Buxton Air Cadets

The Gannet was a Fleet Air Arm anti-submarine aircraft in the 1950’s and 60’s. The basic model was developed into various versions: Airborne Early Warning (AEW), electronic countermeasures (ECM) and carrier on-board delivery (COD).
The Gannet had a crew of three, pilot, radar operator, navigator.
The powerplant was an Armstrong-Siddeley Double Mamba Turboprop driving twin contra-rotating propellors.

Our Gannet was a T2 trainer. It was used as a practice machine for instrument mechanics, so disappointingly, it was never a complete aircraft. There is more of the aircraft missing than is present. We do not have the engines or propellors, the wings or the tail. We only have two of the three cockpits. It was originally based at RNAS Fleetlands, we don’t know how it got to Tangmere.

We have acquired a small scaffolding tower and some paint, and we have started applying primer.
We have yet to decide the final colour scheme.
The plan for the engine space is to turn it into a display for Gannet models which our cadets will construct.

(25th Feb 2007)

The Gannet is on indefinite loan to the squadron. It has been very generously left with the squadron by father and son collectors Rick + Richard Jones who acquired it a few years ago from RAF Tangmere.

Continuous Projects:

¤	Balsa glider construction: Experimenting with designs to acheive optimum performance.

¤	Plastic kit modelling: Various models acquired (E.g. Vulcan, Harrier)

¤	Public speaking: Rolling programme of presentations by cadets generally centred on squadron activities/events/visits