Fairey Gannet AEW.3

Found this critter in Pima Air Museum's back lot last month.

It's a British Fairey Gannet set up as an Airborne Early Warning aircraft, with a honking big radome slung beneath her.

The Gannet was unique for it's contra-rotating propellers (one turned in each direction to negate the torque effect) that were spun by what was in effect two separate engines each turning a shaft through what had to be the most complex gearbox ever designed. In flight, one engine could be shut down to conserve fuel and the plane could fly on the other, or both could run and give the plane serious power without serious P-factor trying to twist the plane opposite it's prop rotation.

The British Navy flew these from 1959 until 1978, when the HMS Ark Royal, Britain's last aircraft carrier capable of handing them was retired. Of the 44 AEW variants built, most were scrapped. 5 survive on display in Britain and this is the only one in America. Recently, one straight T-5 version without the radome was returned to airworthy flying status by Shannan Hendricks of New Richmond, Wisconsin, so hopefully we'll see that one on the airshow circuit before long.