Gannet XA459 For sale

An appropriate home for her!

You tease!!!, where to?.

John.

imho Blue Robin should buy it, live in it and help at Brunters!

TT

Well, unable to confirm if she sold or not, but she was still at Lowesden Works last weekend in the same place as always and no sign of any recent undertaking of work.

I’ve not heard of the outcome on this airframe, anyone like to update me please?

Paul

Wonderful beasts! I worked on the AEW 3 version, until it literally went out with the Ark! Superb piece of British engineering – a nightmare at times, but always very rewarding to get them in the air.

I recall a mad rush of Gannet fever during the Falklands, when we were asked to look at the feasability in getting some of the AEWs flying again, to provide radar cover for the fleet. However, this was cancelled when the Sea King was very rapidly converted to carry suitable radar. Mind, the only carrier that could have carried the Gannet would have been the Hermes and I guess by then, all its steam catapult gear would have been scrapped and the carrier fitted with the “ski jump” for Harrier ops – I dont think a Gannet could quite have managed to leap off the end of that!

Paul

Wasn’t the plan to recomision HMS Bulwark, which was with the reserve fleet at Portsmouth at the time, had the war gone on for longer. I heard at the time from an RAF pilot relative that they were going to use Phantoms and that some had already been crated up and sent to Chile.
That would have been interesting, a traditional carrier with Gannets and Phantoms, apparently the US offered us the loan of one of theirs, but Thatcher wouldn’t accept it.
They also had plans to recommision HMS Lion, which was the last 6 inch gun cruiser and also with the reserve fleet.
I remember being on holiday in south Devon about 20 years ago and seeing a Gannet flying about all the time, I presume it was the Helston example.

I spoke to Tim Manna of Kennet Aviation, last year, who has AEW.3 G-KAEW/XL500.He told me that after his Seafire flies, he enthuses about seeing his Gannet fly again and hopes to put all his resources into making it airworthy…so watch this space! :rolleyes:

Never seen one for sale.
But have seen one in real life – it’s HUGE!!!

Anyway, are they saying that they want it fly again? A huge amount work left if I see the picture.

Would be a nice project though…

Paul,

I’m a massive fan of the AEW3 – a really ‘ugly beautiful’ aircraft to my mind!
Spent many an hour watching XL500 doing circuits around Helston in the early eighties when it was used as a trials aircraft.

I don’t suppose you have any pics you’d be willing to post do you?

Many thanks

Nick

Wonderful beasts! I worked on the AEW 3 version, until it literally went out with the Ark! Superb piece of British engineering – a nightmare at times, but always very rewarding to get them in the air.

I recall a mad rush of Gannet fever during the Falklands, when we were asked to look at the feasability in getting some of the AEWs flying again, to provide radar cover for the fleet. However, this was cancelled when the Sea King was very rapidly converted to carry suitable radar. Mind, the only carrier that could have carried the Gannet would have been the Hermes and I guess by then, all its steam catapult gear would have been scrapped and the carrier fitted with the “ski jump” for Harrier ops – I dont think a Gannet could quite have managed to leap off the end of that!

Paul

Anyone know the asking price?

The YAM aircraft was 20K to buy . Moving a Gannet can be done reasonably easy and not that expensively.

Having found out what it cost YAM to move theirs from just down the road, I wish luck and deep pockets to any interested party.

Well spotted.

Some of us were wondering what might happen to that Gannet following the double tragedy of the owners. Very sad……. 🙁

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