Trumpeter Plastic Model Kit Fairey Gannet AS Mk.1/4 — 1:72

Manufacturer

Trumpeter is a Chinese manufacturer of injection-moulded plastic scale models covering aircraft, armour, ships and other subjects. Kit 01629 was released in September 2006 and was one of the company's early modern 1:72 naval-aircraft subjects. HobbySearch records the September 2006 release and identifies the manufacturer, 1:72 scale and kit number.

The kit was designed around the unusual Fairey Gannet, Britain's first operational turboprop-powered carrier aircraft and an important Fleet Air Arm anti-submarine aircraft of the early Cold War.
Kit contents

Trumpeter 01629 contains approximately 100 plastic parts and is moulded in styrene. The finished model is approximately:

Length: 188 mm

Wingspan: 229 mm

Scale: 1:72

Parts: approximately 100

Medium: Injection-moulded styrene

The kit provides a detailed cockpit and crew positions, separate ailerons and Fowler flaps, the characteristic contra-rotating propeller system, retractable undercarriage, folding-wing structure and the Gannet's distinctive ventral radar installation.

The kit's decal options include:

XA322, 769 Squadron, RNAS Culdrose, 1957

XA402, 820 Squadron, HMS Bulwark, 1956

West German Navy aircraft, 1960

The kit also allows the flaps to be posed, while the canopy arrangement provides opportunities for displaying the cockpit interior.
History of the full-size aircraft

The Fairey Gannet was developed in response to a 1945 Admiralty requirement for a carrier-based anti-submarine aircraft. The Royal Navy needed a replacement for aircraft such as the Fairey Firefly and Grumman Avenger as submarine warfare technology evolved after the Second World War.

Fairey's initial concept was particularly ambitious. The aircraft was originally considered for an installation involving two Rolls-Royce Merlin engines driving a common gearbox and contra-rotating propellers. This was subsequently abandoned in favour of the revolutionary Armstrong Siddeley Double Mamba turboprop.
The Double Mamba

The Gannet's most distinctive feature was its Armstrong Siddeley Double Mamba powerplant.

The Double Mamba effectively combined two Mamba turboprop engines into a single installation. Each engine drove one of the two contra-rotating propellers.

This arrangement gave the Gannet considerable power while allowing the aircraft to shut down one engine during cruise, improving endurance during long anti-submarine patrols.

The contra-rotating propellers also eliminated the torque effects that would otherwise result from using a single large propeller.
First flight and carrier operations

The first Gannet prototype flew in September 1949. It subsequently underwent extensive testing for carrier operations.

A significant milestone came on 19 June 1950, when a Gannet became the first turboprop aircraft to land aboard an aircraft carrier.

This was particularly significant because carrier aircraft needed to combine relatively high performance with very low-speed handling characteristics for deck landings.

The Gannet's large wings, powerful propulsion system and robust undercarriage made it well suited to this demanding environment.
Gannet AS Mk.1 and AS Mk.4

The kit represents the AS Mk.1/AS Mk.4 anti-submarine variants.

The aircraft was designed around the needs of maritime patrol and anti-submarine warfare. It carried sensors and weapons intended to detect and attack submarines.

The Gannet's large internal volume allowed it to carry substantial equipment, while its endurance made it useful for extended patrols around a carrier task force.

The later AS Mk.4 incorporated improvements over the original AS Mk.1. A total of approximately 255 AS Mk.4 aircraft were produced to meet the Fleet Air Arm's requirement to replace ageing Fireflies and Avengers.
Performance

Published specifications for the AS Mk.4 include approximately:

Wingspan: 54 ft 4 in / 16.56 m

Length: 43 ft / 13.11 m

Height: 13 ft 8½ in / 4.18 m

Empty weight: 15,069 lb / 6,835 kg

Maximum take-off weight: 21,600 lb / 9,798 kg

Maximum speed: approximately 310 mph / 499 km/h

Service ceiling: approximately 25,000 ft / 7,620 m

Range: approximately 943 miles / 1,517 km

These figures vary somewhat according to the specific Gannet variant and operational configuration.
Anti-submarine warfare

The Gannet was principally designed to hunt submarines.

It could carry anti-submarine weapons and use its sensors to search large areas of ocean. Operating from aircraft carriers gave the Royal Navy the ability to extend anti-submarine patrols well beyond the immediate vicinity of the fleet.

The aircraft's endurance was particularly important because submarine hunting required lengthy patrols rather than short, high-speed missions.
Carrier service

Gannets operated from several Royal Navy carriers during the 1950s and 1960s. The aircraft's large folding wings were essential for carrier storage.

The kit's decal options illustrate this operational environment, including aircraft from 820 Squadron aboard HMS Bulwark and aircraft associated with RNAS Culdrose.
Other roles

The Gannet eventually evolved beyond the anti-submarine role.

The related Gannet AEW.3 became an airborne early-warning aircraft, replacing the Skyraider in Royal Navy service. Other Gannet variants were used for training.

The type also achieved international service. The West German Navy operated Gannets, one of which is represented by the kit's 1960 marking option.
Why the Gannet is historically significant

The Fairey Gannet is one of the most unusual aircraft of the post-war Fleet Air Arm.

Its combination of:

Twin-engine turboprop power

Contra-rotating propellers

Folding wings

Carrier capability

Anti-submarine sensors

Heavy maritime equipment

gave it a distinctive appearance and made it an important transitional aircraft between piston-engined naval aircraft and later jet-powered maritime patrol aircraft.

It also represents one of the relatively rare successful applications of a twin turboprop arrangement in a carrier-based combat aircraft.