Airfix 1/48 Gannet, completed

[Guest]

Another great model. Looks like you’ll soon be needing to add extra shelves, though

[Andy T]

Thanks again everyone

And seriously missed when withdrawn from service.

The guy I mention above commented that they would have been very handy in the Falklands conflict. I've no idea myself but he was pretty certain they'd have made a difference.

Another great model. Looks like you’ll soon be needing to add extra shelves, though :smiling3:

Yes, I'm still awaiting another bookcase too. This new finish has proved so popular that my local Ikea aren't expecting any stock until March!

[Gern]

Beautiful

[Waspie]

Thanks again everyone


The guy I mention above commented that they would have been very handy in the Falklands conflict. I've no idea myself but he was pretty certain they'd have made a difference.

Andy, the Gannet would have given the fleet an advantage in that the aircraft and its radar gave the fleet an over the horizon view of what was ahead. Together with a data link it would have enabled the fleet to collate the data from the Gannet and feed it into the weapon systems and enable over the horizon targeting, (OTHT). Remember this was about the time GPS was coming in. Albeit some aircraft/vessels had a military system called NavStar, it wasn't as accurate as it need more satellites back then to give an accurate position.
The gap from loosing the Gannet and the introduction of the AEW* Sea King was a bad time for any fleet. No eyes in the sky. Having to rely on the RAF and USA to provide long distance vision. Captain of ships lost the ability to get an AEW aircraft airborne swiftly!

*AEW - Airborne Early Warning

[Andy T]

Cheers Doug, sounds like he wasn't wrong!

[Jim R]

That is superb, Andy. Well done, you should be very proud of that.

[Si Benson]

Excellent results Andy, that paintwork is stunning

[Guest]

Albeit some aircraft/vessels had a military system called NavStar, it wasn't as accurate as it need more satellites back then to give an accurate position.

Navstar was the original form of what’s now called GPS, with ten satellites launched from the late 1970s to the mid-80s. The second generation, which would become the GPS as we know it, started with 24 satellites launched in the late 80s to early 90s.

[Waspie]

Navstar was the original form of what’s now called GPS, with ten satellites launched from the late 1970s to the mid-80s. The second generation, which would become the GPS as we know it, started with 24 satellites launched in the late 80s to early 90s.

I was never in a position to use it, (NavStar), it was only fitted to deployed front line units. Listening to other crews who had used it, to get any form of accuracy with it the NavStar system need 5 satellites to give moderate accuracy.
I was a child of the TANS system, (Tactical Air Navigation System). Input Lat and Longs to use the equipment. Very good. In Sea Kings our TANS had up to 100 waypoints. Later on when I was instructing on the export Lynx, (Mk99 ROK version), it had TANS N which had up to 1000 waypoints!! So useful in a tactical environment.

[Flip]

Yep. First rate (and I've got all the pics!)
Really is an inspiration.

[Ed Sunder]

What a crazy cool plane and you've done a great job.

[yak face]

Thats stunning andy , a beautifully built and painted model. Its a brilliant subject the Gannet , very successful at its job , ingenious design and - shall we say - “interesting “ looks . It looked a great build too , Airfix have hit the bullseye with this one , cheers tony

[Guest]

to get any form of accuracy with it the NavStar system need 5 satellites to give moderate accuracy.

That’s not easy when there are only ten in orbit. GPS needs three satellites above the horizon, IIRC, to give a decent position (more is better) but it had 24 of them specifically so that there could always be three visible.

[Waspie]

That’s not easy when there are only ten in orbit. GPS needs three satellites above the horizon, IIRC, to give a decent position (more is better) but it had 24 of them specifically so that there could always be three visible.

You're right from what I understand Jacko, 3 satellites needed for accurate GPS. From what I believe, the civil GPS system piggybacks the Military system. Don't know how accurate that statement is.
Probably why TANS was pushed through as the tactical navigation of choice.

[Guest]

AFAIK, GPS has basically two levels: one for civilian use and one for military. Any GPS receiver can handle both, but there is some kind of setting that, when enabled on the satellites, makes civilian receivers much less accurate than military ones (in the order of 10 m vs. 1 m, IIRC). However, that setting has been switched off in the mid-1990s and never re-enabled.