South Wales Aircraft Museum (SWAM)

[Barry Boy]

Some of you may recall that I organised a run out to SWAM. An enjoyable breakfast was had but for some reason nobody wanted to go in the museum. Several people on the forum commented that they would have liked to see what was there so last week I took a spin back over with and old friend and took some photos of some of their exhibits.

 

[Ron]

Pictures 2,4,and14, a double bladed prop and origami wings, clever stuff.

Picture 12 with all the instruments in green. Would that be the flight engineers display?

 

[Barry Boy]

Hi Ron. Yes its a Gannet. You could see the writing on the wall for prop aircraft. The Shackleton outside is even worse. Four Griffon engines (updated Merlin's) and contra-rotating props. Still not enough so they fitted two RR Viper jet engines in the No1 and 4 nacelles. The cockpit exhibit is from a Boing 707 and yes that is the flight engineers station.

 

[Paul P.]

What is further interesting about the Gannet is that the engine, the Armstrong Siddeley Double Mamba, is two joined motors each with their own prop, able to operate separately...

 

[Barry Boy]

The Gannets a strange old aircraft. It's so tall you need to be on oxygen to sit in the cockpit. Turbo props died the death until carbon fibre came along and allowed the construction of some very clever prop blades which helped give birth to the Advanced Turbo Props (ATP).