Never realised so many people admired the Gannet, in either guise. Both were nice to fly, although the AEW version was a bit more limited by that dome underneath.
What follows is a totally true story from the front cockpit from 50 years ago, it's still a vivid memory....
The pregnant-looking AEW3 Gannet, was a delight to fly. But with one exception - if you touched down nose-wheel first (which wasn't difficult) it bounced. I became acutely aware of this 50 years ago, on a black Mediterranean summer night in 1965. High overcast, no moon, no stars, no horizon.
HMS Centaur was on her final cruise, a few summer months in the Med that included the task of getting all her aircrew day and night qualified. I was one of those who needed to qualify by night.
We were "non-diversion" flying that night. No handy airfield ashore, just Centaur herself. That added a slight edge to the sortie. So, at the end of a 3-hour trip, we would be the last land-on of the night. CCA (Carrier Controlled Approach) picked us up and brought us to the 1 mile-400 feet point, I called "4 greens, on sight" and was clear to land on.
200 feet, through the wobbly bubble of the island's turbulence and hot funnel fumes - 100 feet, through the slight downdraft of the round-down and correct for it with power - a bit too high now - and then the cardinal sin of pushing forward on the stick instead of a slight power reduction...........so we bounced.
No wire, and now a night bolter. This was my first experience of one - unexpected and unnerving - off the angle into a black night 60 feet above the water with everything down and full power. Eyes down immediately onto the instruments, establish a positive rate of climb, wheels up, ease the flap up and tell the Controller - who is aware by now anyway - and back into the full CCA procedure, no quick 400 foot visual circuit tonight.
The two Observers in the back were terribly nice about it. I've been deck-landed in the back seat of a Gannet AEW3. By day you see nothing but water beside you getting closer until the SAR chopper, a flash of deck and then the arrested landing. At night you see nothing until you hit the deck........
Around we went through the full, though somewhat reassuring, procedure. Back again at 400 feet and 1 mile - "4 greens, on sight" and I took over visually - and did it again. I now had a good dose of what the US Navy calls "Getaboarditis".
Again, the two Observers were so calm and reassuring. I blessed them and cringed simultaneously - and shuddered to think what was in their minds, their lives really were in my hands.
CCA delivered me to the 400 ft-1 mile point again, I took over again - and did it again. Now openly furious with myself I piled on full power - and then realised. Yes, we had bounced but, we
had picked up a wire and were airborne down the deck at about 15 feet and slowing rapidly.......and the flight deck floodlights had come on.
THUMP! THUMP! THUMP! We seemed to come down on each wheel separately. I put on the brakes, took off power and said a silent prayer. A quiet voice on the intercom said "Thank you!" The marshaller in front of me signaled "Cut" and I happily shut down the engines.
It's a long climb down the side of a Gannet and my legs were feeling wobbly. I was about halfway down when the Squadron AEO (Air Engineer Officer) bounced out of the island, his ginger beard bristling with fury. "Bloody typical! We'll have jack it up and do a full retraction test! I'm amazed you didn't drive the bloody legs up through the bloody wings!"
Not an unreasonable reaction and, for those who remember him, fairly typical of Douggie Richardson. I mumbled an apology to him, another to the two Observers and slank into the ACR to sign out the aircraft as unserviceable......and then face the Senior Pilot and the CO.
As a tribute to Fairey Aviation and Naval Aircraft design specifications in general, she came through with flying colours and was airborne again within 24 hours.
Mike