The Ugliest Warplane of All Time that Shocked Everyone

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When a mysterious unidentified contact flying at 3,000 feet appeared off the windswept coast of Cold War Britain, an American fighter pilot on exercise with his Royal Navy counterparts was sent to investigate. As he caught up with the enigmatic aircraft, his controller’s voice came crackling over the radio to ask what he had found. The pilot’s jaw dropped as he surveyed the strange contraption by his side, unsure quite how to answer.
It certainly was an odd spectacle: one engine idly shut off, a jet pipe protruding from the side like an octopus’s funnel, unusual wings, counter-rotating propellers, a dizzying yellow and black spinner, and a colossal mushroom cap of a radome. The man operating this bizarre machine was no less outlandish, an enormous bearded giant in an old-fashioned leather flying helmet, apparently oblivious to his surroundings as he casually read a book without a care in the world.
Barely able to believe his eyes, the American pilot stuttered his response to the controller, the conclusion obvious: he must be flying alongside God himself.
Of course, this peculiar aircraft was not a divine vessel but an oddball British carrier-borne warplane, the Fairey Gannet. A pioneering post-World War 2 experiment to provide the Royal Navy’s Fleet Air Arm with a dedicated anti-submarine aircraft for the first time, its unconventional design would often find it a contender for the ugliest warplane of all time.
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As images and footage of actual events are not always available, Dark Skies sometimes utilizes similar historical images and footage for dramatic effect and soundtracks for emotional impact. We do our best to keep it as visually accurate as possible.
All content on Dark Skies is researched, produced, and presented in historical context for educational purposes. We are history enthusiasts and are not always experts in some areas, so please don't hesitate to reach out to us with corrections, additional information, or new ideas.

[@DarkDocsSkies]

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[@billt6116]

Transformers... too much stuff to fry.....

[@CosRacecar]

Comparing the threat of nuclear armageddon to being marketed to seems a bit over the top...

[@karlvongazenberg8398]

Have you heard about The Late Day Biplane? Let me introduce you to the Church of the Blackburn Blackburn before your follow false ugliness :)

[@owenlaprath4135]

Not ugly for me! The Gannet was one of the most loveably unique, marvellously interesting, and beautiful aeroplanes ever built!

[@alisdairmclean8605]

Yes, it has a certain style of its own.

[@tommypaget2294]

It’s a very, very safe and reliable, and practice naval aircraft.

[@toodlepop]

i was going to say that i think it looks kinda cool. i might not even call it ugly. i certainly think there are prettier planes (looking at you G550, 757, P-51, Spitfire, TBM700/800/900, etc.) but this is definitely a plane i'd look back at after i parked it and be like "damn...that is one thicc b***h" (in a good way).

[@jimmyryan5880]

I guess I have a different idea of what's ugly. I seem to love every "ugly" plane.

[@christopherosborn7081]

I think its pretty cool looking.

[@raikitsune]

I think ugly isn’t the right word for her same as the buccaneer. Maybe Brutish or harsh would be more suitable.

[@zer0bre]

Some of us like the more unconventional looking things. I'm the same way regarding cars, trucks, tanks and even my model kits.

[@pastorclay82]

A-6, S-3, and F-111, my personal favorites.

[@richardmabry870]

I agree, it’s a gorgeous little bird!

[@nicholasbell9017]

The Fairey Gannet might have been odd- looking but look at all the specifications it had to fulfil from the start, and how well it was modified throughout it's service from 1949 to 1978. By any standards of British make-do and mend, that's impressive. It's got so many complexities, the double Mamba engine, a masterpiece. The double-folding wings, the retractible dustbin radome, I mean, what's not to love? And it flies off a ship too! A proper sea bird. Dumfries and Galloway Aviation Museum have one. It's a big beast, hope one day they can park it indoors.

[@GregoryP-jw8qj]

Really? They have their example of this plane sitting out in the elements? Sacrilege!!

[@hillarysemails1615]

I'm jealous that we don't have some Plywood mockups of it here in USA. I'd love copies in Houston, Chicago and somewhere on the East Coast.

[@TheArgieH]

​@@GregoryP-jw8qjThere's another green one parked outside the Berkshire Museum of Aviation. I think it looks like a T4. The wings are folded. A pragmatic piece of kit, in order for a pilot in the middle cockpit to see Fwd there is a large mirror at 45 degrees above the pilot.

[@davecooper3238]

Dumfries also have a Double Mamber which is indoors along with other engines.

[@budisutanto5987]

​@@GregoryP-jw8qjYou'd be surprised, it's well made(sea contain salt, rainwater - easy). It's in place of honour, at entrance of airforce base at Surabaya city, Indonesia.

[@sharzadgabbai4408]

“Give a brit a piece of metal, and he’ll do something silly with it.” Porsche owner before I had him fir breakfast in a a lotus Super 7

[@grahambambrook313]

🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 Colin Anthony Bruce Chapman was certainly an innvovative soul!🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@richardsawyer5428]

Cheers Dark Skies. The Gannet is just such a brilliant, quirky design. One of my favourite aeroplanes.

[@elennapointer701]

The Gannet may not have had the looks, but it certainly had the moves. It was the British equivalent of the Skyraider.

[@macdodd]

I loved the Gannet, I was there as a Corporal in the RAF at Lossiemouth to oversee the final indignity of the last of B Flight 849 Sqdn Royal Navy. The Aircraft were taken over to an empty area of the airfield & cut up & smelted on sight into ingots for transport to the Scrap company. It was heartbreaking.

[@frasermitchell9183]

When I was a kid, I assembled a plastic model of this aircraft. I forget the maker, but I see one can buy an Airfix kit for it. I had other models too, like a Handley Page Victor, an Avro Lancaster, Consolidated Catalina, an English Electric Lightning, and a whole lot more !

[@zh84]

FYI: a gannet is a seabird found on the coast of Britain and other places. It is also rather ugly, but it has a spectacular feeding strategy of crash-diving from a great height and plunging into the water to catch fish. Rather like a depth-charge, in fact, which I would guess is why it got its name applied to an anti-submarine aircraft.

[@Tinker1950]

Most of us are very aware of what a Gannet is.

[@geronimo5537]

As someone who does not live anywhere near any coasts. This was interesting to read. A fitting name for both birds.

[@zh84]

@@geronimo5537 Thank you!

[@robinac6897]

Did you know it has evolved shock absorbers in its head and neck as it can hit the water at up to 60 mph.

[@reluctantheist5224]

Yes, I think this was for those who didn't.​@@Tinker1950

[@keithweiss7899]

I’ve got to say that I’m a proud American Patriot. But I sure am glad the British are our friends. Some of their ideas may seem strange, but they sometimes come up with a real winner! God Save the King!

[@horusfalcon]

Well said. Thanks!

[@alanwilson4860]

Thank you. Lots of videos make fun of British kit but nobody's laughing when there on the end of it.

[@ironsam2381]

the strongest alliance on earth forged in the blood of our ancestors

[@CraigWelsh-lm3wg]

Nice one, mate, well said!

[@Istandby666]

A nothingness can't save anything.

[@Trevor_Austin]

You fail to mention one of the Gannet’s main attributes. It ran on jet fuel. For safety, the Admiralty wanted to get rid of petrol (gasoline) from all of their carriers. However, like all UK government plans dreamed up by the shiny bottoms and scribblies they forgot on thing. Gannets used Avpin to start. Avpin was a liquid monofuel, ie a liquid explosive. So now armourers were now needed as part of the propulsion maintenance team.

[@bulukacarlos4751]

I have spoken with Argentine pilots who participated in the conflict of '82 and they are grateful that the Royal Navy did not have Phantons or Gannets. I wonder if it would have been a good COIN airplane, in a role similar to the Skyraider (obviously with the respective modifications). Greetings from Argentine Patagonia.

[@pennydunwell7005]

My dad used to work on these in 60s on HMS Hermes and I had the punishment of polishing one of these at HMS DAEDALUS in the 80s it's a very impressive machine.

[@fredburley9512]

An ingenious aircraft from the glory days of UK aviation.

[@johnking1896]

I served in the Navy in VP-16, We hosted 4 Gannets in our hanger and when I saw this vid I recalled that time, 45 years back, I am happy to keep the memories, but I do wish there was less physical degradations but this is an unfortunate reality. What they did not say is just how slow it can get to when many AC sent up to take it down will stall out to stay behind.

[@MrSpringheel]

It's undeniable the design is a masterstroke of genius!

[@user-hl6th7ev9w]

I worked at HMS Gannet and there was a Gannet aircraft on display at the main gate. I did get the opportunity to sit in it. An ugly duckling it may have been but make no mistake , this was a formidable aircraft, extremely effective in it's purpose. Great video, thanks for showing.

[@timwoodman1154]

Ah, the whispering ghost of the Mozambique coast. I spannered the AEW3 version on 849D flight based on HMS Eagle. It was an utter pig to maintain but a delight to fly, but it was loved by all who worked on it. Primus Video.

[@lanedexter6303]

Definitely an example of “form follows function.”

[@marvwatkins7029]

Never underestimate ugly but effective.

[@robertpfuhl2679]

There is one of these down by Minneapolis Minnesota. The lady that owned it bought it and had it shipped ready to fly

[@androidemulator6952]

"Ugly, yet beautiful" - beautiful multi-functional design and features. Could only be a British quirky design ! Gets a thumbs-up from me ! ;) ;)

[@bessie1854]

An example of this strange bird was at Airventure Oshkosh a few years ago.

[@robwernet9609]

I think the Gannet looked cool. As the fleet air arm lacked a replacement they should have kept it around a bit longer

[@qwertyuiop98320]

One of these lovely bits of kit is hanging around a museum in Jakarta.

[@horusfalcon]

An unusual type, to be sure. Nicely done. I don't find it ugly. It has that order of beauty of certain weapons systems which cannot be truly appreciated until they are in use.

[@timpeterson2738]

Seams like an aircraft that still should be flying to this date.

[@sbg911]

Even a cursory look through the history of their aircraft, Fairy certainly seemed to have had their fair share of "out there" designers...

[@wz2001]

Ugly? I find it beautiful. It's one of my favourite aircraft.

[@Southwest_923WR]

I,ve always called it " different" looking, but never ugly. I like its uniqueness!👍🏿

[@user-yi6nb9sj9i]

I'm inclined to agree with you .

[@probableflaws3597]

Why is it beautiful exactly? The warthog is one of my favorite planes but I wouldn’t call it “beautiful”

[@NikChristo]

Actually it is so ugly that one could say it's gorgeous!!!

[@robwernet9609]

I wpuldnt go so far as to describe the Gannett as beautiful...although beauty is in the eye of the beholder. It's definitely fascinating and cool looking.

[@benjiwhitevideos4361]

The Gannet is one of my favorite war planes of all time.

[@robertsearle483]

Loved working on it and flying in it after Main Repair Section, HMAS Albatross, Nowra

[@ithinkurf]

As a kid I used to go the fleet air arm museum at albatross. The gannet was always my favourite aircraft. I eneded up spending 10yrs working on p3s in the RAAF. ASW aircraft have always been the quiet achievers of Australian Military Aviation.

[@JonBooth-bi8cl]

I like it . Sad to think of them being scraped .

[@EmptyBallsOfSteel]

I first saw one of these a few years ago at the Yorkshire Air Museum. I'd never seen it before and thought "wtf is that ugly thing", until I looked it up. I've absolutely loved it ever since.

[@oxcart4172]

A British airshow commentator (John Blake, very likely) said that it didn't so much fly as repel the ground!

[@redsorgum]

One man’s ugly, is another man’s beautiful

[@greggweber9967]

Looks like a post WW-II version of the cartoon WW-I planes that were trying to get that pigeon with a messenger bag. LoL

[@ajames8237]

Surely the Douglas Skyraiders disjointed lines come before this? This isn’t ugly, it’s just functional.

[@robwernet9609]

Being able to shut down one of the engines to increase time over target is incredible.

[@tortueagile]

The French Navy had a similar looking aircraft Bréguet 1050 Alizé.

[@alastairblair]

As you have discovered, you diss the Gannet at your peril!

[@mohawkdriver4155]

One of the coolest airplanes I always wanted to fly.

[@llynellyn]

Slight correction, the main reason they were decommissioned by the UK was due to the UK's CATOBAR carriers being decommissioned or converted to STOVL in order to save money. This meant that by the 1980s there were no carriers left in UK service capable of launching them.

[@markanderson6325]

There was one of those as the gate guardian at RAF Lossiemouth when I was stationed there in the late eighties and early nineties.

[@limbichostwax]

If it works can you truly call it ugly? The Gannett is one of my favorite cold war British airplane.

[@andrewcashel8984]

Ah fond memories of the might Double Mamba.

[@HighSideHustler81]

Gannets have feelings too you know, but foreal these things got a cult following and they are badass

[@Valisk]

Love the one on display at IWM Duxford. When you get up close, it's one imposing slab of metal.

[@daveb.4268]

They called, at the time of service, the PBY Catalina (my favorite plane), "The Pig Boat". I'm certain that if you were an aviator floating in the middle of the ocean it became the most beautiful bird you ever saw when it came in to pick you up.

[@kayserbondor]

A good few years ago there was a Gannet visible in a house garden on the Cirencester by pass, maybe a secret VTOL version.

[@williamhall667]

There's one in every air museum here in Britain. 😂

[@andrewbaker7854]

There's one at Duxford, near Cambridge, UK.

[@williamhall667]

@@andrewbaker7854 one at Newark as well

[@Twirlyhead]

Not ugly at all but beautiful. Are you mad.

[@markjames3393]

There is one of these in the Navy Fleet Air Arm Museum in Nowra, NSW, Australia

[@owenshebbeare2999]

Got one fairly near me at Moorabin.

[@dorkf1sh]

The British have the weirdest design aesthetic in the world. It's hard to believe the country that produced the gorgeous Spitfire, Mosquito, and Vulcan also produced literally everything else they've ever put in the air.

[@robinac6897]

Unreadable gibberish.

[@prizecowproductions]

Correct me if I am wrong but toured the HMAS Melbourne at 10 years of age were these part of the Naval Air Fleet for Australia. Aussie Jeff Moore

[@kennethhamilton5633]

Cross decked with the Ark Royal while on the Indy in 1970-71 saw the Gannet and Spey powered F4s

[@allanalopez1756]

I think the aircraft looks kind of cute ❤❤❤❤

[@robertgaston6479]

I like unusual planes. This fits that spot 👍

[@stardog62]

I see how the wings are folded and all I can think of is the Bangles Walk Like an Egyptian

[@neilleonardo961]

Fairey Ganett is a "Poke in the eye "

[@williamjacob885]

I wouldn't call it ugly, exactly, but it's definitely unique! Love the double fold of the wings.

[@cdstoc]

I've seen one of these at the Pima Air Museum in Tucson, Arizona. I thought it was a pretty odd looking aircraft, but I'm a big fan of functionality, so kudos to the design team.

[@thomass.8943]

Some call it ugly, i call it a beauty! So much innovation.. made for his task, not to win the price of useless but wonderful looking plane😃 Love this wonderful piece of technic

[@ronrogers6942]

The Gannet had one supposedly bad point the rear cockpit was a death trap , for crash landings on Aircraft carriers.

[@robinac6897]

I'm imagining that's because the fuselage would fold and the occupant would be crushed.

[@williamroberts1819]

Mom said if you have nothing good to say then you shouldn't say anything at all.

[@Tinker1950]

Was she au fait with the Fairy Gannet then?

[@williamroberts1819]

@@Tinker1950 yes

[@Tinker1950]

@@williamroberts1819 I doubt it.

[@williamroberts1819]

@@Tinker1950 It was a joke.

[@Tinker1950]

@@williamroberts1819 I see. Then sack-cloth and ashes shall upon my head.

[@Petequinn741]

Cool plane looks like a blast to fly

[@michaelpfister1283]

Ugly? No. It has a definite utilitarian beauty, form following function. Much like the P-47 or the Skyraider it replaced.

[@markevans4452]

There used to be a Gannet parked outside the front of our local Technical College in North Wales for years. Impressive looking bit of kit for its age.

[@nate1511]

7:22 I was surprised to hear that the Gannet was the first turboprop powered plane to take of and land from a carrier , because I had always thought the westland wyvern was the first. Apparently they were both undergoing testing at the same time, because the wyvern had its first carrier trials 2 days later on June 21, 1950, also on HMS Illustrious!

[@michaelmiller5470]

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, this was my first fixed wing aircraft I gained my maintenance qualifications on, it was also the one with the most charm, were ever we took them they caused a stir, we became the most talked about, the most observed, I look back with a lot of good memories of them, both on and off the ship, I look back at the Falklands war and wonder how many lives they would have saved.

[@paulh4943]

Beautiful unique plane. Saw one in real in Duxford last year.

[@brewup]

You know you’ve got a winner when the only downside to your aircraft is its looks 😬👍

[@mikefryer5917]

I think it’s not that bad looking. It looks in proportion! There used to be one parked up at the entrance to Deeside college. I was always intrigued whenever I drove past not knowing at the time what it was! Nice to see it flying in this video!

[@louielouiepks]

Fascinating history lesson

[@alecblunden8615]

Hardly an "experiment" - a highly successful warplane with a long operational history, and beautiful in the Bulldog mould, rather than the Afghan hound (if that is not to painful a topic) mode favoured by the US.

[@howardchambers9679]

I've stood next to a Gannet at Newark air museum. Beautiful aircraft. Until you're up close, you don't realise how big these aircraft are!

[@michaellinner7772]

This isn't even close to the ugliest plane of WW2.

[@owenshebbeare2999]

Well, the Curtis Seamew took some beating when assessing uglies, and didn't even work well. The Fairey Barracuda was odd looking, but worked, Blackburn designs often looked a bit off, and perforned in a manner that best can be described as inconsistent. French designs were often odd, especially the bombers, reflecting inter-war policy.

[@briansteffmagnussen9078]

I think both the Gannet and the Shackleton are beautiful planes. If i would have to be up against both planes i would respect them since they due to appearance both tell that they mean serious business.

[@dutchman7216]

Thank you that was interesting. Are there any examples in museums?

[@richardjardine5864]

Legendary test pilot Peter twiss worked on the gannets development

[@gregbroburg7351]

I remember working on one of these and how high up the cockpit was.

[@joebeach7759]

This is the first time ive ever seen this aircraft and I love it! Almost looks like the front end and fat body of a Corsair. I think it's a great looking aircraft with the cockpit in the back. Too bad they got scrapped. Looks like it would be fun to fly.

[@Sanderly1820]

I live in Cornwall England RNAS Culdrose actually has one of these outside as a statue , for some reason I love it

[@DidMyGrandfatherMakeThis]

I’ve seen slides of these sods being launched by steam catapult as my father was a midshipman on Eagle. They used to fly off Gannets, Sea Vixens and Bucs. To me the only plane that looked okay, that looked like it could be catapulted off the small (well relatively compared to the big American carriers) was the Buc. The others just looked insanely inflatable but dad said the Gannets could fly forever with one engine shut down and that the Bucs used to buzz Eagle by flying UNDER her flight deck.

[@marklewis35]

Always liked the Gannet although I've only ever seen them in museums unfortunately.

[@Airwolf106]

HMS Gannett land base had one at the front gate in Prestwick Scotland was quite a unique aircraft.

[@MySteaming]

To me, the Fairey Gannet is a beautiful plane. I simply - love it....

[@robert-trading-as-Bob69]

The cockpit bubble looks like it was taken from the Spitfire, and with the wings folded up, the Fairey Swordfish's biplane silhouette springs into view.

[@richardknott2021]

I love the looks of this craft..

[@truckdaddy1957]

Not ugly at all. I watched the last one fly at Airventure a few years ago. An interesting and unique aircraft.

[@artseger6891]

Got a paper model of this plane off Pinterest. It is really cool. It can be built with the wings set any way, bent however you like.

[@benjaminrush4443]

First, I ever heard about this unique plain. Thanks.

[@spitfire1962]

He didn’t say it was plain, he said it was ugly🤣

[@benjaminrush4443]

@@spitfire1962 PLANE !

[@glennvogt1194]

Sometimes how a plane looks doesn't matter as long as it works.

[@randomobserver8168]

Smooooth ad insert there.

[@hooks4638]

I'm always draw to the "oddball" aircraft. I think it looks pretty cool.

[@bong4538]

A-7's grand dad & X-32's great grand father 😌

[@frostyfrost4094]

My great friend and his mate went down the production line of Gannets at White Waltham one Sunday, Door was open so they ventured in side to ask for permission on there return to exit door was locked,escape was made through a very small toilet window. RIP Stuart

[@guyh9992]

There are three Gannets on display in Australia at museums in Melbourne, Nowra and the Sunshine Coast.

[@strizhi6717]

It's absolutely fitting for ASW missions...it literally looks like a flying sub

[@GridIndustries]

Great video! Very interesting bird, for sure! What is the song that starts at 7:42? It could be the same song continuing from before, but I love it.