Gannet AEW3 cockpit photos?

Just out of curiosity, those cardboard and resin orange seats, where thay produced by Fairey?

Im prepared to be proved wrong (and not for the first time!), but the seat in DCollins post is similar to the AS series, but I believe the AEW had a later metal type black painted seat, this changed again when the underwater escape seat system was added.
I will try and dig those pics out sometime, I would definately recommend PMing HFL as their Gannet is in bits.

Hi Page01,

I’m sure you are correct! The AS type seats are fitted in the trainer version of the Gannet that I have seen at the Museum of Berkshire Aviation. It stands to reason that other marks had different designs.

Im prepared to be proved wrong (and not for the first time!), but the seat in DCollins post is similar to the AS series, but I believe the AEW had a later metal type black painted seat, this changed again when the underwater escape seat system was added.
I will try and dig those pics out sometime, I would definately recommend PMing HFL as their Gannet is in bits.

What ride with the Vulcan?
excellent publicity on a children’s TV programme of the day

Hmm that reminds me of a dark memory… Matthew Kelly sat on top of the Vulcan… Ooh the H&S issues… !

No another one, but in a similar vein!

The Gannet, Canberra B(I)8, Meteor NF12 and the Heron (a half share) were originally privately owned (by one person) and on loan at Newark.

In 2003 these airframes were very generously gifted in perpetuity to the museum as part of the HLF project when Hangar 2 was constructed. 🙂

I understand the story now. I thought they’d already done this “Blades with Vulcan” thing ages ago!

Oh well good luck to them but that does seem like an awful lot of cash! Personally I wouldn’t want to fly in some ghastly little sports plane in any case but maybe the perceived thrill is flying next to the Vulcan! Guess I’m lucky then as I did it twice for free – in a JP and a Hercules!

Now, if the prize had been a ride in XP226… that’s another story… although something tells me I’d have a hard time scraping 25K together. Finding £25 would be a struggle actually!

PS thanks for the seat photo David!

Gawd bless NAM! I’ve always been a great fan of the museum ever since it first opened. It’s one of those glorious places that has lots to see but hasn’t fallen victim to the homogenised clinical atmosphere of places like Duxford and Cosford. I haven’t quite forgiven them for painting that lovely French T-33 in Thunderbirds markings, and I’m still sulking over the way they painted over the 7 Sqn markings on the Canberra T19 (curses!!), but no matter how many times I go over there I always enjoy having a look around. I love it even more now that my beloved Varsity is safely tucked-up indoors!

PS – just going back to the Gannet – anyone got a picture of the seat too?!

The seat is very similar to this.

I thought her previous owner was the MOD?:confused:

What ride with the Vulcan?

excellent publicity on a children’s TV programme of the day

Hmm that reminds me of a dark memory… Matthew Kelly sat on top of the Vulcan… Ooh the H&S issues… !

Off topic, but I heard XP226’s previous owner name mentioned on Terry Wogan’s show this morning, bidding for the ride with the Vulcan.

Not sure if he won it, but it went for £25,500:eek::eek:

I haven’t quite forgiven them for painting that lovely French T-33 in Thunderbirds markings……

PS – just going back to the Gannet – anyone got a picture of the seat too?!

At the end of the day there is a simple saying “Paint = Protection!” hence why they went away from the bare metal French scheme – plus it helps smooth the way with the USAF and their annual airframe ‘photo-check’.

The Thunderbird scheme is long gone (2002 if my memory serves me right!) but when it was applied it secured some excellent publicity on a children’s TV programme of the day!! 😀

Now it’s having its current white top-coat reapplied before the winter weather hits!

As for the Gannet seat – unable to assist this time I’m afraid!

Gawd bless NAM! I’ve always been a great fan of the museum ever since it first opened. It’s one of those glorious places that has lots to see but hasn’t fallen victim to the homogenised clinical atmosphere of places like Duxford and Cosford. I haven’t quite forgiven them for painting that lovely French T-33 in Thunderbirds markings, and I’m still sulking over the way they painted over the 7 Sqn markings on the Canberra T19 (curses!!), but no matter how many times I go over there I always enjoy having a look around. I love it even more now that my beloved Varsity is safely tucked-up indoors!

PS – just going back to the Gannet – anyone got a picture of the seat too?!

Pleased that NAM has been able to assist! 🙂

Thanks very much for those – brilliant – just what I was looking for!

Tim

The Curator has just emailed through a couple more scans from the Archive. 🙂

A mix of bad news and goodish news on the Gannet front!

No recent (digital) pictures have been taken of the Gannet cockpit by the museum.

However in the airframe file for XP226 there was a copy of the Scale Aircraft Modelling article (that featured XP226) and the attached scans have been made from that article. It was on page 552, but they don’t know from which edition of the magazine! :confused:

I hope they are of some use.

Chox did send a PM – but unfortunately I didn’t open it until after the museum had closed yesterday.

I’ve already got a call in to the museum Curator to see what material he has – they recently did some photography work on aircraft cockpits for some new display boards, so we might be lucky!

I have, but I can’t scan prints at the mo.
If I was you I would PM TwinOtter, HFL, or MJR and see what they might be able to do for you.
Pics do appear in ‘Gannet from the cockpit’ and would guess that the 4+ book would be a good source aswel.