GANNET XA460 which has been at Connah’s Quay in Flintshire since 1971 is moving to somewhere in Yorkshire, I say somewhere because I have not as yet hear the exact location of it’s new home. It arrived at Hawarden Airport and was towed by tractor to Deeside College to their Engineering Department to join the then resident Swift and HS125 Prototype. It was used for about 10 years to train Apprentices of Hawker Siddeley/British Aerospace, before being placed in front of the college.
As of today the Port outer wing has been removed along with the weapons bay doors as a start has been made to move it to its new home.
Oh for a digi camera…….. if anyone out there is recording the move of this aircraft please put some shots up.
PAUL.
By: RobAnt - 22nd December 2003 at 21:38
Glad it’s been picked up – how does the other side look?
By: Spey111 - 22nd December 2003 at 20:44
XA460 at Aeroventure
Attached is a picture taken by myself at the Aeroventure musuem at Doncaster 9th October 2003.
By: RobAnt - 22nd December 2003 at 17:43
And no, the RAF never had anything to do with them
True, but it is worth noting that they used the same AEW radar as the RAF’s 8 Squadron Shackletons – also serving at Lossiemouth at the same time – it might be possible that radar units moved from RAF to Navy (Gannet to Shack/Shack to Gannet) ownership and vice versa occasionally. I wonder if we’ll ever know the answer to that one?
How easy/difficult would it have been to interchange them?
By: grimshaw - 22nd December 2003 at 17:26
Gannet in the UK
All,
There has indeed been a deposit put on Wally’s Gannet…. and there is a plan to fly it back to the UK in March / April next year…
Got your interest now haven’t I!
I am serious, but we haven’t inspected the aircraft yet (booked for Jan) nor learnt to drive it…. but it can’t be that hard can it?
I am looking for ANY info on the type, pilots notes etc and am happy to pay or collect if required.
Help Please
By: Steve Bond - 24th July 2003 at 08:15
849 Squadron operated quite a few Gannet variants in addition to the AEW.3s. They had T.5s for crew training, AS.4s (sometimes also called COD.4s) for the Carrier-Onboard-Delivery role, and also inherited a few other oddballs over the years. This was especially true during their time at Brawdy when I used to enjoy hanging over the fence and photographing them. I will check my records to see if I picked up this particular one there, but I suspect the 849 connection is correct.
And no, the RAF never had anything to do with them.
By: pierrepjc - 23rd July 2003 at 17:15
David
Thanks for that. Didn’t have time go round the back on my last visit, nice to see the wings folded again.
I was at the college the first time they were un-folded after the road journey from Hawarden, they were cranked down by hand the ‘operator’ not hearing the instruction to stop as a wing tip made contact with a nearby lamp post.
Lite weight lamp posts do bend well when in contact with Gannet wing.
Paul
By: RobAnt - 22nd July 2003 at 21:29
While we’re talking Gannet’s & XA460 in particular
Says XA460 was a member of 849 Squadron, but my understanding is that 849 operated AEW MK3’s, not the ECM variants.
Certainly, all those coming to Lossiemouth in the mid-70’s were AEW Mk3’s, if I recall correctly. 849 B flight were stationed there whenever Ark Royal was in home waters.
Another Website shows all Gannets as belonging to the RAF, but that must be incorrect to. Were they delivered to the RAF before being transferred to the FAA?
By: David Burke - 22nd July 2003 at 18:31
Pierre – she is still ther just not round the front of the building. She is currently being dismantled.
By: DOUGHNUT - 22nd July 2003 at 12:26
Gannet at Fairford ? Surely RIAT missed the opertunity to have this aircraft on show last weekend.
DOUGHNUT
By: Sibs - 22nd July 2003 at 11:01
No current pics
No current pics of the move as requested but the pics found via this link on our site are from a year ago. May be of interest.
Ta
Sibs
By: pierrepjc - 21st July 2003 at 22:45
Well it looks like it’s gone. Or at least its not in front of the college any more.
I went up there after work tonight hoping that there might be a chance of catching it (again on film in a different position) before the big move and there was this big empty space.
Photos to follow when I finally get them back from Fuji. I know I have also got some taken over the years it has been at the Deeside College because every so often a rumor would go round that it was either moving or being scrapped.
PAUL
By: scott c - 20th July 2003 at 18:06
Andrewman
Lightning is coming on well should be taking the nose end off some time in the near future.
Scott C
By: David Burke - 20th July 2003 at 09:37
Andrew – the machine was surveyed a good number of months ago and since then the effort has been underway to move her.
By: andrewman - 20th July 2003 at 01:12
Do thy no just what a mess this Gannet is in still be nice to see something done with it
Glad is going to Aeroventure the collection their building up well
Got a vulcan nose up their (XL388)
So worth going just 4 that
Scott any more news on your Lightning hope its all going well
By: scott c - 19th July 2003 at 18:16
The Gannet is moving to Aeroventure the bits that have been removed already have arrived.
Scott C
By: David Burke - 19th July 2003 at 17:59
Andrew – Good guesses- if it helps Elvington is just too far from reality so your left with one destination !
By: andrewman - 19th July 2003 at 13:02
Its about time something was done with this Gannet it is looking a total mess so Im told
Wonder where in Yorkshire its going
Elevington
Aeroventure
are the 2 best bets
Whatever happend to the Gannet XA459 plan was going about to fly it not herd anything for a long time
Hope it aint gone **** up like the one they were gonna fly in Aus
Sign In
July 18, 2003 at 10:43 pm