For anyone who wants an excellent read about all Gannets from beginning to end, I highly recommend "Gannet" – No 7 in the From the Cockpit series, by the recently deceased Cdr Simon Askins. Probably still available. Simon previously flew Scimitars, became an MTP and deadsticked an AEW 3 XL498 into Withybush in 1967 after double engine fire/failure. His Flight Test Looker, Bryn, elected (successfully) to exercise Plan B and test his parachute instead.
A bit of housekeeping if I may ..... E&OE, it was a long time ago ....
Posts 13 & 14 - 831 rightly considered themselves a 'front line' squadron. Certainly they conducted trials, but 'a trials unit' – No siree ! There were periodic embarkations and two Gannets even got scheduled to go to Gulf War Zero in 1961 to jam Kassim's radars.
The 831 Gannets were all AS shape. From 1961 the 'definitive' Mk 6 - was referred to as AS6 originally and later when it was realised the secret was out, as ECM6. They all had various (mostly ex US Navy) ECM gear. IIRC the other differences from earlier AS versions included oxygen for all three seats and a tweaker for the engine revs to satisfy the wiggly amp demands of the secret electronic equipment, plus bomb-bay fuel tanks. I don't know if 831 took any T5s to Watton. Previously 831's type conversion and periodic checking was done courtesy of 849's trainers while both squadrons were at Culdrose. Simon's book says some Watton ECM6s were de-modded to AS4 for pilot training so that's probably the answer.
Post 15 – India 42 - Engine failure and bailout at night, XG832 -23rd Jan 1964. I am pleased to say John and Oboe were seen recently, doing very well, for their age. Lofty passed away a couple of years ago.
Post 34 NickB - 9/4/62 AEW 3s XL499 and XP197 of 849 Squadron were (IIRC) doing night formation practice, collided off the Lizard.
A further loss that year - 27/11/62 was the two ECM6 Gannets from 831, XA414 and XG798 that flew into high ground on departure from Ballykelly. Another six good men lost.
Posts 40 etc The great Gannet pancake at Lossie Air Day July 1963. NB Elgin is South. West is Gordonstoun and Burghead. I think the illustrious Eric would be very peeved to think he was named for that. Pilot was S/Lt Chalky, his Looker an even younger Midshipmite J Rees. Didn't do Chalky's flying career any harm, as he went on to great heights of respectability as an Aussie Crab.
Post 45 - G-D - Greetings ! I think it was Bomber who also ditched an AEW 3 somewhere. He then ditched a 781 Heron in Liverpool Bay. Expensive bloke.
LFH.
Last edited by Lordflasheart; 3rd Sep 2015 at 10:01.