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Folland Fo.141
Gnat (Variants/Other Names: Gnat Mk II
"Ajeet")
History: The Fo.141 Gnat was a British all-metal
fighter and trainer designed by Folland to be small and economical, yet capable of high
performance. Derived from the even-more-diminutive Fo.139 Midge
prototype, the 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 prototype first flew in 1955, when it
demonstrated performance impressive enough to warrant the manufacture of six test aircraft
for the Ministry of Supply. These aircraft were used in a variety of configurations,
including the fitting of one with two 30mm cannon to test the aircraft's effectiveness in
the ground attack role. However, the British government subsequently lost interest in the
Gnat as a possible fighter, deciding instead to employ it as an advanced two-place
trainer. For that role, Folland made significant changes to the aircraft,
installing a second seat, a larger engine, a different wing and tail, and revised
control-surface installation. The plane entered production with the RAF as the Fo.144
Gnat Trainer (later renamed the Gnat T.Mk1) but
not until Folland was taken over by Hawker Siddeley at the insistence of the British
government, which preferred to deal with a select few large, industrial groupings, rather
than small, private-venture companies like Folland. The Gnat was used by the British Yellowjacks / Red Arrows
aerobatic team from 1964 through 1979, when it was replaced by the British Aerospace Hawk
T.Mk.1. It was with the Indian Air Force, however, that the Gnat came into its own as a
fighter aircraft. During the 1965 war with Pakistan, the Gnat is credited with downing
seven Pakistani F-86 (Sabre) aircraft. 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 in November 1978. Nicknames: Pocket
Fighter; Sabre Slayer (India) Specifications: Number Built: 105 Number Still Airworthy: Approximately
8 in private ownership. Links: Special Feature:
All text and photos
Copyright 2011 The Doublestar Group, unless otherwise noted.
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