A Gannet On Floats !

kitnut617 · February 17, 2007, 03:03:06 PM

I don't know if this has been discussed here but someone posted this on Air-Britain's ABIX forum.

http://www.ipmstoronto.com:80/articles/air...annet/Index.htm

Does any of our Canadian buddies know anything more about where this came from, it originated on IPMS Toronto.

I had a read of it and some things that are written don't jive. The article says a pair of C-47 Edo floats were aquired and a conversion was done. But then it goes on to say that the Gannet was way to heavy for the floats, but after doing a wika search on the specs it would seem that the C-47 and Gannet have about the same max take-off weight. And having made an XC-47C floatplane conversion it would seem do-able.

Robert

GTX · February 17, 2007, 03:44:51 PM

It would certainly be an interesting looking build - maybe if Britain didn't give up it's colonial possessions in Asia etc? Make a interesting companion for the Saro SR.A1.

Regards,

Greg

The Rat · February 18, 2007, 07:08:35 AM

QuoteDoes any of our Canadian buddies know anything more about where this came from, it originated on IPMS Toronto.

I've often thought about joining, and if there are members willing to be as crazy as this then maybe I will soon!

P1127 · February 18, 2007, 11:22:22 AM

A nice piece of fiction, which weaves in enough facts to make it sound plausible, and enough clues to it's made-up-ness!

There WAS a mad rush to see if they could find Gannets - but AEW ones, not AS/ECM ones. And they did find one in a container - but again, an AS one.

Archibald · February 18, 2007, 11:34:15 AM

What, they already had scrapped all the AEW (from 1978!!!) ?

Just a question : could the Gannet AEW have operated from the Hermes ?
I'm curious...

On the french carriers, the Alizées took off (various times) without catapults. Of course, their fuel tanks were not full...

Martin H · February 18, 2007, 12:20:57 PM

Not a hope of getting a gannet off Hermes, seeing she lost her cats and wires long before 1982, when she was converted to the Commando carrier role.

Geoff_B · February 18, 2007, 01:56:36 PM

QuoteNot a hope of getting a gannet off Hermes, seeing she lost her cats and wires long before 1982, when she was converted to the Commando carrier role.

It was the Ski-jump in the way that did it for Hermes, plus her deck was more valauble for Sea Harriers.

Bulwark was worked upon initially to get her sea worthy and at the same time Gannet AEW3 were being dragged out of museums and storage hangers for testing. If you recal one was shown in flight with one of the AEW Seakings during its teat program in the summer of 1982. For Bulwark i would guess they would go with the axial flight deck operations as per her original design. The Arrestor gear would probably have been adapted from airfield systems together with a mobile crash barrier. RATOG gear would most likely be used to try and get the gannet off deck without the aid of the Saeam Cats as these had long gone.

However the work involvedd was too great for the time allowed so the teams on Bulwark & Tiger were reassigned to getting the reserve frigates back into service ASAP

P1127 · February 20, 2007, 05:34:50 AM

There were two Gannets in flyable condition in 1982 - one was involved with testing with Dowty, and I can't recall the other!

There were also those in storage/Museums.

Bulwark was the intended 'ship' but from what I was told by someone involved in the survey of her, wasn't in a fit state to return to sea without a LOT of work.

The Rat · February 20, 2007, 05:58:37 AM

Now, here's the question - if we put a Gannet on floats, where do they go? I would put them on good solid pylons around the wing crank, leaving full clearance for the weapons bay doors and whatever may drop from the bay. A more conventional float arrangement would totally bugger it up.

kitnut617 · February 20, 2007, 06:18:28 AM

The article says they were just as you say, Rat. Also it says the C-47 Edo floats were lengthened. These floats are already huge:

http://www.airliners.net/open.file?id=0338...next_id=0075215

The model I've built:

http://groups.msn.com/TheWhatifandoddballm...to&PhotoID=2269

If you click back through the photos you'll see how I converted my DHC-8 into a floatplane. I just can't see that the Gannet could be that much heavier than either of these.

The Rat · February 20, 2007, 07:34:51 PM

QuoteIf you click back through the photos you'll see how I converted my DHC-8 into a floatplane.

Nice work on that, and you've done the right thing with the engines!

I've mentioned here a few times about putting a planing hull on one and turning it into a flying boat, and I would love to do the same thing to a Dash7, problem is, no kit.

A Gannet On Floats !

Geoff_B