- Author
- A.N. Other
- Subjects
- Naval Aviation, Ship histories and stories
- Tags
- None noted.
- RAN Ships
- HMAS Albatross (Shore Establishment), HMAS Melbourne II
- Publication
- December 2011 edition of the Naval Historical Review (all rights reserved)
The ability of the Gannet to fly around at low level on one engine with hook down, bomb-bay doors open and radome lowered made the aircraft a great crowd pleaser at flying displays. This act was sometimes varied by turning down wind at the end of the runway after the low fly-past, closing the bomb-bay doors, raising the hook and radome while in the turn, and then lowering the undercarriage to complete a single engine landing as a finale. This always impressed the crowd. However, had the pilot not taken the precaution of selecting the FFPSO ON for the live engine, the lowering landing gear withdrew the FFPS – with the resulting uncontrollable drag and inevitable catastrophic crash! This occurred at NAS Nowra on one occasion, and resulted in very serious injury to the Gannet pilot. This accident resulted in such demonstrations being banned in the RAN.
One-wing salute
The odd double vertical folding arrangement for the wings made for quite small ground coverage, but a need for lots of headroom. It did, however, lend itself to inventive initiative at times. Admiral’s inspection at NAS Nowra was always a painful day – and one to be dreaded. Very rare was the day when the inspecting Admiral was not displeased about something. On one particular occasion a flight of Gannets provided a short air display for the Admiral’s benefit. Upon landing, the four taxiing Gannets passed in front of all the Divisions drawn up on the Hard Stand with the Admiral waiting for them to march past in salute. An astute Air Engineering Officer of the Gannet Squadron had disabled the folding mechanism of the port wing in all the four aircraft prior to take-off. As the flight passed the Admiral in line astern formation, the leader ordered the flight to ‘fold wings’. Lo and behold, all starboard wings folded as one in salute to the Admiral, and then spread again after passing the dais! The Admiral was so pleased that he gave the Air Station full marks for their inspection (so the story goes).
Notwithstanding all that has been said, the Gannet was a delight to fly, very light on the controls, very maneuverable, with excellent visibility from the very roomy cockpit. Like the albatross and the pelican, which look most ungainly when on the ground, the Gannet was in its element once it shook itself free of the ground and soared into the air. As described by one pilot ‘it was like the fat lady at the barn dance, who you find surprisingly light on her feet, that is how it flew.’