Folland Gnat
Folland Aircraft / Hawker Siddeley · United Kingdom · first flew 1955 · fighter
The Folland Gnat is a diminutive British swept-wing jet, conceived as a lightweight fighter but most famous as an RAF advanced trainer and aerobatic mount.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | Mid-mounted, swept |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 1 × turbojet, fuselage-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | 9.06 m fuselage |
| T — Tail | Conventional |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- Very small swept-wing airframe
- Wing-root intakes
- All-moving slab tailplane
Spot the very small swept-wing airframe, the wing-root intakes, the bubble canopy and the all-moving slab tailplane that gave it nimble handling.
Specifications
- The Folland Gnat has a length of 9.06 m (30 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 7.32 m (24 ft).
- Its maximum speed is 1120 km/h (696 mph).
- Typical crew: 1.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
Designed by W.E.W. Petter as a cheap, simple lightweight fighter, the Gnat first flew in July 1955. While Britain bought it chiefly as a trainer, the fighter version was exported and licence-built in India as the Gnat and later the indigenous Ajeet.
Variants
The single-seat Gnat F.1 fighter was exported to India and Finland; the two-seat Gnat T.1 trainer (1959, 9.68 m) equipped the RAF and made the type famous as the original Red Arrows mount.
Where you'll see it
RAF Gnat T.1s trained generations of fast-jet pilots and equipped the Yellowjacks and then the famous Red Arrows, who flew the type until converting to the Hawk for 1980. Preserved and airworthy Gnats appear at Duxford, RAF Cosford and on the UK display scene, including RIAT Fairford.
Related aircraft
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