….forgot my hat!…what did Stuart Gowans say about ‘everytime this f*c*ing Gannet was mentioned’ in an earlier thread? Well let’s think about another Gannet, a different one this time, probably a COD Mk 4 in 849 Squadron markings, Oxford Blue overall, the spinner in black and yellow stripes and the Mambas making a sound like a wasp befitting the colours. ;)… still, money being no object, let’s get that ‘ f*c*ing Gannet’ out of the financial hole it currently finds itself in….and getting deeper by the month, allegedly.

Hurricane Fuselage- why was it bolted together?

Hawker’s probably considered a more complex fuselage of stressed skin, but the method of construction already proved in the earlier Fury and Harts enabled a quantity production run to be got under way without too much delay, at a time when a few far-sighted men saw the need for a build-up in our fighter defences. True, the later marks of Hurricane had stressed skin metal covered wings, rather than the fabric covered wings of earlier, but the Hurricane probably marks the turning point of this hybrid type of aircraft construction. Complexity of assembly and mass production was to prove a altogether more difficult for the Spitfire, at that time a much more radically- engineered design. But thank goodness for both designs, and considering the Hurricane first flew 73 years ago and they’re still flying today, Sir Sidney Camm’s design team didn’t do too badly : damn sight easier to replace rivets and plates than tired sick welds.

Hermes prototype G-AGSS

Papa Lima, this link should enable you to purchase a photograph of the ill-fated Hermes. I think the prices are fairly reasonable, unlike many agencies.
(I was recently asked for £46 for a digital A4 reproduction from another source. :confused: ) Hope this helps, regards, Brian

http://www.ajjcollection.co.uk/AGAA.HTM

Gannet T.2 XA508

That’s a very interesting photo Albert, as closer scrutiny of the nose (above the day-glo panel) indicates another panel with grey and sky colours, and the top half of a number (possibly ‘7’ ) nose code.This grey/sky scheme was most definitely non-standard on the trainer type, the panel almost certainly having been taken (borrowed or otherwise acquired) from an AS variant.(When the Double Mamba power unit was removed from the aircraft for major servicing or an engine change, generally the split was made at the demarcation aft of the intakes (in other words the cowling section painted white on XA310) would be extracted from the fuselage with the entire engine(s) pod. At a training establishments (and on no-longer-flying aircraft) it would not be unusual for a replacement engine pod to be taken from another aircraft and inserted, similarly panels could be (and were) mixed up also. Obviously on front line units this practice would not be encouraged! As this aircraft was saved from the breakers it could well have been involved latterly in such actions as described. Brian

Gannet XA308 – MAM

I’ll don my anorak to throw in my tuppence-worth!…the trainer versions of the Gannet in Royal Navy were always in aluminium finish, with standard yellow wing and fuselage bands until towards the end of their service, the introduction of the Red/Orange ‘day- glo’ paints, usually around tail and fin, (but not rudder) ,wing and nose.( a most unstable colour and subject to extreme and variable fading.) These variants were never in the extra dark sea grey and sky scheme. (Whilst on the subject of Gannets, the Anti-Submarine variants, an error that has been perpetuated over the years by many illustrators is the continuation of the grey from the upper wing surface over the fuselage bulges over the exhaust outlets.They were always Sky, the Grey ended sharply at the wing roots and the anti-slip panels lay along the roots also.)
That having been said though,whist we’re still fortunate enough to have a Gannet to wander round and reminisce over, the impracticabilities of keeping it in an aluminium paint, particularly if it is outside, subject to our British weather can perhaps be overlooked if a light grey paint with more stable properties is applied to preserve the old lady.Check the Avatar, guys, guess who’s a Gannetophile! Is that a proper word? …Should be…!

Photo Puzzle

…for cloud-seeding to precipitate rainfall, perhaps? ..not that we needed to do that too often, before this global warming reached us….

Thanks James, it’s been helping me convalesce whilst at home this week and take my mind off other mundane problems….but to quote an old football pundit…’it’s a funny old game isn’t it?’ …nothing ever totally black and white in this business it seems, there’s always the exception that proves the rule.

And back to your original post, what is the background on the snapshot, and the posssible South American connection?

Cheers, Brian

And OK, so nobody likes a smart b*****d, but it has been fun!! Any more?

Cockpit photo Quiz 4756 Pt IIb

…Still sticking with the Avenger. Your eyes are good Crazymainer…I can’t make out the foot pedal, far less an emblem thereon!

I’ll own up now though and offer credit to John Weal’s cockpit instrumentation key in Eric Brown’s ‘Wings of the Navy’ for the following..

Strong points in Avenger’s favour (or favor!) electrics box on right cockpit wall, recognition switches, battery switches, gun camera, torpedo etc etc.
‘T’ handle above right rudder pedal = wing fold lock, centrally placed compass D/I box in front of control column has de-icer and cockpit heat controls below it. General instrument layout (apart from standard blind flying panel) matches the drawing too closely to be anything else. I’ll scan the drawing and try to post it if that helps..if that doesn’t infringe copyrights ..

Brian S.