Wing span : 7.32 m / 24 ft
Length : 9.68 m / 31 ft 9 ins
Max weight : 3,915 kg / 8,630 lbs
Service ceiling: 14,630 m / 40,000 ft
Max speed: 1,024 kph / Mach 0.97
Engine : One x Bristol Siddeley Orpheus 101
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GNAT T.1 XR537/G-NATY
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The Gnat was a private venture design by Folland Aircraft for a lightweight single seal fighter, and was preceded by the similar looking, but lower powered Folland Midge, which first flew in August 1954. The thinking behind the design was that many fighters of the early fifties were becoming too complex and heavy, and that a lightweight fighter could undertake the same job - the Gnat having about half the all up weight of a Hunter. The prototype Gnat fighter flew in July 1955, and in August six were ordered by the Ministry of Supply for trials, which included a fly off in Aden against the Hawker Hunter for a ground attack fighter. The Gnat was armed with two 30 mm Aden guns and eight underwing rockets However, no orders were forthcoming from the RAF, but the Gnat was ordered by Finland, India (who built over 200 under licence) and Yugoslavia (for trials only). As a result of the trials with the Gnat fighter, an advanced trainer version was ordered by the RAF in the autumn of 1957, and the prototype Gnat T.1 flew in August 1959. It was an enlarged version of the fighter, with a strengthened airframe, tandem seats and underwing fuel tanks as standard. The Gnat T.1 first saw service with the Central Flying School, Little Rissington in February 1962, later in the year joining No. 4 Flying Training School at Valley, where it replaced the de Havilland Vampire T.11 trainer. The Gnat offered fighter like performance, but was still docile enough for the low speed handling characteristics required by a trainer. The cockpit was equipped with lightweight ejector seats, and provided a snug fit for larger trainee pilots. Just over one hundred trainers were produced, and they remained in service with the RAF until replaced by the BAe Hawk in November 1978. For the 1964 Air Show season No.4 Flying Training School provided an acrobatic team of seven Gnats known as the Yellowjacks. The success of the team lead to the formation of the world famous Red Arrows for the 1965 season, being the official RAF acrobatic team, with the Gnats flown by instructors from the Central Flying School. Their success continued and the Red Arrows became the flagship for the RAF until their final 1979 season....
XR537 was built by Folland at Hamble in the spring of 1963, being delivered from Dunsfold to the RAF. Initially issued to No.4 FTS at Valley in July, it later served with the Central Flying School. During its days with the CFS, XR537 was operated by the Red Arrows team. On withdrawal from flying duties in September 1979, it was delivered to No 2 School of Technical Training at Cosford to serve as an instructional airframe, receiving serial 8642M. It was maintained in a ground running condition, still in its Red Arrows colours, until surplus to requirements at the end of 1989. Sold at a Sotheby's Auction in March 1990, XR537/8642M was moved by road to Bournemouth on 5th April, being placed on the civil register as G-NATY in June.
The Folland Gnat is displayed courtesy of Drilling Systems, De Havilland Aviation Ltd and redarrows.com.
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XR537 (G-NATY) undergoing fast-run tests on 7th April 2006 at Bournemouth Airport.
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