A11009 1:48 Fairey Gannet COD.4
About this item
Arguably the most unconventional Fairey-designed aircraft to enter full production, the Gannet was developed to meet a 1945 Royal Navy requirement for an advanced carrier-based turboprop-powered anti-submarine hunter-killer. Intended to counter the recent expansion of the Soviet submarine fleet at the start of the Cold War era, it was equipped with the lastest electronic detection equipment. Once an enemy submarine was detected, it could be marked, tracked and attacked using bombs, depth charges, rockets and air-launched acoustic torpedoes. Highly effective, it was able to attack submarines on the surface or submerged. Its innovative Armstrong Siddeley Double Mamba powerplant gave it a unique appearance. Two gas turbine engines mounted side by side, shared gearbox, but operating independently, each engine driving its own coaxially mounted, contra-rotating propeller. It also featured a unique bi-folding wing system that allowed it to be stored aboard relatively small aircraft carriers. This 1:48 scale plastic model kit includes an instruction sheet, paint layout sheet and decals.