Not forgetting the Breguet Alizé, which was similar to the Gannet, but single screw.
Alastair bones wrote:
Yep - Shorts built the Sturgeon and the Seamew. Much earlier (1929) they also built a horrible floatplane thing called the Short Mussel (I kid you not). It didn't fly very well so they banged a new engine in it and called it the Mussel 2. That wasn't any better so they shoved it in a corner and forgot about it. A couple of years later De Havilland got in touch with Shorts and asked if they could design a set of floats for the Tiger Moth. Shorts pulled the Mussel out, stripped the floats off it and sent then to DH. Apart from being surprised about the speed at which Shorts could knock a pair of floats up <g> DH found them to work on the Tiger perfectly - and so the Queen Bee was born. It was this float design I added to the FS model. It took longer than the original aircraft to research and build but I ended up with a set of float drawings, found out all about their history and, much later on, I discovered that only one pair are left in existence thanks to a chance picture on the web. bones -----Original Message----- From: jhb_airlines-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:jhb_airlines-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Fred Stopforth Sent: 15 November 2007 14:10 To: jhb_airlines@xxxxxxxxxxxxx Subject: [jhb_airlines] Re: Lightning Seamew --was that built by Shorts? Fred ----- Original Message ----- From: "bones" <bones@xxxxxxx> To: <jhb_airlines@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> Sent: Thursday, November 15, 2007 1:29 PM Subject: [jhb_airlines] Re: LightningI didn't see a Gannet until I went to the Yeovilton Museum in 1969 and it amazed me how big the brute was. As you say, not the prettiest of aircraft but neither were the Sturgeon or little Seamew.. <g> bones -----Original Message----- From: jhb_airlines-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:jhb_airlines-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Peter Dodds Sent: 15 November 2007 10:30 To: jhb_airlines@xxxxxxxxxxxxx Cc: pdodds@xxxxxxxxxxxxx Subject: [jhb_airlines] Re: Lightning There used to be a Fairey Gannet outside Deeside College (West of chester south of the Dee Estuary, not Scotland)). It stood between the road and the main college building so looked very imposing, although it isn't a pretty aircraft. Just found this on the web. "The aeroplane, which up until 2003 was sited outside the front of the College, was a Mark 6 Fairey Gannet. During trials in June 1950 on HMS Illustrious, this had become the first turbo-prop aeroplane to land on an aircraft carrier. The Fairey Gannet went into production in 1953 and into operation in 1955 (Lee-on-Solent, HMS Eagle and HMS Ark Royal). In 1970, Flintshire College of Technology already had four aircraft and bought the surplus Gannet from the Ministry of Defence for £750, to add to its collection. The aircraft was flown from RAF Lossiemouth into Hawarden Airport in 1971 and was then towed to the college using an agricultural tractor! Even with the wings folded they had some difficulty getting it under the bridge at Shotton. Nevertheless it reached Connah's Quay safely and was fully utilised by the Aeronautical Engineering Department for training purposes until 1995, when it was put out to grass to stand on guard at the entrance to the College. In the summer of 2003, the Fairey Gannet was dismantled by 750 Thorne Squadron, Air Training Corps and taken off to South Yorkshire Air Museum.The college donated the aircraft to the Air Museum for tender loving care and restoration by young air cadets." Peter -- No virus found in this incoming message. Checked by AVG Free Edition. Version: 7.5.503 / Virus Database: 269.15.31/1130 - Release Date: 14/11/2007 09:27