Folland Midge
Folland Gnat
Designed by Folland's chief engineer and Managing Director, Mr W Petter, the Midge and Gnat represented an attempt to move away from the increasing size and cost of modern fighter aircraft.
The single-seat Gnat F1 fighter was the forerunner of the two-seat Gnat T1 trainer which achieved fame with the 'Red Arrow' aerobatic team.
Midge
Petter left English Electric and took charge at Folland to pursue his vision of a small modern fighter, hence the Fo.139 Midge was a lightweight fighter from the outset. Initial thoughts were to develop along the lines of the rocket-powered Me-163 Komet for use as an interceptor against incoming Soviet bombers - the perceived threat at the time. Despite attracting scant attention Folland were so sure of the concept they proceeded anyway. With a roll-out date of 31st July 1954 set by Petter, the aircraft was duly rolled out on schedule and engine runs made at Hamble, where it had been produced. Transported to Boscombe Down for three initial test flights, it first flew on the 11th of August and by the 21st was based at Supermarine's airfield at Chilbolton. Flight testing went very successfully and the Midge even appeared at the Farnborough SBAC show in September. Indian Air Force observers evaluating another aircraft at Chilbolton were so impressed by the Midge they recommended their superiors to invesigate the larger variant under development.
Folland Gnat F1 preserved at the RAF Museam, RAF Cosford.
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United Kingdom |
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F1 - 26 May 1956, T1 - 31 Aug 1959 |
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F1 - 235 T1 - 105 |
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F1 - One 4,850 lbs Bristol Siddley (later Rolls Royce) Orpheus |
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T1 - One 4,520 lbs Bristol Orpheus 101 |
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Max airspeed Mach 0.95 (525 knots at 30000ft) |
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F1 - Empty weight 4,604 lbs, takeoff weight 8,700 lbs |
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T1 - Empty weight 5,560 lbs, takeoff weight 9,520 lbs |
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F1 - Span 22.166 ft, wing area 136.6 sq ft, |
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T1 - Span 24 ft, wing area 175 sq ft, |
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F1 - Two 30mm Aden cannon, bombs and rockets |
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T1 - None |
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F1 - One T1 - Two |
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Midge G-39-1 airborne in 1954; Folland
Gnat F.Mk.1
Derived from the even-more-diminutive Fo.139 Midge prototype, the all-metal construction Gnat possessed outstanding performance features including a 10,000 foot-per-minute climb rate, and a roll rate in excess of 360 degrees per second.
The Air Ministry was not interested in the Gnat in its present state but approval was gained for the production of a small batch of development Gnats; as the proposed Mk.2 (with thinner wings, reheat and missile armament) might just be of interest.
The Indian Air Force were not so reluctant and wanted the F.1 right away. Yugoslavia and Finland were also seriously interested.
The F-1’s first flight was from Chilbolton in May 1956, and in test flights the Gnat proved itself to be a highly manoeuvrable aircraft, with a good turn of speed, and development progressed quickly.
Although the aircraft was favourably received by the pilots at the Aircraft and Armament Experimental Establishment, pressure to cut defence spending meant the Gnat F1 would not be procurred for the RAF. Worse was the statement earlier that year the Air Ministry were no longer interested in the Gnat F2 and could not see a use for the aircraft in UK air defense.
Several other Air Forces were attracted to the idea of a low-cost fighter. Finland purchased thirteen Gnat F1s, some of these being converted for reconnaissance work, whilst India bought fourty.
Gnat T.Mk.1
The Air Ministry did have a requirement for a two-seat trainer and so they still funded the six development F.1s; their interest resting in the possibility of adding an extra seat to the Gnat and calling it a trainer. Folland responded with remarkable speed to this idea given Petter's intrasigence to modifications prior to this point, and produced a brochure outlining a trainer variant. This was accepted, again with remarkable speed - even before the F.1 trials had been completed. The plane entered production with the RAF as the Fo.144 Gnat Trainer before adopting the Gnat T.Mk1 name.
In their training role in the UK, Gnats were effective training aircraft for several generations of student jet pilots, and were a common sight in the skies above RAF Valley, UK before their retirement.
The T1 was in service with the RAF from 1958 until 1979 (and as late as 1991 with the Indians), it was Folland's last product before merger with Hawker.
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Free Download at flightsim.com |
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gnat.zip (29.7 Mb) |
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Model by Simshed |
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FS2004 RAF Folland Gnat TR1. Provided in both standard training and aerobatic models, this was the aircraft made famous by the Red Arrows. The team were formed at RAF Fairford from the Yellowjacks during 1964 and first displayed using the Gnat in the summer of 1965 they flew the Gnat until 1979 when they converted to the Hawk. The Gnat was also the RAF's advanced jet trainer of the period and was a common sight in the low level areas of North Wales. The Gnat was also famous for its phenominal roll rate, 420 degrees per second. The schemes here cover the RAF's use of the Gnat from 1958 until 1979. |
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XM691, the T.1 prototype, July 1960; Folland
The Indian company Hindustan Aircraft Limited (HAL) also produced a further 175 Gnats under license. Indian Gnats saw active service during the Indo-Pakistan conflicts of 1965 and 1971 and proved more than a match for their opponents in combat. HAL later developed and built a much improved version of the aircraft, named the Ajeet (Unconquerable).