 276 Aviation Bookshelf.....at the bottom of the page is a shot of XL 500 " arriving ar R.N.A.S Lee-on-Solent after the last flight, piloted by Lt.-Cmdr Ken Lamprey ".

Article goes on to say she would be preserved at Lee and displayed at the Air Day 20th July.

There was a Gannet at Bruggen when I was there in the late 70's kept on 17's revetments...no idea as to it's eventual fate however.

[Schiller]

Any idea of using the Gannet in the Falklands was pie-in-the sky thinking, I'm afraid. While the Gannet was capable of a free take-off (ie without the use of a catapult), it wouldn't have survived a launch over the ski-jump.

Re the flaps. It was usual to use full flap in most aircraft off the cat, and I assume the Gannet was no different. After all, it gave max lift, and drag is hardly a problem when you have several tons of boost from the cat behind you.

[markstott]

For those interested we hope to get Gannet XL500 flying this year. Wings are on (and fold) and all control rods refurbished and fitted. The major jobs are all done apart from the propeller overhaul which is in progress with Deltair in Portsmouth. There are still an inevitable number of small jobs to do but these are being completed in the next two months we hope.

We will keep you posted as progress is made. There should be updates on the Horizon aircraft website and also on facebook as we complete the task list. This has been a very long restoration!

[NickB]

Hi Mark,
Thanks for the update and all the effort being put in to getting XL500 back in the air where she belongs! :ok:
Talking to some of your team at CU air day last year, I understand the props were taking much longer than anyone had anticipated... is this genuinely back on track now?
Can't wait to see her back in the air - I witnessed her 2nd maiden flight back in Sept 1983 from Culdrose.
Best wishes,
NickB