The Tugan LJW7 Gannet, also known later as the Wackett Gannet after its designer

Lawrence Wackett Sir Lawrence James Wackett (2 January 1896 – 18 March 1982) is widely regarded as "father of the Australian aircraft industry". He has been described as "one of the towering figures in the history of Australian aviation covering, as he did, ...

, was a small twin-engined airliner built by

Tugan Aircraft Tugan Aircraft Ltd. was an Australian aircraft manufacturer of the 1930s. It was based at Mascot aerodrome, now Sydney Airport. It is best known for having manufactured the Gannet, the first Australian-designed aircraft to enter series productio ...

in Australia in the 1930s.Watkins 1961, p.600Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering 1988, p.498 It was the first Australian-designed aircraft to enter series production. It was also the first Australian-designed and built aircraft to be

taken on strength Taken on Strength is a British and British Commonwealth term referring to a person being added to a military organization, or in some cases becoming an employee of a government department, agency or statutory corporation. For an aircraft or a vesse ...

by the

Royal Australian Air Force "Through Adversity to the Stars" , colours = , colours_label = , march = , mascot = , anniversaries = RAAF Anniversary Commemoration ...

Design and development

The Gannet was a strut-braced, high-wing monoplane of conventional design, with twin engines mounted in nacelles on the wings. The undercarriage was of fixed, tailwheel configuration with divided main units. The wings were of wooden construction, skinned in plywood, and the fuselage was built from welded steel covered in fabric. The prototype Gannet underwent flight testing in October 1935, and was destroyed in a crash shortly thereafter.Mattingley 2007, p.10 The pilot and passengers perished in the ensuing fire, but despite this, the Gannet entered series production. The type was operated by Butler Air Transport between

Sydney Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about towards the Blue Mountain ...

and

Broken Hill Broken Hill is an inland mining city in the far west of outback New South Wales, Australia. It is near the border with South Australia on the crossing of the Barrier Highway (A32) and the Silver City Highway (B79), in the Barrier Range. It is ...

and at least one flew with

Ansett Airways Ansett Australia was a major Australian airline group, based in Melbourne, Australia. The airline flew domestically within Australia and from the 1990s to destinations in Asia. After operating for 65 years, the airline was placed into adminis ...

in 1943.Gerhardt 1961. p.678 RAAF Gannets saw service as survey aircraftWilson 2006, 41 between 1935 and 1942 when they were converted into air ambulances for the newly-formed No.2 Air Ambulance Unit."A14 Wackett Gannet" The last RAAF Gannets were scrapped in 1946.

Operators

; *

* Butler Air Transport *

Royal Australian Air Force "Through Adversity to the Stars" , colours = , colours_label = , march = , mascot = , anniversaries = RAAF Anniversary Commemoration ...

Design and development

Operators

Specifications

See also

Notes

References