Chatham Gannet to fly?

Got a catapult! Just looking forward to the T33 move. Anyone coming for a picnic to watch.

Learning Slowly…that they did…and the Dakota…grrrrrrr! 🙁

Now…about that Gannet…anyone got a crane and some strong rope? 😀

Now i have vision of you getting it onto the top of the Superhangar.

They hung my B25 up 🙁

Originally posted by Learning_Slowly
Depends how high the cliff is…

Well we could always try pushing it off the top of the Superhanger and see what happens…(don’t birds chuck their offspring out of the nest to encourage them to fly..i.e. flap wings and fly or hit ground hard…)

But seriously, as Learning Slowly has quite rightly pointed out, the IWM’s restorations are only to static condition, using as many original parts as possible…although the downside of this is that the aircraft stays wheels firmly planted on the ground (no, let’s NOT discuss suspending aircraft from the ceiling again! ;)) but as much of the original aircraft remains as possible.

For those of you with longer memories than I have, was the IWM Gannet started up on occasion during the late ’70s? I have some footage of the then Deputy Director of the IWM, Christopher Rhodes, presenting a piece to the camera while a Gannet fires up very noisily behind him…I know some of Duxford’s aircraft used to fly (the Varsity for example)

Ashley

Depends how high the cliff is…

Sorry, i would think not without a complete rebuild again. as with most aircraft on the IWm’s books, when they are restored it is to a very high standard but in order to get them to fly, they would require a complete strip down and rebuild, conservation or the original parts or change them to fly it, taht is what it is down to at teh end of teh day. IWM preserve the original parts.

Would the Gannet at duxford still fly?

There is no way the Vulcan can be worth what they are spending on it to get it to fly again!

Where do you draw the line?

Originally posted by Learning_Slowly
Nothing can be classed as ‘I don’t think it will ever fly again’. We have rebuilt from a lot less than a complete airframe.

Agreed but the key is how much money you are prepared to throw at it. If a gannet is only worth ‘x’ and it takes 4 times ‘x’ to rebuild it then it is not worth it. Two times ‘x’ perhaps, lots of light aircraft easily cost twice what they are worth.

MH

Nothing can be classed as ‘I don’t think it will ever fly again’. We have rebuilt from a lot less than a complete airframe.

I had a look at XL502 last summer and its going bad very bad I don’t think it will ever fly again a good static display maybe taxi runs is the best way forward for it.

XL500 however seems in good condition and yes I believe many of its systems still work.

Also the Gannet at Newark looks in good condition and was run up a couple of times in the mid 80s.

Finlay what happened to the plan to fly XA459 this Gannet’s owners were hoping to build a hanger and then rebuild it to fly but nothing has been herd for a few months.

When and why did XL502 stop flying? I got given a video a few yeats ago which showed the aircraft flying and talked about it having been restored from derelict condition.

On the subject of XL500, here is a pic of her I took at Chatham in 2000, you will notice that the wings are extended, now does this mean that her electrical and hydraulic systems are still working, or is there a ‘manual’ way of folding them? Not knowing much about these things I am just interested. Would love to see it in the air though!

Originally posted by stringbag
The Hunter concerned is still in existance today – WV381 which is based at Culham and used for lightning tests.
I have a scanned newspaper cutting from the Portsmuff news somewhere showing a photo of the jet being lifted out the water.
I’ll post it if and when I can find it on a new thread.

I think the last FAA aircraft to fly out of RNAS Lee-on-Solent was the RNHF Mk.II Swordfish, not exactly what you would expect 🙂

M

For Sea Wings 2000? Just a WAG

The Hunter concerned is still in existance today – WV381 which is based at Culham and used for lightning tests.
I have a scanned newspaper cutting from the Portsmuff news somewhere showing a photo of the jet being lifted out the water.
I’ll post it if and when I can find it on a new thread.

I think the last FAA aircraft to fly out of RNAS Lee-on-Solent was the RNHF Mk.II Swordfish, not exactly what you would expect 🙂

M

XL500 in her true element.HMS Gannet Navy Day 1978

XL500 Gannet AEW3 at HMS Gannet Navy day,Prestwick 1978

It’s difficult to predict how long the rebuild of XL500 will take.
It would be great to see her fly in a couple of years but this is closely related to the amount of money thrown at her.
The display of XL500 at Culdrose was outside so corrosion is going to be a factor. The Sandtoft machine isn’t likely to ever fly again. A friend was at Leuchars whilst the RAF did a lot of work to get her flying again – the events since then have been very sad.

From what I understand XL500 was kept in a operational condition, eg sytem and engine runs whilst it was stored at Culdrose, with the intention one day that it would be restored to flying condition.

However, a change of Station Comander who was less than simpathetic to the cause and it had to go. Hence its move to Chatham. I think this was about 3 or 4 years ago.

I had a good look at it in 02 and I had the feeling it would not take to much work to put it back in the air (providing you had a serviceable Double Mamba in your garage that is).

Originally posted by stringbag
LOL. Lee’s runway is a bit on the short side, a Yeovilton-based Hunter once overshoot the runway and ended up over the cliff 🙂
One motorist had a lucky escape when he was nearly hit by the jet because he went through a red at nearby traffic lights.

M

There’s a bit of urban myth about the car not stopping. The traffic was actually fine. It was November 3 but I can’t remember the year (poss. 1967 68 or 89). The cliff is about ten-fifteen feet (I was down there today eating egg and chips in the Bluebird Cafe, the one my Nan ran during the war) and the guy banged out before the Hunter went through the fence. A couple of beach huts got some minor damage from parts, but the Hunter plopped into the sea relatively unscathed and was in one piece when they lifted it the next low tide. The only damage to the road was a chipped kerb. It was my borhter’s birthday and he took a boat out to go fishing that night about 1/4 mile from the site and it got foggy. he could hear the Navy hovercraft but couldn’t see it!

When they lifted it a fog bank came rolling in just as it was about to be lowered onto the lighter and I remember seeing just one wing sticking out of the fog.

Apparently the Hunter had a dodgy airspeed indicator.

I remember going past the end of the runway on the way to school and seeing what I was sure was a Phantom on the far side of the airfield. This was about 1972. They actually had two fly out of there at different times but I didn’t see them. Other than that we had some good airshows with Scimitars and Hunters doing ground attack but that was a loooong time ago.

MH

Too much run. Oops, I mean rum.