Fairey Gannet Walkaround Gallery

Fairey Gannet AS.1 XG789 ANAM 2006

Fairey Gannet walkaround. This is another of the airframes we have down at Moorabbin, XG789. It is an AS.1 variant and flew from HMS Melbourne as an ASW patroller. I always thought this was the ugliest plane I ever saw, but then I drew it. A strange thing happens as you go through the process of researching and drawing these things, you build quite an attachment to them. There is an intimacy that develops as you get accustomed to the shape and the structure. You recognise proportions, you can picture the ribs under the skin where the rivets are, you begin to identify components and their purpose. As a result of this, it is now one of my favorites.