History:

In the early 1930s Messrs Leo Turl and Frank Gannon took over the Mascot, NSW hangar of General Aircraft Co.  In November 1935 Mr J C Carpenter joined the company and Tugan Aircraft Ltd came into being.  This Company commissioned Mr L J W Wackett (later Sir) to design the LJW.7 Gannet, his seventh design, this being similar to but an improvement over the Cockatoo Island LJW.6 Codock.  Wackett became Managing Director and production of three Gannets commenced.  The production line was shortly thereafter extended by a further three aircraft being laid down to meet expected orders.

The Gannet was a twin-engine cantilever monoplane with a single piece wing of wooden construction with plywood covering.  The fuselage was of welded steel tube structure covered with fabric over a light wooden secondary structure.  The tail used was of braced monoplane type of welded steel tube framework covered with fabric, with balanced rudder and elevators.  The undercarriage was of divided tube type with two long-stroke oleo legs, the upper ends being anchored to the wing engine mounts, and the lower ends hinged to the lower fuselage longerons. Wheel brakes were fitted to the main wheels.

The cockpit provided accommodation for two pilots and the cabin could be arranged for passengers or freight.  Normally six passengers were carried, but provision could be made for two stretcher cases and an attendant nurse.  In the freight role approximately 762 kg (1,680 lb) of freight could be carried.

It seems eight Gannets were completed, although there has been conjecture over the years as to the exact number; and in fact some tomes have said 12, and one said 18.  Be that as it may, the author and noted aviation historian, Keith Meggs, believed that eight probably were completed and that some of the records kept of their histories left a lot to be desired.  Certainly another four were in the progress of completion when the Company went into liquidation in April 1937 and its assets were taken over by the Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation and transferred to Melbourne, VIC but no further aircraft were completed.

The first aircraft completed VH-UUZ (c/n TA.52) was test flown by J Chapman at Mascot, NSW on 12 October 1935, the Certificate of Airworthiness being issued on 14 November the following month, it enterinf service with Western & Southern Provincial (WASP) Airlines Ltd.  However, it crashed and was destroyed by fire 3.2 km (2 miles) west of Cordeaux Dam, near Wollongong, NSW on 19 February 1936.

The second aircraft completed A4-1 (c/n TA.53) was to the order of the Air Board for the RAAF, being for the purpose of transporting officers to various aerodromes in Australia.  It was delivered on 14 November 1935 and on 8 December was flown to Laverton, VIC from Richmond, NSW via Cootamundra, NSW.  The serial A4-1 was only carried for a short period as this had been already allocated to the Avro Anson series, and so the Gannet was re-serialled A14-1.  It was taken on charge at No 1 AD for trials; and during April, May and June 1936 was flown on photographic and survey work on behalf of the Northern Australian Survey Flight.  Subsequently it was used for VIP work.

In April 1938 it was handed over to Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation and remained with them until it was impressed by the RAAF in June 1940.  It later went to the Survey Flight at Laverton, VIC.  Some records indicate at some stage it may have been re-serialled A14-6 but this is incorrect.  It was allotted the registration VH-ACD for VIP use by Broken Hill Proprietary (BHP) personnel but this was not taken up.  In 1941 it carried out further survey work. It was converted to air ambulance configuration and joined No 2 Air Ambulance Unit on 10 March 1942.  It was withdrawn from service at Evans Head, NSW with other Gannets and broken up in 1946.

The next Gannet VH-UVU (c/n TA.54) was registered on 17 February 1936, making its first flight on 5 March 1936.  It had seating for eight persons, including the pilot, and was fitted with Gipsy VI Series I engines.  Tugan sold it to WASP Airlines Ltd which had a Government mail contract.  It had a number of owners, including Airlines of Australia Ltd, Guinea Airways Ltd, North Western Airlines Ltd of Moree, NSW and eventually Butler Air Transport Co of Mascot in October 1940.  The latter used it on the Sydney – Moruya – Bega route.  During this time it had a number of forced landings due to engine problems.  On 17 July 1943 it was withdrawn from service due to lack of spares and it was probably broken up at Mascot.

The next machine VH-UVY (c/n TA.55) was the first aircraft in the second batch of three and had some detail changes, including increased window area and more comfortable upholstery.  It was registered to Tugan Aircraft on 25 June 1936 and was built with Menasco B6S3 Buccaneer engines and Hamilton Standard propellers, making its first flight on 3 August.  Ownership was transferred to Commonwealth Aircraft Pty Ltd.  It was delivered to No 1 AD on 27 June 1940 and began RAAF service as A14-6.  It performed some survey work in the Northern Territory and this work took it to Darwin, NT and Pearce in Western Australia.  It was damaged beyond repair when it overturned on landing south-west of Gove, NT on 19 May 1942.  At this time it had been fitted Gipsy VI engines.

“Gannet No 5” VH-UXE (c/n TA.56) was registered to Tugan Aircraft with Gipsy VI engines and seated eight.  It was transferred to RAAF service in November 1936 as A14-2 and was allotted to photographic and survey duties until May 1937 when it, with A14-1, was utilised for an Aerial Geological and Geophysical Survey of northern Australia.  It was later handed over to CAC for communications duties.  In February 1939 it was flown to New Guinea and entered service with Stephens Aviation Ltd at Wau, PNG.  On 20 February 1942 the RAAF ordered the aircraft be flown to Australia due to the advancing Japanese forces but this did not occur and the next record indicates it was destroyed by enemy action at Tulagi, PNG on 24 February 1941.

The next Gannet VH-UYE (c/n TA.57) was completed on 30 March 1937 at Mascot and test flown on 2 April with Gipsy VI engines driving Schwarz propellers.  This was the first aircraft fitted with auxiliary fins on the tailplane to overcome a directional stability problem in the series.   In May that year it, flown by Charles Gatenby, flew a party of journalists to Rabaul, New Britain to cover the eruption of the volcano, covering 8,848 km (5,498 miles) in 48 hours 20 mins at an average speed of 193 km/h (113.7 mph).  In February 1938 it became A14-3 with the RAAF.

This aircraft was used as a RAAF VIP aircraft when it departed Laverton on 3 February 1938 and flew the Chief of Air Staff Air Vice Marshall Williams to Singapore to attend a Defence Conference, flying 17,702 km (11,000 miles) in nine days with an average speed of 241 km/h (150 mph).  It was operated on aerial survey work and later was attached to the newly formed No 2 Air Ambulance Unit at Canberra, ACT being fitted out with two stretchers and medicine lockers.  It then went to No 2 AAU Detachment at Daly Waters, NT in April 1942 but on 16 May on a flight from Groote Eylandt in the Gulf of Carpentaria, NT it crashed at Millingimbi Station.  It was recovered and repaired by No 1 Repair and Salvage Unit.  It had further accidents and was finally retired at Evans Head, NSW, where it was destroyed by burning on 24 July 1946.  It would appear that other surviving Gannets also met their fate in this way at Evans Head.

Next Gannet completed VH-UYF (c/n TA.58) was rolled out on 6 July 1937 and was test flown on 6 August fitted with Gipsy VI Series II engines driving de Havilland controllable pitch propellers.  It was in six-seat configuration, including crew.  It is recorded as being taken over by the RAAF on 24 March 1938 as A14-5 and worked with the Northern Australia Survey Flight.  Throughout 1940 and 1941 it was involved in survey work in the Northern Territory, coastal and southern Queensland, NSW, Victoria and Western Australia.  In December 1941 it was converted to air ambulance configuration at Canberra.  It crashed on take-off near Mount Russell in Canberra on 15 June 1942 when the port engine failed and was extensively damaged. It was converted to components.

Final Gannet produced VH-UZW (c/n TA.59) was completed in October 1937 and was fitted out to seat seven, including the crew.  It was fitted with Gipsy VI Series II engines with de Havilland controllable propellers.  It was flown from Mascot to Fishermens Bend, VIC on 8 November 1937.  It was delivered to No 1 AD on 23 March 1938 as A14-4.  It was allocated for survey work and special work was also done for the Australian Army and the CSIRO.  In March 1942 it also was converted for air ambulance duties.  It made a couple of forced landings in its time, one notable occasion being on the beach at Terrigal, NSW on 20 November 1942.  On 25 August 1944, whilst on an urgent call to Argyle Downs Station, it crashed into the sea at Exmouth Gulf, WA.

Even though at least four further aircraft were on the production line when the line closed down, no more were completed.  In 1936 L J Wackett stated he was intending to design follow-up aircraft to the Gannet, including the Gannet Major, a ten-seat passenger aircraft; and the Gannet Junior, seating four.  The type finally became extinct when the last two RAAF machines (A14-3 and A14-7) were converted to components in the late 1940s.