Tugan (wackett) Gannet

Who can help me with the following information details of the Gannet??

Details dimensions, such as: big and small wing chord, demensions of the tail wing and fin and rudder, wheel track, dimensions of the fuselage (wide/height), etc.
Impressions of the fuselage and wing construction,
Pictures/drawings of the cabin as passenger and ambulance version.

Hi Derek
I would be pleased
Regards,
Jan

Jan,
drawings and data for the Gannet are very rare. I have a CAD drawing by Alex Pedashenko (the accuracy of which I have never checked), and there are several small reproductions of original factory drawings with lots of detail (but hard to read) in the recently published book by Keith Meggs. PM me and I’ll see if I can get something to you.

Regards,
Derek

So Fairey weren’t the first! 😉

Apparently not. Tugan play at that game (sorry)

Yes, that’s the one, by George Booth. Published Greenhouse, 1988. Also, I seem to recall this story was used in an episode of Ray Mears’ Extreme Survival.

There is quite a good book on A14-6’s loss, written by the pilots, about their long ordeal to get back to civilisation. Title escapes me right now, but I’ll look it up if that helps.

I think it was “33 Days”.

There is quite a good book on A14-6’s loss, written by the pilots, about their long ordeal to get back to civilisation. Title escapes me right now, but I’ll look it up if that helps.

Whoops, sorry

Hi Mark
The sites you mention I did found them already and they are a good start.
I hope you find more for me.
Regards,
Jan

.

The aircraft was a larger development of the Codock that Wackett designed for Kingsford Smith when at the Dockyards, the Gannet was a steel tube fuselage with one piece wooden wing, and powered by two Gipsy 6 engines.

There are specialist books and magazine articles with 3-d drawings etc, I will see what I can access and scan.

Derek Buckmasters website on aircraft designed in Australia is a good starting point, but not a lot of information is provided other than 6 links to Eddie Coates photos of 6 of the aircraft.

http://dbdesignbureau.buckmasterfamily.id.au/aus_aircraft.htm

Other sources of information are:

RAAF Museum website on the Gannet in military service.
http://www.airforce.gov.au/raafmuseum/research/aircraft/series2/A14.htm

The history of the aircraft in RAAF service is listed under A14- on the adf-serials website at:

http://www.adf-serials.com.au/

Aircraft Serial c/n Aircraft History

A4-1 TA.55 Received in November 1935. The first Gannet temporarily carried the serial A4-1, which was the number later allocated to the first Avro Anson.
A14-1 TA.55 Received in November 1935. The first Gannet temporarily carried the serial A4-1, which was the number later allocated to the first Avro Anson. Sold and registered VH-UVY 29/10/36 to 02/07/40 when it was impressed as A14-7. On 05/06/1937 it crashed at Gosford NSW.

A14-2 TA.56 Ex VH-UXE. Delivered 30/03/37. Returned as VH-UXE 25/07/38.

A14-3 TA.57 Ex VH-UYE. Delivered 03/02/38. Converted to components 21/02/46.

A14-4 TA.58 Ex VH-UYF. Delivered 11/08/38. Crashed Exmouth 25/08/44. Killing the crew; F/O Gordon Dix, Sgt Norm Catton, S/L J Sangster. I found a reference to A14-148 in a National Archives Search. I believe it is a miss-print for A14-4!

A14-5 TA.59 Ex VH-UZW. Delivered 24/03/38.

A14-6 TA.53? Crashed 30/07/40, Crew: LAC Martin and P/O Winter. To 2 Air Ambulance 04/42, Modified as ambulance 05/42. Crashed 19/05/42 Milliingimbi Island. Aircraft overturned in a swamp and was written off. Nil injuries. The aircraft location remains unknown.

A14-7 TA.55 Previously A14-1 and VH-UVY. Impressed into RAAF Service 02/07/40 (another report has this as 10/10/40) as A14-7. In 1940 was fitted with Menasco B65 engines and was temporarily designated a LJW 7A Gannet, until the Gipsy Six engines were reinstalled. Converted to components 21/02/46.

Regards

Mark Pilkington

So Fairey weren’t the first! 😉