Summary: Britain has made significant contributions to aviation history, known for elegant designs like the Supermarine Spitfire. However, it also produced the unconventional Fairey Gannet, an anti-submarine warfare aircraft.

-Introduced in 1953, the Gannet featured unique design elements like its dual propellers.

-Despite its unattractive appearance, the Gannet was highly regarded for its capabilities, including carrying a robust armament and advanced sensors.

-Although plans to convert it into an Airborne Early Warning craft were never realized, the Gannet served until 1978 and is now preserved in museums.

Britain has made some remarkable contributions to air warfare and aerospace engineering. The Americans may have invented flying, and the Germans may have perfected it in the Second World War, but the British made flying a thing of beauty with the Supermarine Spitfire. 

In fact, as Derek Leebaert outlined in his book Grand Improvisation: America Confronts the British Superpower, 1947-1957, the British at the start of the Cold War were viewed as a major competitor in the race for supersonic craft. Chuck Yeager and the Americans considered them as capable a contender – and maybe more – as the Soviets. 

But Britain also had an ugly streak when it came to aviation design.

Let’s just compare two British planes, one known for its elegance, and the other for being hideous. 

The British De Havilland DH103 Hornet was a twin turboprop that was capable of going over 400 miles per hour at an altitude of 22,000 feet. Its smooth surfaces for maximum aerodynamics gave it an elegance and grace that came to define the British aerospace industry. 

An Ugly Duckling Flies High

The Fairey Gannet, however, was a ghastly looking plane whose designers must have been drinking a bit too much scotch in celebration of England’s victory in WWII. 

First taking flight in 1949 and entering the service of the Royal Navy in 1953, this bulbous aircraft – looking more like a giant fly than anything else – was Britain’s attempt to ferret out Soviet submarines. The Fairey Gannet was an anti-submarine warfare (ASW) bird. 

According to Benny Kirk at Auto Evolution, “Royal Navy pilots grew to admire the Gannet’s smooth, silky control surfaces and easy-riding flight characteristics afforded by thick, straight wings and dual sets of winglets on either side of the elevator control panel.” 

Still, the Gannet was a strange-looking bird, especially its propeller configuration. When picturing a “twin turboprop” aircraft, most people think of one engine on each wing. In fact, this plane had two propellers sitting on top of each other and located at the front of the plane. This unique machine was known as the Armstrong-Siddeley Double Mamba Engine.

Both props propelled the bird during takeoff and landing. One propeller would be shut down during flight to conserve fuel. 

The props would be switched mid-flight. If the rear prop was active for the first half of the journey, at the midpoint it would be shut down, and the forward prop engaged – and vice versa. This was done to keep engine time equal, making maintenance easier and more predictable. 

The Gannet had a range of up to 660 miles at a top speed just shy of 300 mph. It was compatible with aircraft carrier operations, and it could carry over 2,000 pounds of munitions. Her armaments included two torpedoes in the bomb bays and sixteen 60-pound rocket projectiles under the wings, and the Gannet could carry depth charges, too. 

Not only did the bird carry a hefty armaments package, but it also flew into battle with an impressive suite of sensors to aid in its ASW mission. The Gannet carried marine markers (flares), directional sonar buoys, and parachute flares.

Reimagining the Fairey Gannet

Undoubtedly, this was one of the ugliest planes the unfriendly skies ever hosted. But its long service life – it was retired in 1978, shortly before the Falkland War – and the love it received from its pilots, reveal it as a true “ugly duckling.” 

An attempt was even made to give the Gannet a new lease on life. 

Despite its long service and impressive record, the British military had concluded that the Gannet’s primary mission could be performed by helicopters. Rather than immediately retire the planes, though, the Royal Navy strove to remake the bird into a dedicated Airborne Early Warning craft, much like the American E-2 Hawkeye.

Sadly, these plans were never realized, and the ugly duckling was ultimately retired.

Some of these planes survive as pristine museum exhibits and can be visited in a multitude of countries – including in the United States, in the state of Wisconsin. It is a storied, ugly bird, and this duckling’s tale should be remembered, respected, and shared with future generations. 

About the Author 

Brandon J. Weichert, a National Interest national security analyst, is a former Congressional staffer and geopolitical analyst who is a contributor at The Washington Times, the Asia Times, and The-Pipeline. He is the author of Winning Space: How America Remains a Superpower, Biohacked: China’s Race to Control Life, and The Shadow War: Iran’s Quest for Supremacy. His next book, A Disaster of Our Own Making: How the West Lost Ukraine, is due October 22 from Encounter Books. Weichert can be followed via Twitter @WeTheBrandon.

Image Credit: Creative Commons.