EXCLUSIVE BUILD
Richard Spreckley builds a test-shot of Airfix’s highly anticipated quarter-scale Fairey Gannet AS.1/AS.4.
Fairey’s Gannet was developed for the Royal Navy as a carrier-born anti-submarine warfare and strike aircraft, able to detect, mark, track and destroy hostile submarines. The first aircraft were delivered to the Royal Navy on April 5, 1954 at RNAS Ford (just down the road from where this model was built). Throughout its career it was the mainstay of such operations, until it was replaced by the Whirlwind HAS.7 helicopter, then being used as an electronic countermeasures asset. The Gannet was named after the elegant diving seabird, yet itself wasn’t renowned for its looks. That said, it had excellent flying characteristics and good stability that made it ideal for its role. Its most identifiable feature was the contra-rotating propeller arrangement, powered by an Armstrong Siddeley Double Mamba powerplant – effectively two engines and propellers that could work independently of each other.
Above: Fine detail is found throughout this kit, including the delicate recessed panel lines and rivets on the fuselage exterior.
Above: Both extended and folded wings are included, removing the need for any tricky cut…
