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It flew with the Red Arrows from 1963 until 1980. The trainer model featured several changes, including the adoption of a new wing with additional fuel capacity, which in turn allowed for more internal space within the fuselage to be allocated for additional equipment.
Gnat fighters served with reasonable success in the Indian Air Force during the 1965 war with Pakistan, but it was as a two-seat trainer that the Gnat saw its most widespread service.
One aircraft was destroyed in a crash in October 1958 while the other is preserved and on display in Serbia. It had failed to interest the RAF as a combat aircraft at that time, but officers did issue encouragement of the development of a similar aircraft for training purposes.Although the evaluation by the British brought no orders for the lightweight fighter, orders were placed by Finland and Yugoslavia.
Bristol Siddeley Orpheus 101 turbojet with 4,400 pounds of thrust
In its completed form, the HAL Ajeet would measure for a length of about 29.7 feet with a wingspan measuring at 22 feet and height at 8 feet. Finland was the first operational user of Gnat F.1, and the plane still had many issues yet to be resolved. The Folland Gnat was a small, swept-wing British subsonic jet trainer and light fighter aircraft developed by Folland Aircraft for the Royal Air Force, and flown extensively by the Indian Air Force.. Fo. Just over 100 Gnat trainers were built for the Royal Air Force.Creating unlimited horizons in aerospace education through the preservation and presentation of the history of flight. Specifications (Folland Gnat) Data from The great book of fighters.
10 ft 6 in. Proposed Twin-Engined Gnat Fighter-Bomber . India placed a large order for the type, which included a Although RAF interest in the possibilities for using the Gnat as a fighter had waned, Folland identified another potential use for the type as a trainer aircraft.
Just over 100 Gnat trainers were built for the Royal Air Force. Development of the trainer began in 1956 and it first flew on August 31, 1959. Weight. Height.
Wingspan.
A more powerful variant of the Orpheus engine was also used, while the length of the forward fuselage area was increased, and the tail surfaces were enlarged.
Data from Jane's All the World's Aircraft 1958-59, The Great Book of Fighters
The Gnat was designed by W.E.W. 144 Gnat Trainer. 144 Gnat trainer : Two-seat advanced trainer aircraft. General characteristics.
The Gnat portrayed the fictional carrier-based "Oscar EW-5894 Phallus Tactical Fighter Bomber" flown by U.S. Navy pilots in the 1991 comedy It had been moved from the Folland factory at Hamble by road earlier in the day, after a 15-minute flight the Gnat landed at Chilbolton airfield, Hampshire.The Folland test pilot, Teddy Tennant, bailed out and descended safely, becoming first person to use the
The Gnat's most visible use was with the Royal Air Force's Red Arrows flight display team. Length. All Gnats were grounded for half a year on 26 August 1958 after the destruction of GN-102 due to a technical design error in its hydraulic system, and the aircraft soon became the subject of severe criticism. Several Gnats survive including some airworthy examples (particularly in the United States and the United Kingdom) and others on public display.
Three other aircraft were also destroyed in other accidents, with two pilots The Finnish Air Force serial codes for Folland Gnat were GN-100..GN-113 and its usual nickname The Gnat is credited by many independent and Indian sources as having shot down seven By the end of 1971, the Gnat proved to be a frustrating opponent for the larger, heavier and older Sabre. Although never used as a fighter by the Royal Air Force (RAF), the Petter examined the prospects for producing a more affordable but capable "light fighter", including a survey of available modern engines to power the type.Petter believed that a compact and simplified fighter would offer the advantages of low purchase and operational costs, and that the Gnat should be capable of being manufactured both cheaply and easily.In order that the project would not be delayed before reaching the prototype stage, Petter's unarmed proof-of-concept demonstrator for the Gnat was instead powered by the less powerful The Midge, partly due to its nature as a private venture, had only a short lifespan, however had served as a proof-of-concept demonstrator for the subsequent aircraft.