Plastic model kit of a 1940s British carrier-based fighter aircraft. The Fairey Gannet is surely one of the most distinctive aircraft ever to serve with the Fleet Air Arm. It was as capable as it was unique and was the only post-war military contract awarded to the famous Fairey Aviation Company. The Gannet was probably the most unconventional Fairey-designed aircraft to go into production. It was developed in response to a 1945 requirement from the Royal Navy, which needed an advanced, carrier-based, turboprop-powered anti-submarine fighter that was robust enough to withstand the rigours of the sea. The Gannet was equipped with the latest electronic detection equipment and, when it spotted an enemy submarine, could mark it, track it and, if necessary, attack it with bombs, depth charges, missiles and acoustic air torpedoes. One feature of the Gannet that gave her a unique look was the use of the innovative Armstrong Siddeley Double Mamba engine. In this arrangement, two gas turbine engines were mounted side by side in the bow of the Gannet, sharing a common gearbox but operating independently, each engine driving its own coaxially mounted counter-rotating propeller. In addition, the engines could run on paraffin and even diesel fuel, which were safer to handle and less refined than conventional aviation fuels. 327 parts, completely new moulds. Length built 273.1 mm / width 345 mm / height 87.3 mm.
